Infographic – Engaging Your Event Audience With Social Media

Events are all about engagement, but extending that engagement beyond the event itself can be a challenge for many event planners, marketers and conference organizers. This week’s infographic is brought to you courtesy of Northwest Creative Imaging who has illustrated how you can leverage social media before, during and after your event to enhance engagement and extend the event lifecycle.

How do you use social media to engage your event audience?

Written By: Irene Coghlan

5 Simple, Sure Fire Ways to Green Your Event and Cut Costs

The meeting and events industry has come a long way from the fuel guzzling, wasteful, and spend-happy industry it once was. Sustainable events and cost-cutting now go hand in hand, so consider these 5 simple, and sure fire ways to reduce the environmental impact of your event and cut your overall event-spend.

1.       Get a mobile app for your event: Cut down on the paper content and wastage at your event by providing your event content in a mobile ready format that attendees can download and access on their mobile devices. This saves attendees the hassle of lugging around programs, brochures and documents, and it can save you significantly on the cost and resources involved in printing the materials as well as recycling or disposing of the material post-show.

2.       Choose the right meeting location: Start thinking about the environmental impacts of your meeting or event location at the earliest stages of your meeting or event planning. Consider the location of your event and how sustainable that city or country is and the cost of transport and accommodation there. There are now tools available to help you calculate the distance delegates have to travel to get to your event destination and the carbon emissions incurred as part of their travel. By choosing the optimal destination for your next meeting or event you can save significantly while being kinder to the environment.

3.       Educate all stakeholders: Incorporate sustainability as part of your overall event strategy. Promote a more sustainable event as part of your marketing and communications plan so attendees, exhibitors, sponsors and event organizers are engaged and informed about it before, during and after the event takes place. By engaging all parties in your sustainability efforts you will be in a much better position to achieve your sustainability and bottom line goals.

4.       Recycle event signage or go digital: Consider designing event signage and materials with a life span of more than one year.  Reuse your signage from year to year or consider going digital with all of it. You’ll save on printing and design costs in the long run and reduce your wastage significantly. 

5.       Eliminate one time use products: Reduce waste at your event by eliminating one time use products such as plastic bottles, coffee cups, giveaways and signage. Provide water refill stations and encourage all event attendees and suppliers to reuse and recycle. For tradeshows and large conferences consider re-usable water bottles, and bags and gifts as part of your conference pack.

Going green with your event should not be a costly endeavor. It actually goes hand in hand with effective cost-cutting. The key to achieving both in tandem is the correct  forward planning and incorporating sustainability as a fundamental part of your event from the outset.

What steps are you taking to promote sustainability at your event and to achieve cost savings?

Written By: Irene Coghlan

8 Steps to Planning a Successful Event

2012 is just around the corner. How goes your planning so far?

Events are the combination of many different elements that come together. Before getting too far into planning, take a step back and consider what key elements will collectively make your event the best it can be.

The  whitepaper, “8 Steps to Planning a Successful Event” details some components that event organizers should consider. From online registration forms to social networking, this helps create focus.

To learn more, click  here to read the whitepaper .

What do you think? What are some important elements to consider when planning events?

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky

Guest Post: Virtual is Good, but Face to Face has Plenty of Value!

Guest Post By:
Filippo Ciampini, Marketing Specialist
Active Network |Events

Filippo Campini, Marketing Specialist for Active Network, Events, is today’s guest writer. He is based out of the Active Network London office, and recently attended the Exhibition for the Incentive Business Travel and Meetings (EIBTM)  trade show in Barcelona, connecting travel trade exhibitors, meeting professionals, corporate incentive and hosted buyers. Additionally,  Active Network entered the competition for Best Technology company and came in among the top 5.

EIBTM is a great example of the importance of face to face events.  I personally don’t believe in the discussions about the ways virtual technology may lead to the extinction of events which meet face to face.

From all over the world, virtual and social technology allows people to connect and interact like never before, helping to eradicate geographical and cultural barriers.

Last year, I had my first exchange of tweets with American and European #eventprofs from the Active Network London office. In the following months, a tweet became an email, the email became a video-call on Skype, and shortly after, I felt the need to meet those professionals in person. That opportunity presented itself in Barcelona, at EIBTM; what a  great example of how an interaction started and nurtured online, led me to attend the physical event. The opportunity to sit next to people from our industry, have a chat, discuss new projects, and the possibility of future collaboration, makes the physical  event an essential part of our business. As discussed with many #eventprofs previously, virtual can never replace the networking aspect of the live event. Furthermore, content is a crucial consideration for event organizers, however nowadays most content is accessible online for free. Event organizers must be very smart in the way they choose the content, the speakers and the format of their sessions.

EIBTM had a number of highlights, which made the event worth attending.  The first, was a  two -day Association Program designed by William Thomson, Owner of Gallus Events. The event architect succeeded in designing, through a mix of traditional and more innovative formats, an engaging and interactive conference which received some great feedback from delegates. (If you would like to read more about the formats used I strongly recommend you read Michael Heipel’s blog post: Maximizing the Power of Events: EIBTM 2011 Association program Review. )

Another highlight of EIBTM 2011 was this year’s focus on event technology. Through the Technology Village area, the announcement of the Technology Watch finalists, and the educational sessions, all benefited an industry that is starting to adopt and appreciate  the role of technology in the promotion, management and measurement of events.

Industry thought leaders, Michelle Bruno and Corbin Ball, pose for a picture.

On a similar note, Active Network was nominated as one of the  Top 5 Event Technology Companies in the world (out of 56!). We entered the competition knowing that we were going to ‘duel’ against trends like RFID and NFC technology, but we wanted to highlight the importance of measuring the ROI of physical events.

We entered with our ActiveEvents Insight iPad application for event organizers.   The app allows event organizers to review all activity which takes place at the event in real time we call this “the attendee journey”. From the point of registration to session attendance, survey results, scheduled meetings and leads generated, the organizer is able to see a complete and holistic picture of overall event metrics and individual behaviors. This information is accessible on the move through a tablet, allowing the organizer the freedom to move around and most importantly react to the information they receive instantly. The features of this application have been described as the ‘Holy Grail’ of every event organizer by event guru Michelle Bruno Founder and CEO of the Bruno Group.

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky

What Technologies Shaped Events in 2011?

2011 was an exciting year for events.

Anthony Miller, Global Strategic Director for Active Network|Events, shared a few thoughts on the Eventia website regarding the enhancements made to event technology this past year.

Growth of the QR code, alongside the rise of social media and networking, are highlighted in particular as beneficial changes to the event landscape.

According to their website, Eventia is the “voice of the event industry” within the United Kingdom and abroad. Check out the full article on Technology Highlights from 2011.

In your events during 2011, what technologies did you notice become the new trend? We love hearing from you, so feel free to drop a line below.

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky

12 Emerging Technologies for Events in 2012

There are several technologies shaping the meetings industry for 2012.

Industry thought leader and seasoned events expert, Corbin Ball, recently released an article on the “12 Meetings Technology Trends to Watch for 2012” on his website.  Below are just three of the 12 technologies Mr. Ball highlights:

Mobile Technology and the Growth of HTML5

Ball says, “there will be a very significant adoption of mobile apps for events in 2012 and 2013”. Smartphone based applications are now being provided by event organizers as a tool for attendees to navigate through events. Furthermore, HTML5 mobile apps are less expensive than native applications, yet still provide the customization and flexibility for a quality app.

Hybrid Events

Growing in popularity, hybrid events are connecting remote and live participants through multiple forms of technology.  The very concept is starting to revolutionize the meeting landscape, as bridging the gap between virtual attendees and live events.

Social Gaming

Incorporating gaming into events, (commonly known as gamification), helps engage attendees and helps them to get the most from their events.

Check out Corbin’s complete article for the complete list of trends.

We want to hear from you…What trends have you seen in events you’ve attended this past year? What are you looking to incorporate for 2012?

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky

5 Event Questions to Consider for 2012

2011 is rapidly drawing to a close…have you started thinking about, or even working on, your 2012 events?

This week, we will focus on planning ahead. Below are a handful of questions that you should consider when sizing up future events.

1. Budget

Before getting started, what is your overall budget? Make sure to know exactly what you are working with before even looking. This will help you realistically assess all aspects of your event.

2. Site Planning and Lodging

Where will you be hosting your event? What do you need from your facility (staffing, equipment rental, etc)? Do you need lodging for your event?

3. Attendees

How many people are you expecting? How many are local vs. non local? Do you need transportation? Do you have specific dietary needs that need to be accounted for?

4. Registration

How robust of a system do you need? Do you need to have multiple types of registration? Do you need different types of pricing levels, like early bird or late registration? Will you have groups?  Do you need surveys?

5. On site Needs

Do you have a process for onsite check-in? How will confirmation work?  Do you need to print badges? Do you need extra staff on hand to help?

These may seem like a lot of questions, but they are just a few of the many things to consider for your events. RegOnline can help you with online registration forms, event websites, surveys, attendee management, on site needs and more.

Stay tuned all this week for helpful planning tips for the year. What kinds of events do you have on deck for 2012? Let us know by leaving us a note below.

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky

Smoother Check In is Here!

Onsite Check in just got easier!

Enhance the overall event experience for your attendees! We upgraded the RegOnline Onsite Check in Kiosk this past weekend and smoother, faster and easier check-in is here.

The RegOnline Onsite Kiosk makes it easy to check in attendees with fewer clicks than ever before. Check in attendees by scanning their barcode, which automatically prints badges, in a noticeably more efficient process.

When activating your event, enabling Onsite Check in couldn't be easier.

Highlights of the onsite kiosk include:
• Auto printing capabilities (Removes up to 3 clicks to get badges to print)
• Configuration of scanner to auto-submit the search page
• When searching by reg id; automatically check in and print badges without a single click
• Works in Google Chrome and FireFox versions 4 and higher with Adobe Reader 9/10
• QR Code improvements with Quiet Zone and background colors to increase scanner reliability
• Scanner reliability warning when barcodes are reduced in size from the default

Please note that security settings in Adobe Reader must be configured to allow for auto printing. These can be configured through Adobe Reader preferences.

Anyone can set it up; anyone can use it. Just one more thing to help make onsite processes more efficient, so you can easily remove one more issue onsite.

For your next event, give the updated onsite check in a try and tell us about your experience. We love hearing from you!

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky

5 Tips to Avoid a Scary Registration Form

Although it was Halloween on Monday, we can’t help but shutter at the idea of a scary registration form. With that said, here are some tips to avoid a cluttered form:
1. Keep your branding and logos consistent
If you have a logo associated with your company or event, use it for your branding. Theme Designer can help match colors to your logos, making a look and feel that your registrants recognize.
2. Avoid neon!
Neon colors are more distracting than useful. If you make your colors secondary to your content, your registrants will have a much easier time with your online registration.
3. Don’t clutter your space.
Too many images, text and colors can create a form that is hard to follow, and will make it difficult for your registrants to find a true message. Keep it clean, keep it brief, and keep it to the point.
4. Keep your fonts clean and easy to read
There are a variety of fonts that look professional and are easy to read such as Arial or Tahoma. Avoid fonts such as Comic Sans as they can make the form look less professional. Additionally, mixing different fonts creates clutter, so stick to one.
5. Sponsorship Logos
If you have a multitude of sponsors, make the logos the same size, and line them up on the same line. This will guide your registrants eye along and create once again, a clean, appealing space.

Use these tips and it will make all the world of difference. Have a great design idea? Or have a horrific form you’d like to share? Post a comment below.

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky

A Twist On Surveys

Guest Post By:
Jessica Marshall, Professional Services
Active Network | Events

Jessica Marshall of RegOnline Professional Services is today’s guest writer. She shares how a client of hers uses the functionality of RegOnline to the fullest.

For the past year, I have been working with a client who uses RegOnline for her event needs.  I’m so impressed by the way she uses her account, I have to share it with you.

We started with the usual. I set up her first two or three registration forms, followed by several rounds of training sessions. This was designed to familiarize her with the moving pieces, so she could take over setup, editing, etc.

Since then, she’s using RegOnline in the most comprehensive way I’ve ever seen.  Together we set up a parent event to display a list of all her currently active seminars. At the conclusion of each seminar, the registrant is sent a follow up email thanking them for attending.  The email includes a link to a seminar feedback survey,

Embedded in the confirmation email of the survey is a merge code that pulls in a personalized certificate for each attendee.  In order to receive the course completion certificate, the attendee is required to complete the survey.

Not only is the client able to provide potential attendees with a comprehensive list of events, she has received 100% feedback by attaching attendee completion certificates to a follow up survey. Additionally, she has saved the cost of printing and mailing certificates, by simply using our badge feature to merge all attendee and event details.

Now THAT’S using ALL that RegOnline has to offer!

To learn more about parent events, surveys, Professional Services or more contact RegOnline today (888) 351-9948.

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky