All over the world, event venues compete with each other in order to win new clients.
What works for an event venue today, may be event insufficient tomorrow.
Planners’ demands and corporate event companies needs are evolving together with event technology and there are more and more tech solutions available. As a result, meeting centres have to analyse and adapt to keep up with the latest trends, such as conference & event apps and projection mapping.
Most meeting profs emphasise that it is very important to create both a physical and virtual meeting space. According to recent IACC (International Association of Conference Centres) research, organisers are interested in flexible meeting environments that adjust to unique event goals and design, rather than fixed rooms that do not comply with specific needs.
So, what should the event venue of the future look like?
DESIGN CHANGE AVAILABILITY
More and more event profs speak of ‘collaborative’ spaces. They underline that they have to create memorable experiences and not just regular well-planned meetings. It has changed recently and event hosts want their happenings to be tailored to their target audience. ‘Design changes such as flooring, walling, decoration and lighting can be done at the venue with not much notice as long as time permits and changes are in line with health and safety directive of the given venue’ says Shane McGaw, Digital Marketing Specialist at Exhibit Hire. He underlines that ‘Venue Managers do not get involved with design. They just make sure we are adhering to the health and safety guidelines. As long as we don’t break the rules they generally collaborate to ensure we get the best out the venue for our clients’. Such venue flexibility enables planners to build extra value for any type of meetings, tightening the bonds of sympathy between people and brands. A friendly environment fosters relationship building.
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ACCESS TO EVENT TECHNOLOGY
More than 77 percent of planners across the globe admitted in IACC’s research that there is a growing demand for technologies that encourage audience engagement and collaboration. That is why, many venues include event apps, beacon technology and video conferencing in their services. We may anticipate that tech solutions will continue to be popular in the near future. Speaking to meetingsnet.com, IACC CEO Mark Cooper said,“While the overall objectives and goals of meetings have generally remained constant, there are clear indicators that the adoption and use of technology […] will be increasingly important.” Nobody knows exactly how the mobile revolution will impact the event industry. We can, however, be sure that it will influence the venue business significantly. A beacon is a guiding device. It enables indoor navigation in a given venue. There is a growing demand for this event technology. It is especially useful at exhibitions and fairs where you have plenty of brand stands. Thanks to this system attendees are able to plan their day according to personal preferences and visit companies that match their interest. “iBeacons are small Bluetooth sensors that are used to locate users at indoor places. As Poi Labs, we consider that it is essential to merge mobile apps and event venue to increase audience engagement. Thanks to indoor navigation via iBeacon technology, finding a place easily in event halls is no longer a problem. Besides that, our customers benefit from the unique experience of Poi Beacon based Treasure Hunts. Moreover, location-aware notifications, offers, surveys, and questionnaires are all possible with iBeacon technology. Event organisers can create a new marketing channels consequently a revenue source while providing proximity marketing to sponsors and attending companies. We have seen creative examples of these in local events as well as global events like Cannes Lions, SXSW, GSMA Mobile World Congress“ says Gökhan Meriçliler, Poi Labs CEO.
HIGH-QUALITY BROADBAND INTERNET
Internet access is a must these days and we all know that. Its speed and proficiency are often dominant factors when selecting the right venue. Amir Hussein, Founder & Master of Occasions of InAnyEvent London shared his experiences with us, “For many years I ran large scale conferences and exhibitions in Saudi Arabia. The lack of good quality, stable high-speed Internet access made it virtually impossible to utilise innovative event technology to promote, engage and ultimately provide a better event experience for our attendees.” What has changed is the number of advanced solutions that can be used during a given event. Planners and venue owners must implement new technologies more eagerly than in the past. They often invest in live-streaming, virtual realities, mobile event apps, intelligent badges and smart registration systems. It all requires high levels of bandwidth to work and event venues must address these in order to be competitive.
In conclusion, while high-speed broadband, good acoustics, and lighting will remain vital, there are new needs emerging. These new factors will have an impact on an event planners space evaluation. It means that venues should adapt their meeting environment to match current and future requirements.
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