How Technology Is Turning Event Activations into a Digital Playground

We talk about technology almost constantly. We chat about the latest iPhone releases, discuss the influence of social media on global events, dissect the role of the internet in market branding, and share opinions on the latest gadgets. Yet, much less is said about how much the evolution of event activations can be attributed to developing technologies.

To cut a long story short, technology has revolutionised the way in which commercial and corporate events are organised. From major music festivals to gala dinners, enterprise award shows, charity balls, and in store launches, technology has transformed event planning into a digital playground – modern event activations are fun, fast paced, and more flexible than ever.

Ultimately, it is speed which rules the event planning industry. The faster you can put together a valuable event, the more of these events you can afford to organise. So, with the advent of cloud based systems, online registration tools, visual archiving resources, automated record keeping, and instant messaging, we have seen a shift from a ‘task by task’ approach to the ability to handle all aspects of an event simultaneously.

This has cut the workload involved with event activations in half and many companies have used this as an opportunity to make regular events (for staff, clients, and customers) a part of increasingly ‘social’ marketing strategies. It is important not to forget the influence of social media platforms either. Even putting aside the obvious benefits to inter-department communications, channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are a great way to build up a buzz around an event.

Once you have created enough interest, the internet will do the rest of the work for you. If prospective guests spot notifications about an event on Facebook and realise that their friends or colleagues are attending, they are much more likely to RSVP – and the guest list snowballs from there, without an event planner having to put too much work into getting the word out there. This is the future of event activations; things which used to take weeks can now happen in the time it takes to put together a Facebook page.

Plus, automated record keeping tools and other logistical resources have streamlined the planning process and generated efficiencies when it comes to organising repeat and follow up events. With every year that passes, enterprises are more willing to experiment with digital technologies and to consider using resources which go beyond the major social media channels. Whilst predictions and forecasts are all we have of the future right now, one thing is clear; the event activations of tomorrow will connect us in ways we never thought possible.

by: Ant Hampel