The events industry is a very good barometer of many social, economic and technological trends, and can be a very accurate measure to the onset and recovery of a downturn in the economy. Moreover, being closely aligned with retailers, exhibitors are often an early adopter of technology.

Marketers must ensure that they are using the best available technology to enable companies to get the best returns on their investments. This article will look at some of the latest and cleverest ways you can incorporate technology, such as Poken, a video wall or a touch screen table, into your stand or event.

CLOUD TECHNOLOGY

Cloud based software has taken a giant leap forward in 2014 and 2015, and the events industry is well placed to make use of some of these easy wins. Software like Google Docs and Office 365 can remove the use of paper or static technology for sales leads and competition data. By using live data, sales teams back in the office can follow up on event leads straightaway rather than waiting for busy sales teams on the stand to collate the information. Setting up a simple online form on your iPad is all you need to capture and track your event data. There is even more impressive data capture wizardry out there but you can always start with the basics.

TOUCH SCREEN TABLE TECHNOLOGY

The touch screen table has become a popular choice for many of our clients in 2015, and we expect this trend to continue into 2016. The magic of the touch screen table is in the software and the better the software, the slicker the presentation and how you showcase your products. You do need a good quality screen that will withstand the light and heavy usage you would expect at any tradeshow. We’ve found touch screen tables to be particularly useful for showcasing product catalogues and case studies. Great search functionality enables the user to pull up product images, specification and data sheets, with the option to send the details to the customer. This can also be applied to case studies.

VIDEO WALL TECHNOLOGY

The use of a video wall on your exhibition stand or event conference stage backdrop can make a real statement and help you to engage better with your clients. They say that a photo speaks a thousand words – well, a video wall speaks a thousand graphics panels. Bit clichéd but the important point here is that technology has advanced considerably over the years and the price of the hardware has come down, making seamless screen video walls or LED video walls a cost effective option for your exhibition stand. By using the right content, such as live social media feeds and promotional video, you can really improve your engagement with visitors.

CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH POKEN

A supplier we have been working with in the last year provides a product called Poken which enables organisers, managers and exhibitors to create interactive and exciting events. In a nutshell it is a USB device with near field technology which enables you to collect information from another device or terminal while you network or visit an exhibition stand. At a networking event Poken can replace the exchange of business cards, allowing you instead to ‘poken’ each other, transferring your information to their device. You can load your device with all the information you might want to share, including company information, brochures, video testimonials and more.

At exhibitions or showrooms consider strategically positioning terminals next to products or displays. Preload them with information that interested parties can ‘poken’, such as brochures, videos and data sheets, which will then be automatically downloaded to their device.

ENGAGING AUDIENCES WITH A SOCIAL MEDIA PHOTO BOOTH

We recently attended a show and saw the slick use of a social media photo booth incorporating a blank wall that then placed you in a branded environment to be later tagged on social media. We have worked with clients on the use of selfie cameras and other photo booth options which connect straight to various social media platforms from your stand or event. This has given our clients much greater reach for their events.

SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVATED VENDING MACHINE

‘Tweet to unleash the crunch power’ – If you want to boost your social media engagement at your exhibition or event then why not consider using a tweet activated vending machine. It can be chocolate, snacks, corporate products or t-shirts. You can vend just about anything. All you need is power and an internet connection! Want to give your next event the wow factor? Get in touch with our exhibition stand specialists and find out how we can help you now.