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
Recently on BizBash, we rounded up 7 things you should do if your tech fails at a virtual event, with tips for how to stay calm, find a backup plan, communicate with your attendees—and prevent it from happening again. We also explored how brands are increasingly using chat platform Discord for events, and learned how drone technology can enhance live gatherings.
More Event Technology We're Excited About This Month
To help bridge the gap between virtual and in-person attendees at hybrid events
MeetingPlay recently launched Go Live, a new mobile app tool for hybrid events that connects virtual audiences with all the action taking place in person. Aiming to bridge the communication gap between digital and IRL elements, the product has a number of cool tools for presenters and exhibitors alike; for example, a presenter can leave the physical stage and with one button, begin a live Q&A with the virtual audience. Exhibitors and sponsors can also easily host sessions from their on-site booths, and can access a central dashboard that helps identify, qualify and follow-up with leads.
“The success of our simu-live virtual sessions, where virtual speakers can ‘go live’ and have an interactive Q&A with the virtual audience during or after a prerecorded session, made us confident that this technology could create a more inclusive experience for virtual audiences at hybrid events,” explained MeetingPlay founder and CEO Joe Schwinger. “We like to think of it as a backstage pass, where virtual attendees get a presenter’s full, undivided attention. From the viewpoint of virtual attendees, it makes the event engaging and they feel special having dedicated time with that presenter.”
To easily manage content at hybrid meetings
National audiovisual company Projection has debuted ProjectionNet, a new hybrid meeting content management tool. Built upon the company’s 25-year-old presentation management system, the service offers a central platform for physical and virtual presenters to upload and review presentations and prerecordings, plus an organized system for booking technical support or recording appointments, access to Projection’s in-house programming team that can design customized content management solutions and more. ProjectionNet has the ability to scale to over 10,000 presentations for one event.
“One of the many lessons we and our clients have learned over the past year is just how important it is to have one central hub for a meeting or event’s content. Even though presenters, sponsors, attendees and the meeting team are all in different places, the content should not be,” explained Karen Cuviello, Projection’s corporate vice president of national accounts.
To take virtual event networking to the next level
Virtual and hybrid event platform 6Connex has stepped up its networking offerings with the integration of Amazon Personalize from Amazon Web Services (AWS) into the 6Connex’s Soar and Rise products. The first virtual event provider to integrate AWS’s AI technology, 6Connex now uses artificial intelligence capabilities to offer matchmaking recommendations to event attendees; organizers can also leverage the tool to recommend content and help attendees plan their agendas. The tech, which can support more than 100,000 at one event, follows an attendee’s journey in real-time, learning what areas of an event they were most interested and identifying other attendees with similar interests.
“By leveraging the machine learning aspect of Amazon Personalize, we can improve the recommendations and matchmaking capabilities over time to optimize an attendee’s experience,” said Henry Tran, 6Connex’s chief technology officer. “When you’re attending an event virtually, it’s much easier to get distracted by texts and emails. Our new AI offerings help to ensure participants are fully engaged and receive a personalized experience.”
To help your clients handle their wedding financials
Co-founded by a former editor of TheKnot.com along with a former Revolut finance executive, Maroo is a new service that helps engaged couples pay for their weddings with interest-free installments rather than all upfront—while still allowing wedding service providers to receive the full contracted amounts right away. Through Maroo, which was built specifically for the wedding industry and charges a flat fee of 10%, the entire transaction is protected with cancellation insurance from eWed. Maroo is free to sign up for wedding pros, and the team can offer free demos to ensure that the services works with clients' existing sales process.
To enhance the attendee and presenter experience at virtual events
BlueJeans by Verizon has introduced a variety of new features designed to improve the attendee experience at virtual events, as well as expand its customization options and increase audience engagement. Highlights include HTML embed enhancements, which allow event hosts to deploy individual widgets for chat, Q&A and polling on any HTML webpage. There’s also enhanced presenter support, like backstage chats, as well as integration with MootUp to create immersive 3D spaces and with Zapier to help connect a variety of applications and streamline logistics.
To improve your event app design
Virtual and hybrid event software company Hubilo has announced a new partnership with Precon Events, an event design and technical production firm. The partnership will offer a complete solution for high-end event app design, content creation and virtual broadcasts while providing a boutique, custom approach for both virtual and hybrid events. Through the partnership, Hubilo customers will gain access to Precon’s team of creative directors, project managers, production managers and more. Hubilo also recently announced announced a new partnership with virtual and hybrid event production company emc3, which will help deliver creative event production at scale to customers with a focus on driving deeper engagement, fostering connections and driving better ROI for businesses.
