Want more content like this sent directly to your inbox? Then sign up for our brand-new BizBash Event Tech monthly newsletter to stay in the know on the latest event technology news and tools to elevate your meetings and events.
Spotlight On
Looking to learn more about the latest event technology? Event Tech Pitch Day, which took place Aug. 3 from 5-8 p.m. EST, was a virtual event where 10 tech start-ups presented their products and were evaluated by a jury of 10 experienced judges. Participants could also vote on an audience award, and had a chance to network with other event professionals. The event was organized by boutique agency Digital Bears and hosted on the Beams platform.
More Event Technology We're Excited About This Month
For a remote networking option
Event tech startup twine for Zoom Events recently became available as an app through Zoom Events. With existing Zoom accounts, teams can now use twine to easily add a variety of guided networking experiences to their virtual meetings or events. And it doesn’t require the user to leave Zoom Events or to create an additional login. The app is free for teams up to 25 users.
“It’s basically a combination of matchmaking and spatial check that allows you, as an event prof or host of the Zoom, to, with the tap of a button, send everybody on your Zoom off into breakout rooms that are timed and have some context or icebreaker questions that drive networking,” said twine CEO and co-founder Lawrence Coburn. Read more from our recent interview with Coburn.
For a ticketing solution that can quickly identify an artist or brand's most passionate fans
Fave, which bills itself as “a social platform and online home for superfans,” has launched its new Fan Verification tool. Through the new offering, fans can log everything from streaming activity to merch collections, fan art, and concert attendance directly on the platform. In so doing, users progress in status from Fan, to Verified Fan, and finally to Verified Superfan—plus each tier unlocks further access to rewards and experiences provided by artists, brand partners, and even other Superfans looking to recognize their fellow enthusiasts. The goal? To give artists and brands a way to identify the right Superfans to get in the room for the right experiences—without having to rely on random lotteries or worry about scalpers.
“On Fave, top-fan status and access to exclusive experiences are not just reserved to the people who can afford it or got lucky in some random giveaway—neither of those correlates to how passionate and deserving of a fan you are,” said Fave founder and CEO Jacquelle Amankonah Horton. “Instead, fans earn these experiences through the authentic, heartfelt activities they’ve already been doing.”
To keep guests engaged during a virtual event or meeting
Video engagement platform Livestorm recently unveiled six new features designed to enhance engagement during virtual events and meetings. Breakout rooms are now available to all Livestorm users, and a new Timer App feature helps guests and speakers alike track and manage their timing. There’s also a new Virtual Background Library that offers 120 free background options for users, and a new plugin—Slido—has been added to the Livestorm marketplace to give users new ways to interact via open-ended questions, polls, word clouds, and more.
"We make a point of listening to our customers, as we understand how important capturing undivided attention is to determining the impact of virtual events and meetings," said Gilles Bertaux, co-founder and CEO of Livestorm. "We’re thrilled to offer our customers these new features that prioritize engagement for attendees and a seamless, integrated platform for meeting and event organizers.”
For an enhanced VIP experience
Digital Seat Media, a real-time fan engagement technology platform, is enhancing the traditional VIP experience for ticket holders through its QR code-driven tech platform. The company has partnered with RedPegMarketing to bring fans a transformed VIP experience for the Imagine Dragons 2022 Mercury World Tour, in what the company says is the first of many world tour integrations. Throughout the domestic leg of the tour kicking off Aug. 5, VIP ticket holders will have access to four different modules on the Digital Seat platform—including a customized Instagram filter, a real-time feedback module to the VIP ticketing company RedPeg, an Imagine Dragons-themed microgame, and access to the band's new album, “Mercury-Acts 1 & 2."
To produce immersive, VR-driven concerts
AmazeVR has teamed up with South Korean entertainment company SM Entertainment to form Studio A, a joint venture that will produce immersive concerts using AmazeVR’s proprietary VR concert creation tools. The studio, based in Seoul, South Korea, will build VR-driven events for SM’s extensive network of artists in the K-pop industry and beyond. Tools used will include AmazeVR’s custom 3D VR camera and stage setup, Unreal Engine-based VR VFX Tools, and AI modules to automate manual tasks. Concerts will be distributed exclusively through AmazeVR and SM Entertainment’s metaverse services.
“SM is excited to expand our market to include metaverse content for artists using AmazeVR’s industry-leading VR technologies and proprietary concert creation tools. We’ve had a great interest in this market and see the opportunity for our artists in the metaverse,” said Sung-su Lee, CEO of SM Entertainment.
The Latest Updates, Funding, and Merger News
Event safety software developer Halo Solutions Limited has secured ÂŁ750,000 (approx. $910,000) in investment from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund managed by Midven, part of the Future Planet Capital Group. Based in England, Halo provides security for 1,400 of the biggest events around the world including the Cricket World Cup, Notting Hill Carnival, Silverstone, and the Royal Navy Winter Skiing Championships. The funding will allow Halo to accelerate growth by increasing its technical, sales, and operational teams, enabling the company to further develop its product offering and add more safety features in multiple languages to increase public safety.
Metaverse development studio MELON recently announced a $5 million seed round, funded by investors from the music, gaming, media, sports, and biotech industries. The game development company, founded in 2017, is behind several major music events on Roblox, as well as experiences for partners and clients including the NFL, Chipotle, Mattel, Clarks, and PacSun. “We’re extremely fortunate to have such a strong collective of early strategic investors in MELON,” said Josh Neuman, co-CEO of MELON. “The metaverse and platforms within it are ripe for disruption, and we’re looking forward to evolving our creativity and storytelling in collaboration with our partners, as well as via our original IP.”
Event platform Cadium has announced a new partnership with event data platform Bear Analytics. The new partnership will enable data- and analytics-driven decision-making to evaluate the effectiveness of event and learning programs, using more than 100 metrics to deliver insights into audience behavior, exhibitors, content performance, and more. "We share in the common thesis that powerful analytics drive better event outcomes and empower organizers to answer their most pressing questions," said Joe Colangelo, co-founder and CEO of Bear Analytics.
OnePlan, which offers mapping and site planning tools for events, has announced that it’s now been used for more than 15,000 gatherings in 107 countries. To celebrate the milestone, the company has published a free, 10-page Event Site Planning Report, which shares data and insights from the planning of various events from January to June 2022. Earlier this year, OnePlan was chosen to be the official supporter of GIS Mapping and Digital Twin Software for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
