What is Your Event Technology Resolution?
By: Eric Olson, General Manager, SMB Events
Active Network | Business Solutions
Eric Olson is general manager of SMB Events at Active Network | Business Solutions. He is responsible for driving global strategy and P&L for the company’s business-to-business events solutions serving small to medium sized businesses, associations and tradeshow and expo companies. These include event management and marketing technologies. During his tenure, Olson has grown the SMB Business Solutions business by more than 200%.
Last year I spoke more than a dozen times on event technology, and every time I encountered the same experience. A nervous, overwhelmed event planner pushes her way to the front of the room, thanks me and says, “What do I do first?”
It’s maybe the single best question to ask about technology. Yet, there is only one person in the room brave enough to ask it.
As digital tools flood into corporate and association events, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and it’s even easier to overwhelm your audience. So, my response is always the same.
“Make sure you have a very clear list of business objectives for your events. Then focus on implementing ONE piece of technology to better achieve those objectives; Do that one thing really, really well.”
It’s really that simple. And since January is a time for diligently penning resolutions to drop a few pounds or drink a few less cocktails, I think it’s also time for every event planner to make a technology resolution.
Three Steps to Creating Your Technology Resolution:
1. Create a measurable, stack-ranked list of goals for your event or events in 2012. Whether the goals are to increase attendance or improve post-event sales, create a prioritized list of goals that you can control and measure.
2. Make a list of the technologies your audience uses most often in their daily lives. For example, I noticed a recent technology conference that 80% of the room was using an iPad to take notes and interact during a session. Yet, the event had no connection between the live experience and those mobile devices. Instead the event had a single microphone in the middle of the room. Think about the technologies your audience uses in their everyday life to 1) find content and 2) interact and collaborate with each other.
3. Identify one technology from the list in #2 that will better help you achieve one of your goals from #1 and create a specific goal to implement it in 2012. For example, if your goal is to increase attendance and your audience is filled with LinkedIn lovers, your goal may be to implement a LinkedIn group to drive attendance at your event. Remember, technology doesn’t always have to hit your budget.
This exercise can be as simple or as complex as you need it to be for your organization. But, the hardest part is getting started. So, start with one thing. Make it measurable. And focus on doing it really, really well.
If you do it right, this isn’t just a resolution you can keep. It’s a resolution that can grow, expand and continue to benefit your business for years to come.
Cheers to good technology and great events in 2012 and beyond.
