Event Technology: Tools and Trends

The event technology stack

Most events use some version of the same layers. They can come from one platform or from separate tools; the more of them share one attendee record, the less re-keying and the fewer errors.

• Registration and ticketing

  Registration pages, ticket types, promo codes and payments - the source of the attendee list everything else uses.

  Event registration software

• Event apps

  The agenda, speakers, exhibitors, maps, notifications and networking on attendees' phones.

  Event mobile app

• Check-in and badge printing

  QR check-in, self-service kiosks and badges printed on demand instead of pre-printed and sorted by hand.

  Event check-in kiosks

• Lead retrieval

  Exhibitors scan badges or business cards, qualify the lead and export it to their CRM.

  Lead retrieval app

• Networking and matchmaking

  AI meeting recommendations, scheduled one-to-one meetings and speed networking.

  AI business matchmaking

• Live engagement

  Session Q&A, polls, surveys, trivia and leaderboards that turn an audience into participants.

  Live event Q&A widget

• Floor plans and seating

  Interactive exhibit-hall floor plans that sell booths, and seating charts for galas and dinners.

  Event floor plan software

• Virtual and hybrid

  Live and recorded sessions, virtual booths and online networking, alone or alongside an in-person event.

  Hybrid event platform

Event planning technology

Before the event, technology does the work that used to live in spreadsheets: building the registration form and ticket types, laying out the exhibit hall on an interactive floor plan, publishing the agenda, and collecting what speakers and exhibitors need to send.

The test of event planning technology is how much of that information flows on without being retyped. A booth sold on the floor plan should appear in the exhibitor list and the app; a session chosen at registration should drive the attendee's agenda and the session check-in.

Event management technology on the day

During the event the priorities change to speed and reliability. Event management technology onsite means check-in that keeps moving, badges printed as attendees arrive, session attendance tracked, exhibitors scanning leads and meetings starting on time.

The same platform should give the organizer a live view - who has arrived, which sessions are full, how many leads and meetings are happening - so problems are spotted while there is still time to fix them.

• Check-in and badges

  QR check-in on phones and kiosks, with badges printed on Zebra, Epson and Brother printers.

  Onsite event management

• Meetings and networking

  Scheduled business meetings and attendee networking, managed from the same attendee record.

  Business matchmaking

Event marketing technology

Event marketing technology fills the room. It covers the registration page and the widgets that embed it on your own site, promo codes and early-bird pricing, email campaigns to past and prospective attendees, and sharing to social media.

During the event, a social wall and the event app keep the conversation going; afterwards, survey results and session recordings give marketing the material for the next event's campaign. Sponsors are part of the picture too - their visibility in the app and on the floor is what they are paying for.

• Promo codes and ticketing

  Discounts, group pricing and early-bird tickets, with zero-commission ticketing available.

  Zero-commission ticketing

• Sponsorships

  Sponsorship packages for the event, with sponsors' logos on custom-branded onsite badges.

  Event sponsorship

Event IT: hardware and connectivity

Event IT is the part attendees only notice when it fails. It covers badge printers and supplies, scanners, kiosks and tablets, and the network that connects them. Plan it with the venue early: what Wi-Fi is available, whether you need dedicated bandwidth for check-in, and what happens if the connection drops.

Choose software that keeps check-in and lead capture working offline and syncs when the connection returns, and hardware that the vendor supports - ideally with someone onsite for a large event.

• Printers, scanners and devices

  The printers, scanners and devices Eventdex works with, and the support available for them.

  Hardware and devices

• Offline lead capture

  Exhibitors keep scanning when the Wi-Fi fails; leads sync when the connection is back.

  Offline lead retrieval

Event technology and innovation: what is changing

The most useful changes in event technology are the ones that remove a queue or a manual step. These are the ones organizers are adopting now:

• AI matchmaking

  Meeting recommendations based on what attendees, buyers and sellers are looking for, instead of hoping the right people meet by chance.

  AI event platform

• AI assistants

  Voice and chat assistants that answer attendee questions about the event in real time.

  AI event chat assistant

• Self-service check-in

  Kiosks where attendees scan a QR code and collect a printed badge without waiting for staff.

  Check-in kiosks

• Contactless payments

  Card and phone payments taken at the door on an iPhone through the check-in app, with no extra hardware.

  Contactless tap to pay

• Gamification

  Points, challenges and leaderboards for visiting booths, attending sessions and answering questions.

  Trivia and leaderboards

• Hybrid by default

  Sessions streamed and recorded for people who cannot travel, from the same platform that runs the venue.

  Virtual conference platform

How to choose event technology

Start from the events you run and the problems you have now - a slow registration desk, leads lost in spreadsheets, sponsors who cannot see their return - rather than from feature lists. Then ask:

• One platform or separate tools?

  Separate tools can be best-in-class individually, but every hand-off between them is an export. One platform keeps one attendee record.

• Does it work onsite?

  Offline check-in and lead capture, supported printers and devices, and help on the day for large events.

• Does it connect to your CRM?

  Leads and attendees should reach your systems without manual exports, for example through Salesforce or Zapier.

  Integrations

• Who sets it up, and how fast is support?

  A vendor that builds your first event with you saves weeks. Eventdex responds within 6 hours.