61.3 per cent of meeting professionals agreed that currently available event technology makes event management much easier and that it will develop and change dramatically in the next 10 years, but 92 per cent admit that meeting planners are not making the most of such technology solutions.
These were among the key findings of new research carried out for IMEX America by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) providing fascinating insight into the views of meeting professionals on event technology.
It also revealed that when buying event technology products and services, only 21.2 per cent of those surveyed approached the project with confidence.
Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group said: “Event technology is a fast growing sector that offers vast untapped potential to help with the planning and efficient operation of events.
“We believe that having technology demonstrated by experts face to face is a highly effective way for buyers to get to grips with technology and discover how it could help them. At IMEX America we have facilitated this through guided tours and demonstrated such technology in dedicated educational areas. In addition, the many event technology suppliers at the show will be happy to explain the capabilities and benefits of what they offer at their booths.”
Among the initiatives that IMEX America has introduced to meet this need is the EventTechTours. Taking place throughout the show, they will be led by Tahira Endean, who was recognized in 2015 as one of the Top Five Women in EventTech and who now specialises in explaining the integration of technology into our lives, businesses and events.
Innovation Tours are also planned for Tuesday and Wednesday, led by Glenn Thayer of Emcee Squared. They will demonstrate how tech, innovation and trends can be implemented into general sessions, as well as examining the future of meeting experiences.
IMEX America also features the TECHknowledge Area, powered by The Meeting Pool, where experts will deliver targeted technology sessions, TECHbytes, answering questions on hot topics such as Snapchat, Slack, OneNote and wearable technology, and guide buyers through the latest tech in the Gadget Lab. More information is available here.
The survey also asked “what problems do you face in your day-to-day work that you would like technology to solve for you, that isn’t currently covered?” The responses revealed a strong widespread demand for ’consolidation, integration, ‘one-stop’ complete solutions and consistency.’
Typical of these views were requests for ‘the compilation of information from various sources/modules into a single flexibly formatted report;’ ‘a one-stop, affordable complete event management solution, from exhibitor management to budget reconciliation’; and ‘one SMMP system consolidating everything including event management and procurement’.
Carina Bauer concludes by adding “The industry is clearly seeing the tip of the iceberg in event technology at present. We expect there to be much more to come and we believe that by visiting the event technology area at the show and making the most of our Tours and TECHknowledge Area, buyers can learn so much that will be valuable to them in planning and running their events more effectively now and in future.”
IMEX America 2016 takes place from 18 – 20 October in Las Vegas. For more information about the show please visit http://www.imexamerica.com.
