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Imagine an event where the audience takes the reins, curating the perfect musical experience by making real-time requests and communicating with the band. Today, we're thrilled to introduce you to uRequest Live, a groundbreaking platform that does exactly that. In this episode of the Event Tech podcast https://helloendless.com/category/podcasts/event-tech-podcast/, we'll explore the journey of uRequest Live, from its inception to its evolution during the pandemic, and how it has transformed the event entertainment landscape. We'll also discuss the importance of knowing your audience, adapting to changing expectations around event duration, and the future innovations that uRequest Live has in store. So, sit back and let us take you on a captivating ride through the world of audience-curated concert experiences!
The #EventProfs https://www.eventprofscommunity.com/ community is a strong network of event professionals who’ve come together worldwide to share their ideas and insights and seek support in the ever-evolving event industry. Our thriving community includes event planners, marketers, sponsors, technology providers, and more, and we’re all committed to improving our craft and the industry. As part of our ongoing commitment to progress and improvement, we’re changing platforms. In this episode of the Event Tech podcast https://helloendless.com/category/podcasts/event-tech-podcast/, Will shares why he’s decided to make the shift, what he’s excited to implement in the new #EventProfs community, which platform the community will use, and what you can expect in the coming weeks and months. Let’s get started!
Unlike the Metaverse, artificial intelligence (AI) is progressing rapidly. Will and Brandt published the ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Other AI Tools You Need to Know https://helloendless.com/ai-tools-for-events/ at the end of February 2023. After only a few weeks and many headlines later, they’re ready to revisit the ever-evolving topic. In today’s episode of the Event Tech podcast https://helloendless.com/category/podcasts/event-tech-podcast/, Will and Brandt share some of the latest AI technology news, their thoughts on how you should embrace the fast-growing technology, and what they’d like to see from it moving forward. Let’s get right into it!
In 2022, the United States saw 1,774 data breaches https://www.idtheftcenter.org/publication/2022-data-breach-report/?utm_source=press+release&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=2022+Data+Breach+Report+. And while 1,774 might not sound jaw-dropping, those breaches impacted an estimated 422,143,312 people. Cybersecurity for event planners is a recurring theme on the podcast because cyber threats are never-ending and are only getting more complex. In today’s episode of the Event Tech podcast https://helloendless.com/category/podcasts/event-tech-podcast/, Will and Brandt tackle cybersecurity, driven by the recent and controversial data breach https://www.wired.com/story/lastpass-breach-vaults-password-managers/ at LastPass https://www.lastpass.com/?sfdcid=7014P0000010Wn8QAE&gclid=CjwKCAiAu5agBhBzEiwAdiR5tFMbouoGjJT_-w0x47al-9pewdWifwUaNGQNn9DpKpyo8uFXwCF2ehoCuTkQAvD_BwE and a listener question. Eliza C. asked, what steps would you give to a new event planner to help protect against cybersecurity threats for virtual events? Tune in to learn six tips to protect your business and events against cybersecurity threats in 2023.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have dominated the headlines lately. And tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and DALL-E have artists and writers sounding alarms about job security. So, what does this have to do with the events industry? In this episode of the Event Tech podcast, https://helloendless.com/category/podcasts/event-tech-podcast/Will and Brandt share their thoughts on visual and text-based AI tools and how you might use them for events in the future. Let’s dive in!
As we continue to transition out of the pandemic and into 2023, the effects of economic downturn, layoffs, and budget cuts are felt across the tech industry. And with record-breaking inflation, it’s no surprise many event professionals are forced to navigate tighter budgets with rising costs. So, what should you do if you think you're going to deal with a reduced event budget? In this episode of the Event Tech Podcast https://helloendless.com/category/podcasts/event-tech-podcast/, Will and Brandt consolidate years of advice into eight tips event professionals can take into 2023. They’ll share where they would start if forced to reduce your event budget, what and how to cut, and how the right mindset can change your perspective.
As event professionals, we’re always looking to explore new methods, techniques, and technologies to make each event better than the last. Virtual reality (VR) is a topic we often discuss on the Event Tech podcast https://helloendless.com/category/podcasts/event-tech-podcast/ and has been a technology growing in popularity in recent years. But with the adoption of VR technology comes an important question: will people change their lifestyle to attend VR events? Endless Events has articles on VR https://helloendless.com/?s=VR dating back to 2017. Still, VR technology has been slow to make a splash in the average household. Bulky, uncomfortable, and impractical hardware has largely been to blame. But will people be more willing to change their lives to integrate this new tech? Join Will and Brandt as they search for an answer and share their thoughts on what will catapult VR tech forward.
Event management software can potentially make an event planner’s job more efficient. But when the right software doesn’t exist, planners are left to fend for themselves, often lacking solutions. In July, we discussed this exact issue in the episode, Why is there no good event software? https://helloendless.com/event-management-software/ Will and Brandt discussed what features the industry desperately needs and how companies can offer solutions. Two of the most important missing features included tools for budgeting and understanding profit margins. In this episode of the Event Tech Podcast https://helloendless.com/category/podcasts/event-tech-podcast/, Will and Brandt welcome a special guest who brings a new and inexpensive solution to event management software, Rob Vaas https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-vass-46886619?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BShpX0iUiTO6tnvXjltkrAQ%3D%3D. Rob is a co-founder and director of a new software company called Joi https://www.joi.events/, a planning and scheduling software with unique features, including budgeting solutions that might be just what the industry needs.
Event translation and transcription are a segment that’s been on the rise in recent years. Will and Brandt discussed the increase of booths for these services at IMEX Frankfurt https://helloendless.com/imex-recap-2022/ and IMEX America https://helloendless.com/imex-america-2022/. As a result, in this Event Tech podcast https://helloendless.com/category/podcasts/event-tech-podcast/ episode, the tech duo outlines how to work with translation, transcription, and captioning services in your events. Implementing these services into your event can be full of benefits, making your events accessible to international audiences and those with auditory impairments. But, when done poorly, translation, transcription, and captioning services can lead to a poor attendee experience and even offend listeners. To help you ensure that doesn’t happen, Will and Brandt share tips for working with the services and explain how you can ensure you’re getting the total value from these services. Let’s dive in!
We're doing things a bit differently on this episode of the Event Tech podcast https://offers.helloendless.com/event-tech-podcast. Rather than covering a "new topic," we're checking in with you, our listeners, and readers and evaluating whether we should change anything about the podcast. So whether you're a new or long-time listener, stay tuned and reach out. This is an engaging episode, and we have many questions for you.
According to Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/08/22/in-person-events-are-back-but-they-look-nothing-like-they-used-to/?sh=197df4642066, in-person events increased by 255% from the 4th quarter of 2021 to the second quarter of 2022. Still, as we move into 2023, more and more companies announce layoffs, spending freezes, and low metrics. And these are just a few of several trends in events to keep your eye on. In this episode of the Event Tech https://offers.helloendless.com/event-tech-podcast podcast, Will and Brandt discuss current event industry trends and the future of events. They’ll also share two helpful tips for navigating the choppy waters ahead.
IMEX is one of the most significant events for the events industry, not just in the States but globally. And after a long few years, a massive return to in-person events in 2022, and a looming recession, the IMEX America 2022 event has been long awaited. Despite how gloomy current events might feel, Will and Brandt have some inspiring things to share. In this Event Tech https://helloendless.com/category/podcasts/event-tech-podcast/ episode, they’ll continue discussing the trends they noticed from the previous IMEX Frankfurt https://helloendless.com/imex-recap-2022/event, cool new logic utilizations, and…booze? Let’s get to it!
A lot has changed about the world in recent years. It’s not always helpful to ruminate on what we should have done, but today Will and Brandt do precisely that. In this episode of the Event Tech podcast https://offers.helloendless.com/event-tech-podcast, the tech duo looks back on 2020 and 2021 and considers how they would do things differently if they had to relive the pandemic https://helloendless.com/planning-events-in-2022/.
As layoffs continue to make headlines across industries, the events industry is also bracing itself for an economic downturn. More and more companies in the events industry announce layoffs, downsizing, and consolidations each week. According to Brandt, the industry should have taken preventative action before reaching this point. Join Will and Brandt as they discuss how we got here and how to navigate layoffs and consolidation in the events industry. While they can’t predict the future of events https://helloendless.com/future-event-marketing/ (as we’ll find out), they have been discussing this topic https://helloendless.com/execute-events-reduced-team/ for months and are ready to offer actionable advice and support.
This year, a Marriott data breach has made headlines again. It’s 2022, and the world is no stranger to poor data protection. Every year, the events industry and event professionals handle data for millions of people. It’s our responsibility to ensure their data is secure and our systems are risk-free https://helloendless.com/cybersecurity-in-events/. That’s why today’s episode focuses on how you can increase data security and protection in your business. Will Curran and Brandt Krueger share first-hand what they’ve learned from working with valuable data. Together, they’ve come up with 6 data protection tips that will help you avoid making common data security mistakes.
Building an online community https://helloendless.com/how-to-build-an-event-community-in-5-steps/ can take years of hard work. That’s why Endless Events’ very own Will Curran and Kyle Kosinski created the #EventProfs https://www.eventprofscommunity.com/ community. They’re on a mission to build and grow a community from the ground up so they can better understand what it takes to develop an event community. #Eventprofs is designed to put your knowledge on center stage. In Kyle's words, “Whether you're a festival producer or a lighting technician, you can teach the whole world of event professionals what you know and help make everyone's events better.” But in today's episode, Will and Kyle share their valuable insights as they learn how to build an event community.
Augmented reality (AR) has the potential to revolutionize how we live our lives, but are we there yet? Will and Brandt are excited to see just how revolutionary AR will be for events. In today’s episode, Will Curran and Brandt Krueger discuss AR for events. Together, they explore how AR for events can reshape how people interact with each other and their venues. Looking past flashy screen-based AR, Will and Brandt focus on what they hope to see, issues that may arise, and what might be around the corner in AR tech.
Event chatbots are becoming increasingly common in the event industry. While chatbots https://helloendless.com/what-is-an-event-chatbot/ are helpful when engaging communities during events, they can also be an excellent tool if you want to implement the community model and engage your attendees all year. Today, Will, Brandt, and Kyle discuss event chatbots in 2022 and the community model with chatbot expert Chuck Elias. They update us on how chatbot technology has evolved in recent years and how you can use event chatbots to successfully engage a community year-round.
Fresh off the plane, Brandt Krueger returns to us from the IMEX event in Frankfurt, Germany. Unfortunately, Will wasn't in attendance this year. That's why, in today's episode, Brandt gives him a full recap on this year's event. In a global industry that's still feeling the effects of the worldwide pandemic, Brandt focuses on the trends he saw at IMEX. The two discuss how new factors, like an uncertain economy, may also play a role in recent trends. But don't let that hold you back. Today's episode is full of helpful insights into the powerful ways the events industry is adapting to the ever-changing landscape of event tech. To wrap the episode up, Will tells us he's feeling some FOMO (fear of missing out). "We'd love to hear from you if you were at IMEX Frankfurt," he says. "What'd you think about it? Was there anything that caught your eye? Or, was there something we talked about that you'd like us to dive into deeper?" Reach out! We always love to hear from our listeners.
Like the software industry, the event management industry has tech stacks. Event tech stacks consist of all the technology that helps an event run efficiently. Event planners often forget to consider whether their tools are suitable for the job and their budget leading to overspending and inefficient processes. Re-evaluating your tech stack can help ensure your events improve and run optimally year after year. In today’s Event Tech Podcast episode, Brandt Krueger and Kyle Kocinski talk about the event tech stack and several tools that event planners might want to incorporate into their stack. They think event planners should re-evaluate their stacks regularly to make the most of their time and money. Brandt concludes by emphasizing the major takeaway from today’s podcast, “Take a moment to think about where you might be able to shave some time off your work and what tech might be able to help you do that.” He invites listeners to reach out with their responses to today’s conversation at eventtechpodcast@helloendless.com.
The event management industry lacks robust software designed for the unique needs of the event management industry. Many event planners rely on tools not made for the industry and attempt to find alternative solutions for the tasks they must accomplish. In today's episode, Will and Brant talk about the event management industry's unique client base and where event management software fails to meet client needs. Possible solutions to the lack of budgeting and profit margin projection tools include templates and building your own tool. Will and Brant explain how these options may work and how they have failed in the past.
Pricing transparency in event technology companies is lacking, to say the least. Many event platforms offer no pricing structures at all while others only give ballpark estimates. As a recent Skift Meetings article https://meetings.skift.com/need-pricing-transparency-event-tech-companies/ points out, event planners often have no time or energy to sit through long demos and discuss pricing for weeks. But as Will and Brandt point out in this episode, transparency is not easy to achieve in the world of SaaS and event technology. Costs depend on the size of the event and the features planners want to implement. Our dynamic duo has talked about transparency in the event industry https://helloendless.com/transparency-in-the-event-industry/ before, but not about the event technology space specifically. But if you need a transparent comparison of top event platform providers, make sure to check out Endless' transparent 100 Top Event Platforms https://offers.helloendless.com/top-event-platforms spreadsheet where you can compare companies based on pricing, features, and more. And now, without further ado, here is the Event Tech Podcast!
Today's episode of the Event Tech Podcast was inspired by a recent Event Leadership Institute https://eventleadershipinstitute.com/ summit where Brandt and Will did a fast rundown on ten event technology trends. For each of them, they had to quickly decide whether they truly were a trend or just hype. Most of the trends have gotten their own standalone Event Tech Podcast episode already. If you need a quick refresher on what Will and Brandt think about them, then this episode is perfect for you. Here are the 10 event technology trends that Will and Brandt discuss in this unique and exciting episode: __ __ Which ones will make it to the hot list and which ones are merely hype? Tune in and find out. Read the episode's show notes here https://helloendless.com/10-event-technology-trends-hot-or-hype/.
Between the brain drain in the events industry https://helloendless.com/brain-drain-in-events/ and labor shortages, the event technology labor has transformed dramatically. And not for the better: event planners are finding it increasingly hard to hire reliable and experienced vendors at a reasonable price. Those who have survived the harsh conditions of the pandemic are fully booked and expensive. On the other hand, there is a wave of new labor coming in, but they are not as experienced. Aside from increasing their event budgets, what should event planners do? Join Will and Brandt as they talk about the current state of event technology labor. They give sound advice to event planners and up-and-coming event technology enthusiasts who are just getting started in the events industry. See the episode's show notes here https://helloendless.com/event-technology-labor.
In this week's Event Tech Podcast episode, Will and Brandt discuss Peloton because, as it turns out, their workouts make for a great hybrid event case study. They claim that event planners should take note. After all, the world-famous exercise equipment company has managed to grow a strong community through its content delivery, social media presence, and audience engagement. Brandt admits that he never thought of Peloton content as a hybrid event case study. But in this episode, he admits that Peloton indeed ticks off all the hybrid event boxes. They talk about the technology, production, content, diversity, and gamification aspects of Peloton. Even if you do not own a Peloton, this episode is well worth a listen. It just might inspire your hybrid event planning process. See the episode's show notes here https://helloendless.com/hybrid-event-case-study-peloton/.
There are many ways to send out event notifications: via email, SMS, private messaging apps, and event platforms. And as we embrace event technology as the base of our events https://helloendless.com/heres-why-technology-should-be-at-the-core-of-your-event-strategy/, they're becoming increasingly more important. How we communicate with our attendees matters, so it's vital to learn what mode of communication they prefer and not be too spammy. So, what is the best way to deliver email notifications? Is it push notification or a text? Brandt and Will go over several solutions, discussing the pros and cons of which. But as always, what matters the most is that event planners know their stakeholders well. Don't force anything they do not like or know on them just because it's the newest event tech trend. Read the episode's show notes https://helloendless.com/event-notifications/.
The Event Tech Podcast is often so excited about all the innovation, new event platforms, and other event tech solutions on the market that we forget to talk about the digital divide in the events industry. Let's face it: most event technology needs a strong internet connection to run smoothly. But what about those who don't have their own Wi-Fi set up? In today's Event Tech Podcast episode, Will and Brandt answer a poignant question by one of the podcast's listeners. Attendees need Wi-Fi to access virtual events. So, how can we connect with low-income families who might not have access to the internet? A difficult question, but Brandt and Will come up with several solutions. Then, they also address how certain people might simply be reluctant to embrace event technology, such as Metaverse or VR. What do we do with those audiences? Surely we cannot just leave them behind. Tune in and find out what our event tech masters have to say! Check out the episode show notes https://helloendless.com/the-digital-divide-in-the-events-industry/.
The Event Tech Podcast hosts believe that event technology is an amazing foundation for events https://helloendless.com/heres-why-technology-should-be-at-the-core-of-your-event-strategy/. Numerous data insights, continuous audience engagement, and endless sponsorship opportunities - what's not to love? Today, they discuss yet another amazing event technology solution: data-based matchmaking services. Not only do matchmaking services change the way we can network at virtual events, but they also have immense potential to improve remote company culture and make the most of our internal meetings. It just so happens that in one of the latest acquisitions in the event technology world, two companies that are all about elevating breakout rooms and providing matchmaking as a service joined forces. We're talking about twine acquiring Glimpse https://try.twine.nyc/glimpse-acquisition-announcement - a match made in heaven. Will and Brandt welcome Lawrence Coburn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencecoburn/, the co-founder and CEO of twine https://try.twine.nyc/, and Helena Merk https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenamerk/, the co-founder and CEO of Glimpse https://www.joinglimpse.com/, to talk about their respective products, the recent acquisition, twine for Zoom, and the metaverse-like future of remote work. Tune in; match-optimization technology doesn't only concern event planners, but also everybody interested in making their remote works more connected in organic and dynamic ways. Check out the episode's show notes https://helloendless.com/matchmaking-services/!
Every now and then, the Event Tech Podcast reviews a certain product or service. This week, Brandt and Endless Events' Kyle Kocinski do a case study on Remo, one of the top 22 event platforms to use in 2022 https://helloendless.com/here-are-the-22-best-event-platforms-to-use-in-2022/. The competition among event platforms is stiff these days, so it's crucial that event planners understand what makes a certain platform stand out from the rest. Brandt and Kyle welcome Amy Hyatt, https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-hyatt-6a1a8428/ the Head of Customer Success at Remo https://remo.co/, who brought along Remo's client, Michael Willoughby, the Tech Director at Battle Born Progress https://battlebornprogress.org/. They go over Remo's features and learn what Michael's experience with the platform has been like. Remo is a map-based virtual event platform that has been building events and meetings since 2018. Among their most celebrated features are brandability, customer support, community, and interactive maps. Once Battle Born Progress got a taste of the virtual world, they are not going back, Michael says. Remo must be something right! Tune in and learn what makes the platform stand out from the rest in this Remo case study.
When we talk about the most popular event platform features https://helloendless.com/virtual-event-platform-features/, we typically think of registration and ticketing https://helloendless.com/your-guide-to-event-registration-ticketing/, integrations, gamification, and analytics reporting, for example. But what good are any of those if event planners are not taught how to use them or if they stop working mid-event? Will and Brandt think that the #1 event tech feature should therefore be customer support. Event planners should have somebody available to them 24/7. The success of their event depends on it! In today's Event Tech Podcast episode, Will and Brandt will talk about the importance of customer service and what planners can do to choose the right platform when doing research. It's all about the onboarding process and transparent implementation. And finally, software companies should see event planners as long-term partners rather than one-time customers.
