BizBash's newest column offers a monthly check-in on all things event tech, from new virtual platforms to social distancing-focused tools to software that will make your job easier. Got a tip? Get in touch!
In Case You Missed It
Have you checked out our list of 50 more virtual platforms for your next online or hybrid gathering? (And don't miss our original list from March too.) Other BizBash stories this month centered on a hybrid office concept, a health safety platform created by event pros for event pros, and 35 entertainment ideas for virtual or hybrid events.
More Event Technology We're Excited About This Month
To create a personalized event experience for every attendee
Event marketing company Bizzabo landed a whopping $138 million in funding in late 2020—and now, the company is putting that money into action with two high-profile acquisitions. In late May, the company bought Whalebone, Swedish tech that uses sensors and deep learning to simulate in-person audience elements—like crowd noise and audience visualization—across virtual events. And last week, Bizzabo acquired x.ai, an artificial intelligence scheduling tool that generates compatible times to meet across time zones, sends follow-ups and reminders, manages cancellations and more.
“As professional events are being redefined with hybrid experiences, we wanted to find the best scheduling engine in the market to support these new generation events,” says Eran Ben-Shushan, co-founder and CEO of Bizzabo. “There is a massive demand for personalization and matchmaking at events, and x.ai will serve as the technological AI backbone to do exactly that. Our goal with this acquisition is to leverage x.ai’s unique AI technology and talent to make every event of 5,000 people feel like 5,000 different experiences.”
For a more precise 3D venue model
Concept3D has debuted a major advancement in digital maps. 360° Map—which recently launched at the Hawaii Convention Center, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Baldwin Wallace University—is 3D navigation that allows users to spin, tilt and rotate around accurate 3D models; now the structures, grounds and even the trees on the new map can be viewed from North, South, East and West, providing a realistic experience with greater precision. Up next, Concept3D is working with the Hawaii Convention Center to implement this functionality to the interiors, which will be an ideal tool for planners in selecting rooms, planning layouts and more.
“The 360° Map shows our building from every angle, giving our clients and their attendees an unparalleled digital view,” says Teri Orton, general manager of the Hawaii Convention Center.Rendering: Courtesy of Concept3D
To support Black-owned event businesses
Eventnoire is a ticketing platform for events that celebrate Black people and culture founded in 2018. The new company was recently named the winner of Mountain Dew’s Real Change Opportunity Fund Competition, a Shark Tank-style competition between hundreds of start-ups. Eventnoire will receive a portion of the $1 million prize pool, which the company will use to add new technology and expand its team to continue giving event planners, organizations and marketers more solutions for curating impacting cultural and social events surrounding Black culture.
The SymptomSense kiosk uses a table that can be floor-standing, wall-mounted or placed on a tabletop.Photo: Courtesy of SymptomSense
As guests return to live gatherings, a number of innovative new safety solutions are popping up. One of the latest comes from SymptomSense, which has debuted a new technology that rapidly and accurately scans three human vitals—blood oxygen, heart rate and temperature—meaning it would catch the majority of symptoms that correlate with COVID-19 and other illnesses. The noninvasive kiosks capture data anonymously, using an integrated QR-code scanner that offers a contactless method for attendees to receive their results; it can also be customized to suit an event’s particular needs.
To book a daytime meeting at a hotel
As teams start gathering in person again, HotelsByDay can help groups book dayroom and workrooms at local hotels in blocks of three to 12 hours, rather than having to pay for an entire day and night. The company partners with major hotels around the country to facilitate the daytime work sessions in rooms that typically include Wi-Fi, access to business equipment and other work-related needs—all with the amenities that come with a luxury hotel. Another bonus? The rooms can give VIP trade show attendees a comfortable, private place to take a break between sessions.
To digitally plan a wedding from start to finish
Vowlá is a smartphone app that connects engaged couples with their own real-life wedding planner so the entire event can be digitally executed. The app was created by Los Angeles-based event planner and the founder ROCKNEVENTS, Jenny Chang, in an effort to offer her services to clients regardless of their budget or location. Vowlá showcases over 50 California-based wedding planners handpicked by Chang, as well as venues, caterers, photographers, lighting designers and more.
