Technology

Given the popularity of apps, scores have been developed with planners in mind.

Finding the ideal visuals to engage attendees is part art, part science and requires due diligence on the part of today’s meeting planners.

Today’s planners have a wealth of technological tools from which to choose — all with the goal of making the meeting and event planning process streamlined and efficient.

Meetings technology is an ever-evolving menu of apps and platforms, systems and options designed for a faster, better, safer experience for all involved — from planners and attendees to speakers, entertainers and association executives. Rapid evolvement begs the question: Do we forget old tech and go with something new, or stick with the tried-and-true?

Historically speaking, the general look and feel of today’s meeting technology has improved significantly over the last few years, especially with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

From check-in and registration, to networking and attendee engagement, technology offers event organizers a wide array of viable solutions.

When looking at all the project management tools out there, such as Asana, Basecamp, Trello, Slack, ClickUp and Smart Sheet, considering your team size and the software you already use every day is key.

As long as an event involves valuable electronic data — whether on organizers’ devices or attendees’ — it is a potential target of cybercriminals.

With virtual/hybrid meetings and events frequently the only option now, it’s crucial for planners to know how to facilitate team building with participants scattered across the country or even the globe.

The deeper the engagement via data gathering, the better planners have to not only personalize the next experience, but this data also gives meeting planners the information they need to enhance future events.