Daily Buzz: Event Tech and the Future of Annual Meetings

As event technology continues to evolve, so will the way annual conferences function. Dave Lutz writes on the Velvet Chainsaw blog  (opens in a new tab) that the following event tech trends will make the biggest impact:

Big investments on increased security measures. To protect attendees’ information, meeting planners will want to work only with tech partners that prioritize data security. “What this means is that event technology solutions need to invest more heavily to ensure that they protect attendee personal data and credit card information,” he says. “

More attendee behavior tracking. With the influx of data available, Lutz says to focus more on explicit behaviors, which can offer more insight. “Don’t track who is in a certain area, their dwell time, or other implied behaviors,” he says. “Instead track the exhibiting companies an attendee favorited on the app, the sessions they attended, and the handouts they downloaded.”

Less integration. “Association management systems (AMS) were never built to manage complex annual meetings and exhibits,” Lutz says. “Instead of wasting lots of money on an integration for exposition or speaker management systems, select a best-of-breed configurable solution and focus on making it easier for the customer to connect and process through single sign-on (SSO).”

The demise of lead retrieval. Although this trend might be a few years away, Lutz says the lead retrieval model  is disappearing. “Exhibits are less about lead generation and more about nurturing,” he says. “Exhibitors aren’t going to continue to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars each to collect contact information.”

How Being More Mindful Can Improve Your Job

“Mindfulness or applied mindfulness can happen in the car on the way to work, at your desk, or between meetings.” How do you maintain #focus  (opens in a new tab) each day? Practicing applied #mindfulness  (opens in a new tab) can change the way you work. https://t.co/Dfr1MA1YnM  (opens in a new tab) by @hduckworth  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) #assnprofs  (opens in a new tab) pic.twitter.com/LpyETF2Wgy  (opens in a new tab)

— Sidecar (@sidecarglobal) April 25, 2019  (opens in a new tab)

Association professionals wear many hats—the result of which can lead to chaos, says Holly Duckworth on Association Success  (opens in a new tab). To re-establish focus, reduce stress, and create a calmer atmosphere, Duckworth recommends practicing mindfulness.

“For example, if I am an association executive in the membership department, do I want to be stressed taking member calls each day, or do I want to be joyful? Focus less on the ‘doing’ and a bit more on ‘being,’” she says. “Mindfulness can make you less reactive and more responsive to demands, and in result, make you and your team more productive and profitable.”

Other Links of Note

Improve your organization’s bottom line by creating a culture focused on data, not guesswork  (opens in a new tab), says CMSWire.

What is your nonprofit’s brand personality? Nonprofit Hub explains how brand archetypes can help define your organization’s identity  (opens in a new tab).

Go green in your meeting transportation with these seven eco-friendly ideas  (opens in a new tab) from BizBash.

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