Event Management in the Digital Era: A Beginner’s Guide

The ability to organize and handle an event from conception to launch is referred to as event management. Events are important for maintaining your professional network, whether you're getting ready for a little meeting or a big conference.

Events have evolved dramatically, especially in the last two years since the pandemic. Technology has disrupted everything about events and today, event technology is on the rise. Technology for events is advancing more quickly than ever before, and for good reason. 90% of event professionals today concur that technology may enhance the success of their events. With the popularity of hybrid and virtual events, many organizations are now aware that the appropriate tech solutions may completely transform their event experience. In fact, according to one study, event technology can boost productivity by 27% and attendance by 20%.

Technology options that enhance a positive event experience include an efficient registration procedure, a fun mobile app, and strategic marketing tools.

In this article, let us explore what makes a great event and how technology can help.

The first stage of event management

The very first stage of event management includes conceptualising a theme that fits the purpose of the event, and then selecting and booking an event venue that meets your budget and needs. For choosing themes and booking venues, event managers can shortlist 2-3 options and have digital demos for different setups prepared for making an informed choice. After the venue and theme, the next task at hand is delegating roles to skilled event professionals, such as catering, security and entertainment. This is another area where online searches, Google reviews and query forms for quotations can help expedite the process. The next step at this stage is writing and finalising the script for the event- this helps finalise the flow of events.

Strategising and engaging advertising campaign to attract guests

Once the date, theme and venue along with event flow have been decided, the next most important step is strategizing and engaging advertising campaigns to attract guests. Event marketers are aware that effective marketing techniques revolve around providing guests with value and matching their requirements with practical goods, services, and knowledge. You must come up with novel approaches to attract participants, capture their interest, and cater your event to their own interests.

Constant Contact, HubSpot, and MailChimp are excellent email marketing solutions for personalizing communication with your attendees. In your event marketing emails, start by acknowledging the problems that your audience faces and appealing to the subjects that they find interesting. By doing so, you'll have a better chance of grabbing their attention and persuading them to come to your event.

Once they’ve deciding on coming to your ever, the next thing guests will do is register. Use a software like Cvent to make event registration simple, or make a short form that attendees can fill out. Potential guests may not register if it is difficult. Be sure to eliminate any unnecessary difficult steps. The ability to purchase digital tickets in advance will be welcomed by your guests, and you can do away with the necessity for paper tickets.

Other things to take care of before the event

Some other things to be taken care of before the big day include setting up and testing audio-visual equipment in advance, designing the floor plan to install various facilities, obtaining necessary permits for hosting the event and ensuring 100% compliance with health and safety standards.

It is always a great idea to arrange for transportation and accommodation for staff and guests to avoid chaos on the day of the event. You can rely on ride-hailing apps for pre-booking transports or creating vouchers if needed for staff and guests alike. Another important thing to keep in mind is creating emergency contingency plans.

On the day of

Greeting guests cordially upon their arrival is key. It gives a good start to the whole thing. The team on the ground must be ready to attend to guest inquiries and complaints. Following up with vendors and monitoring their performances well as overseeing the overall running of the event to ensure all aspects are on time are also important tasks and event manager has to handle on the day of the event. Last but no less important, closing the event to meet any venue deadlines is also important.

It's up to you as an event professional and your team to use digital solutions to simplify procedures, boost security, and facilitate data collection. You're sure to find a set of tech apps that work for you given the wide variety of technology possibilities available today! Contact us today to learn more.