In Case You Missed It
The BizBash team recently covered a gamified installation for Google at the recent Bloomberg Technology Summit. Produced by Red Paper Heart, the space took the complex topic of cybersecurity and turned it into a game and education experience. Players were immersed in a sea of flowing files that they had to protect from cybersecurity threats using a Google Chrome window on a large touch table, while the 20-foot-long LED feature wall acted as a companion piece, displaying scores and reacting to activity in real time. Read more.
Event Technology We're Excited About This Month
For sleek new badging options
Event tech company Bizzabo has announced new innovations with Klik, the on-site wearable technology the brand acquired in 2021. In July, the company released its new SmartBadge called The Edge, which offers the same data collection, engagement, and networking opportunities as the original SmartBadge, but with a sleek, lightweight design that offers more room for branding on the front and back. The wearable tech is located on the back of the badge, and a small pill-shaped cutout on the front glows with every interaction. The Edge is also made of durable, recyclable, sustainable ABS plastic.
What’s more, Bizzabo has launched Klik à la Carte, a stand-alone product that can be purchased separately or as part of Bizzabo’s Event Experience OS. Ideal for large conferences and flagship events, it creates a new level of interconnectivity between the Klik SmartBadge, the Exhibitor App, and the Organizer Analytics Dashboard. Alon Alroy, Bizzabo's CMO and co-founder, says the goal is to make the cutting-edge technology more accessible to event organizers and agencies alike. “Now more than ever, our mandate is to empower our customers to design better, more intentional in-person event experiences that foster community and drive business outcomes,” he says.
To improve speakers’ eye contact during virtual events
Based on a recent survey, 30.6% of people stare at themselves during video calls, rather than at the camera—and virtual events platform Jugo is using AI to try to improve that. The platform is using NVIDIA's Maxine for its virtual green screen, and will have Maxine as a service for AI Auto-Framing, AI Live Translation, AI Audio, and eye gaze correction, which uses AI to make it look like speakers are looking directly at the camera. Check out a demo:
The new offering comes on the heels of the brand’s newly released etiquette guide, designed to help remote and hybrid workers avoid the most significant virtual meeting faux pas. Jugo partnered with Elaine Swann, an expert in corporate and social etiquette, to offer tactical tips that ensure virtual and hybrid employees understand and can implement appropriate behavior. Click here to access the free guide. (Want more from Jugo? Tune in to our free webinar on Aug. 10, when we'll chat with the brand—and some other top event profs—about creating next-gen immersive experiences. Register here.)
To better measure the value and ROI of trade show exhibits
London-based tech company Explori recently launched Maxbi, a tool designed to empower corporate event organizers and exhibit marketers with a holistic understanding of their performance and returns from their participation in trade shows. The goal? To prove to senior leadership that events are a worthwhile investment. “Our recent research shows that exhibitors’ inability to demonstrate event ROI to senior leadership is the greatest internal challenge after budget pressures,” says Explori CEO Mark Brewster. “Whilst many senior leaders view trade shows as a valuable marketing channel, 30% are now unconvinced that they are essential.”
To help, Maxbi features a dashboard that analyzes data from trade shows throughout the year, breaking down costs like travel and booth rental and offering actionable insights and data-driven analytics. Ultimately, the tool gives exhibit marketers a big-picture view of their ROI through a variety of categories and measurements, helping them make informed decisions about strategy and spend to drive the success of their exhibit programs.
To gain a deeper understanding of your attendees' interests and preferences
JabberYak, a tech-driven event engagement and icebreaker solution, has launched a new AI-generated data analytics product, designed to empower event organizers to tap into JabberYak's rich sources of data to gain deep insights into attendees' likes, dislikes, interests, and preferences—and therefore tailor a unique experience directly to them. The comprehensive insights gained from JabberYak's AI-generated data analytics also benefit event sponsors and exhibitors, who can better target their marketing efforts and ensure their messaging resonates with the audience.
"This is about more than just understanding attendee behavior," explained Mack Baniameri, head of product development at JabberYak. "It's about making every interaction more meaningful. When event organizers, sponsors, and exhibitors understand attendees' personalities and preferences, they can create more impactful, relevant experiences. This leads to higher ROI and brand recognition."
To easily book everything you need for a venue—in one place
BizBash recently chatted with Nick Cianfaglione, the founder of Restaurent, a new venue selection platform that aims to be "OpenTable or Airbnb for private events." Restaurent launched on April 1, built on the belief that “people should be able to book more than a table at their favorite bars, restaurants, breweries, and beyond—where somebody can just go to our platform, say what kind of event they’re hosting, and find a venue that’s readily available and fits their criteria,” Cianfaglione said.
Like making a reservation online, users fill in the desired location, date, and time for their event. Available filters also allow planners to select a type of venue—and options are as general as restaurant, hotel, and golf course or as niche as a mansion, botanical garden, and barn. The free-to-use site will then generate a list of venues that fit the criteria based on their portfolio, which currently spans about 150 venues in Rhode Island, Boston, and Austin, Texas. Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New York are currently in the works, set to be launched within the next 18 months. Read more.
The Latest Updates, Funding, and Merger News
CORT, a furniture rental and transition services provider, announced that CORT Events customers can now access its newest products through its virtual planning experience powered by Allseated. Through its event lifecycle platform, which provides 3D virtual walkthroughs and space planning technology, Allseated enables CORT Events customers to utilize its latest collection, which brings the outdoors inside with organic, natural environments and warm and neutral tones.
Discover Puerto Rico has become the first destination marketing organization to partner with CyberDyme, which provides virtual realty sales and marketing solutions. The new collaboration will provide an immersive sales presentation experience for prospective event clients via the tech company’s proprietary VR technology, which allows Discover Puerto Rico representatives to walk potential clients through spaces like the convention center, along with the area's landscapes, culture, and culinary adventures.
Digital invitation platform Evite has announced a partnership with Lisa Frank to launch an assortment of premium invitations and greeting cards incorporating the beloved artist’s distinctive designs. The offering will feature Lisa Frank's recognizable patterns including leopard print, rainbows, hearts, and stars, as well as her signature characters like unicorns, puppies, kittens, aliens, and tigers.
Leap Event Technology (formerly Patron Technology) has acquired Epic Photo Ops, a software for scheduling, execution, and management of face-to-face experiences for celebrities and fans. Founded in Calgary in 2013, Epic's experiential e-commerce platform enables event organizers to create, manage, and facilitate the experiences within their events from one centralized vendor. By combining Epic's track record in the fandom event and convention space with Leap's ticketing, engagement, and data management tools, the acquisition aims to improve the entire experience for event organizers, agents, talent, and attendees alike.
