Why you should use registration tools in all your events

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Believe it or not, there are still many event managers that carry out a manual registration of attendees or, at least, a not very technical one. While event and communication agencies are used to using registration and access control technology, far too many companies resort to sending emails and fulfilling excel sheets when organizing attendance to their corporate events. In this article we provide some keys to convince you that taking the technological leap is both simple and profitable.

The registration form is the most basic tool. It allows us to collect basic information from the attendees as well as other matters related to the event: which days they will attend, in which sessions they wish to register, if they have any special requirements, etc. Moreover, there are more sophisticated resources that allow you to set a maximum quota per session, attach documents, select seats, sell tickets and much more.

Alright, event attendees have already registered, so next comes the management and communication part. Whether we organize a large event or either numerous events for the same people, having an administration panel will help us to be much more efficient. Like this, it is possible to create, for instance, an attendee database, to review confirmations in real time or even to schedule mass group emails.

Third, there are effective tools for controlling access to events. From the creation of a simple user to access a virtual event with a password to an on-site access system with accreditation and QR codes, there are numerous solutions on the market that offer agile and secure access at a very competitive price. Some of them, such as evenTwo Access, integrate all registration tools in a single platform that is also compatible with an event App for a 100% digital experience without all the hassle.

Ready to take your event registration to the next level?

What is a hybrid event and why they are a trend in the MICE sector

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Hybrid events are not something new, since they have existed for more than a decade, nor are they a simple anecdote, because their future is undeniable. They were discussed by all event professionals when the covid-19 pandemic changed the rules of the MICE sector. But what are hybrid events and what opportunities do they offer?

It is important first that we are clear about what hybrid events are NOT. They do not refer to the mere broadcasting of a face-to-face event so that other people can follow it online. Nor is it an event that takes place in different places simultaneously (multi-site event). A hybrid event is one that takes place in a physical venue with a limited number of in-person attendees and another part of the audience that participates and interacts virtually.

The fundamental thing, therefore, to determine if an event is really hybrid, is that online attendees must have the opportunity to participate in the event in a way that is as close as possible to that of face-to-face attendees. It is true that they will hardly participate in the catering of the event, for example, but technology advances so that there are more and more possibilities for them to interact just as any other attendee. In other words, the line between face-to-face and online attendees is much more blurred in these types of events.

In a hybrid event, all attendees can ask questions, vote, play games, arrange meetings, visit stands, read communications, complete tests, make a presentation, take part in a debate, etc., regardless of whether they are at the venue itself, at its home or in an office. The organizer is, therefore, with the great challenge of engagement: how to keep the online attendee equally hooked?

The key, of course, is in the content, which must be designed for both types of audience as if it were only one. It is true that there are events in which the experience provided by actual contact is difficult to substitute. However, video calling and other event technologies pave the way for audiences to receive digital interactions in a more natural and receptive way.

Finally, hybrid events provide further depth and opportunities to the organizer. They will achieve a much greater reach, with a global and potentially unlimited audience at a much lower cost per attendee. In addition, the hybrid event will see its ROI boosted with new revenue and sponsorship possibilities for the online format. n top of that, it is much easier to collect and measure event data and makes it easier to promote activity on social networks.

Traditionally, the hybrid event has been residual in large part because the technology was not so accessible yet. However, more and more event organizers are choosing all-in-one platforms such as evenTwo, which combine technology for face-to-face events with virtual tools that allow any attendee, regardless of whether it is in person or online, to share the same experience in the event.

7 claves para organizar un ve

7 tips for organizing a virtual event

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Virtual events arrived in 2020 as a lifeline for the MICE sector. Far from being just a temporary need, they offer numerous advantages and opportunities that will make them last over time. On the one hand, the savings in space rental costs, staff and allowances allow professionals to be more ambitious when organizing an online event, since they will be able to make a greater effort in creating content and engaging. In addition, the virtualization of the event provides the possibility of expanding the audience to as many attendees as desired, while aspiring to hire more demanded speakers, whose availability is much easier to arrange by videoconference than in a face-to-face event.

But how is a virtual event organized? In this article we give you some tips when it comes to focusing the way in which to host your online event.

  1. Focus on your strategy. Just like in face-to-face events, it is necessary to define the objectives that we pursue according to the type of event that we are planning to organize. In a virtual fair, one of the main aspects will be to provide visibility to sponsors and promote lead generation; in a virtual convention, we will be interested in strengthening the brand image and teambuilding; In an online workshop we may need to customize the registration and agenda and deliver certificates of attendance. Each type of content will require its own tools.
  1. Use an attractive and safe web space. There is no doubt that a virtual event takes place in a web space, accessible online. While a one- or two-hour webinar may be held effectively inside a simple web space, other more complex events will require a more specific platform that adapts to its characteristics. If our event has parallel sessions, exhibitors, extra content or some interactivity is needed, for example, we may have to resort to a provider that is specialized in this type of development. In the same way, more and more event organizers are demanding a secure space, with login access and greater privacy guarantees.
  1. Capture the audience’s attention. In a virtual event it is easier for our audience to lose attention. Attendees can follow the broadcast from their home and will have all kinds of distractions, so keeping them interested in what is happening on their screen is surely our biggest challenge. A good program, attractive content and speakers who know how to communicate through the camera are the pillars on which a good virtual event will be based.
  1. Encourage participation and networking. One of the problems that an online event can present is unidirectionality. Involving attendees is not only possible but also necessary in most cases, and an increasing number of resources allow to achieve this. Depending on the type of event, it may be a good idea to streamline the sessions with questions, chat and voting, enable videoconference meetings, create virtual meeting spaces, games, raffles… The limit is not technology, but imagination!
  1. Add value to sponsors. A good sponsorship agreement goes beyond the inclusion of logos and introducing advertising breaks in the broadcast of the event. The sponsors will obtain higher quality leads the more we manage to bring them closer to the attendees, and for this there are different web resources. One of them are the virtual stands, which can be in page format or even as part of a 3D fair that can be visited virtually. The exhibitor himself can edit the appearance and content of his stand and even make appointments and receive messages from the attendees.
  1. Collect and analyze metrics. There is a lot of data that in face-to-face events are elusive. How many meetings have been held? What have the attendees commented? At what point have they left a session? In this sense, virtual events are an opportunity to measure any aspect, since everything is behind a technological factor that enables this analysis. Likewise, it is essential to know how to treat and interpret all this information, so that it is useful for the organization of future virtual events.
  1. Choose an all-in-one technology partner. In short, it can be said that technology is key in any virtual event. More even so for those who require something more than a mere live broadcast. Dealing with different providers for broadcasting, web platform, interactive tools, and attendee registration can be a real headache. For this reason, from evenTwo we recommend hiring a technological specialist with experience and good references in digital tools for events, with a professional and close service that prevents any setback from ruining the organizer’s work.

 

Interview: Allianz

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How to use push notifications in your event’s App

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What would you think if you could send instant messaging to all attendees at your event?, and what if you could do it before, during and after the event?

Push notifications allow event organizers to send messages to attendees who have installed event’s app on their devices. We always talk about native applications because notifications are sent through Markets, Apple App Store and Google Play.

Any event professional can imagine countless uses to this feature, before, during and after the event.

With evenTwo we have had enough experience and next we can present some ideas of how to use push notifications:

  • Before the event:

    • Reminders.- For example the time and event’s place, asking attendees to sign up with the App…

    • Announcements.- Last minute changes.

  • During the event:

    • Changes in rooms, delays…, any information that may be helpful to attendees.

    • Promotions, contests, polls, surveys…, information that improves interaction with attendees.

  • After the event:

    • Satisfaction survey notification.

    • Upcoming events.

    • New documentation available on the App…

As you see there are many possibilities to use push notifications but our experience gives us two simple tips:

  • No abuse of notifications.

  • Try the information will always be helpful or interesting to attendees.

Any comments are welcome, at this time we realized that who better knows his attendees is event organizer and is who can best handle this feature. How would you use push notifications in your event mobile App?

Your event App, native or web?

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Any event organizer understands the advantages of mobile applications for their events. But, is it better a mobile application or a web application?

You can obtain almost the same features in a native mobile application as in a mobile Web, but which from a browser in case of mobile Webs. When we talk about event’s mobile Web application we mean an app that runs in the browser but is fully adapted to the event, not the event that the Website is accessible from mobile.

Next we will list the main advantages and disadvantages of each of them and our experience with evenTwo:

Mobile Web App for events

Advantages

  1. A Mobile Web App for events could be accessible from Android, iOS operating systems, but also Blackberry, Windows Mobile and others. This would be the main advantage.

  2. You can store the event data when you first walk using HTML5 features. Work offline, but is too small storage such speakers would not fit images or maps.

Disadvantages

  1. The application runs in a browser, which does not have the same response as a native application.

  2. You can not receive push notifications (instant messaging).

  3. Not in the Markets, it has to be accessed from a URL to access the application.

Native App for events

Advantages

  1. It can be found in the Markets, which helps in the promotion and visibility of the event, it’s easier to find and gives a better image of organizer.

  2. If the App is well designed and following design patterns of each operating system, is easy to use for the attendee as it works similarly to any application on his device.

  3. The response speed is much better than a mobile web app running on the operating system itself and not through a browser.

  4. You can receive push notifications, something very interesting to the organizers before, during and after the event, as we mentioned in a previous article.

Disadvantages

The main problem is you have to develop an app per platform, so the attendees should have the same operating system on their devices that you have developed.

  1. When installed on the device takes up space, which is difficult for users who have little storage space. It is important to develop not heavy apps.

Conclusions Native App vs. Web App

We have been for more than a year creating Apps for events. On each project we create native Apps for iOS and Android and a mobile Web with storage for other devices.

To take one recent example, in november 2013 we created “EBE 2013” apps. There were more than 1.000 downloads between different apps but only 4% used mobile Web. With this information we know that users really prefer native apps but it’s important to give access to any attendee to your event’s App regardless of their devices.

evenTwo 2.0 new features

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This post describes the new features developed in evenTwo during the last quarter of 2013 and the first quarter of 2014. Mainly we opted for tools to promote networking between attendees and the possibility to have multiple events in the same app.

6 is a platform to create mobile apps for events, conferences and congresses.

Next are detailed improvements made already available in different evenTwo plans:

Multi-event 

We have developed a new evenTwo version with multi-event features. It means that now we can create an app with multiple events with all their corresponding data. In the same way, now we will able to send push notifications to all users who have been downloaded app or only for users who have been used one single event.

You can download an evenTwo multi-event sample app in your iOS or Android device.

Messaging between attendees 

To encourage interaction with the app and networking between attendees we have created a feature that allows sending messages between attendees. From the attendee screen and being logged in the app, you will be able to send messages to another attendee.

Conversation wall 

As messages between users, to encourage networking between attendees we have developed the possibility to have a conversation wall for the entire app or linked to each session. The way of working of this feature is similar to an internal social network that allows users registered in the app watching comments of other attendees and send their own comments.

Surveys

evenTwo allows surveys creation in app. In the same app could be created multiple surveys with their own date allowed to send. The types of questions allowed are text, range of values, list of values and yes or not.

Survey results could be viewed in a graphical way in evenTwo Backend and can be downloaded to analyze them in a spreadsheet.

New speakers screen 

We have redesigned the detail screen of a speaker to enhance appearance and how speakers social networks are shown. Now you can also share information on external social networks from this screen.

Add to device calendar and social share 

We have created new features on agenda sessions. Now, moreover to add to favourites an agenda item, users will be able to create and event in their own device agenda. That means that in their own agenda they will have events with corresponding session information.

Also in speakers and agenda users could share information to social media sites.

You can download an updated evenTwo sample app in your iOS or Android device.

evenTwo new features – Instant voting and live audience participation

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Recently we talked about evenTwo new features as Multi-event version, messaging between attendees, conversation wall or surveys. We continue advancing with other features to improve relationship between all event’s stakeholders. For example we have developed the possibility to insert videos even watching video streaming.

So now we’re back with a new feature ti perform live feedback and encourage audience participation.

The main idea is to replace the famous voting keypads, a technology that is no longer needed and also had very high costs. Now most people have a smartphone that can replace that device. But how does it work?.

It’s simple, from the evenTwo backend tool you can create different voting tracks (so you can have simultaneous voting in different sessions). The tracks can be defined as public or private (user registration required). Once created tracks questions can be created and associated with an App icon or a specific session. Questions can be programmed or launch live, have a response time and can also determine if the user will see the graphical results on the screen of his device or the speaker will show them in a large screen. The vote can be terminated manually by the administrator without waiting for the response time is consumed.

What if the attendee doesn’t have smartphone?, or he doesn’t installed the app?, will not be able to vote?. Each room has their own URL voting accessible from any browser, so he should not need to access from the app.

Here is a video with the process:

Click here to access to HQ version of this video

Now that we know how works evenTwo live polls, what are the uses of this feature?. Instant voting have a lot of uses in an event, from a vote to choose between candidates up just for the speaker to assess the live audience response to certain topics, improving communication and interaction with attendees.

We will return soon with amazing new features in evenTwo.