10 Questions to Ask Before Buying Event Management Software: Question #6

We work with a variety of customers from small to mid-sized businesses to global organizations with thousands and hundreds of thousands of employees. But each customer – no matter how large or small – has very similar questions when it comes to buying event technology. We brainstormed the top 10 questions that we believe smart companies should ask before buying event management software. In this blog, I’ll spotlight the importance of each of the questions – and their answers – in a series of 10 posts.

Thanks for following this blog series. In our last post, we discussed how event management technology can make attendees happy.  Here’s another question you should ask before buying event management software: “How can event technology deepen my relationship with attendees?”

In an ACTIVE Network/Event Marketing Institute survey of 2012 event tech trends, 94% of meeting owners said their top event need was to improve the attendee experience. Meanwhile, 85% said expanding customer engagement was their top concern.

When considering event management software, ask yourself if it helps you increase your ties to attendees via:

• Social media that creates blogs and other communities and lets attendees view YouTube videos
• Mobile event app so attendees can view and schedule sessions, download agendas, view daily news updates, participate in goal-oriented business games
• Data and insights allowing you to personalize the event experience for your attendees

Read all 10 Questions Smart Companies Need to Ask before buying event management technology!

Next blog:  Question #7– How will event tech improve my relationship with exhibitors?

Other Resources:

- The Connected Event – an analysis of technology use, best practices and benchmarks.

Written By: Don Munro

Join Us at HSMAI – Experience Event Management Software Solutions

The meeting and event planning industry’s premier show, HSMAI MEET Mid-America, is coming up later this month in Chicago, IL at Navy Pier. We’re excited to be there as a diamond sponsor and meet with attendees, where we’ll be showing our ACTIVE RegOnline™ and ACTIVE Conference™ event management software solutions.

Meet with Us

To learn more and see the software in action, sign up for a one-on-one meeting with ACTIVE Network (booth #419):

• Tuesday, April 23
• Wednesday, April 24

By meeting with us, you’ll receive our complimentary event management software buyer’s guide and be eligible to receive 10% off standard volume discounts for RegOnline.

HSMAI Educational Sessions – Our Top Picks

HSMAI MEET Mid-America is not to be missed! You’ll get to participate in two days of free education and networking opportunities to help move your meetings and events forward. Here are our top picks for the show:

April 23, 9:00AM – 10:00AM
Promote, Engage and Connect: How Social Media can Enhance Your Event
Kelly Cutler, CEO, Marcel Media
While collecting business cards in a fish bowl does still have value, leveraging the power of social media will enhance your connection with meeting and event attendees. Not only is social media a powerful tool to promote an event, it can and should be used as an engagement tool during the event, and a channel to maintain connections after the event. What can you do to take events to the next level? This session will address best practices, important tools and the key steps to developing an integrated social strategy.

April 23, 10:15AM – 11:15AM
360 Event Engagement Marketing: How PCMA is Doing It
Jason Paganessi, Vice President of Business Innovation at PCMA
Izania Downie, Director Strategic Partnerships, ACTIVE Network
This case-study focused discussion, will illuminate how event management technology is transforming the way the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) runs their own events. This session will discuss the key requirements to integrate digital and mobile technology with your full engagement marketing strategy for increased event success.

April 24, 9:00AM – 10:00AM
Extending the Life of Your Meeting Content…Before, During & After your Meeting
Juli Jones, CAE, Vice President, HSMAI
As meeting and event professionals, we and our teams spend a lot of time and energy (and some of our best thinking) developing educational content — whether large or small, live or virtual. Learn from your colleagues to stretch the value you get from your investment in educational content development.

We hope to see you there! Unable to schedule a one-on-one meeting? Leave us a comment and we’re more than happy to answer any questions you have.

Written By: Rebecca Yetzer

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

A First Hand Suggestion for 2012

Guest Post By:
Justin Gritzmacher, ETS Coordinator
Active Network| Events

Our Event Technology Seminar Coordinator, Justin Gritzmacher, is our guest author for today’s blog post. From traveling around the country running our Lunch and Learn series, Justin has had the opportunity to frequently interact with Event Organizers and learn more about their needs. One big trend he sees for 2012 is the impact of social media as a tool to engage attendees, even during the event off season.

Traveling around the country hosting Active Network’s – Event Technology Seminars, I am fortunate enough to meet a wide variety of event organizers. I get to hear about ideas that have worked…and some that have not.

Looking back at 2011, I have seen a few trends in the Events Space. Using Social Media is one trend I suggest you try to incorporate into your events as we head into the New Year.

Social Media has changed the way we live our lives. Using sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter provide an outlet to engage attendees year round with good informed content, while keeping them aware of information relevant to your events. Many event organizers I’ve talked with are capitalizing on these technologies to help run larger and more successful events.

By creating communities for your events you can pass information to all your attendees, and potential attendees, year round making interaction more constant, instead of only during the time surrounding your event.

Social Media will allow you to find out more about the types of people interested in your events, and what they are hoping to accomplish while at your event. With this information organizers can make effective changes as simple as changing start time or venue, or more complex changes like adding new content or even changing the event scope.

When you are not running events, keep your attendees engaged with white papers or links to interesting articles about topics relating to your events, or even short informational webinars. This way, attendees never have a chance to forget about you or your events. Year round interaction will help plan events that directly meet the needs of your audience.

Once you have created a steady stream of interaction, you will begin to have a “captive” audience that is a perfect group to send your first round of invitations when the time comes. The people in these groups will be more excited and educated about your event, and will be much more likely to sign up. Channel the excitement and energy generated by these attendees to help increase your registrations. If your attendees are excited about your event, they will become your ambassadors, promoting your event for you. In this respect, social media can be a cost effective way to branch out your marketing efforts.

As we close out 2011, I hope that these few tips make you optimistic, and help your events reach new heights in to 2012.

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky

4 Helpful RegOnline Resources for Event Planners

Looking to learn more about your event? Have a question? There are many educational opportunities, both formal and informal, within RegOnline.

1.Free Webinars

The RegOnline team of Technical Sales Consultants conduct live training sessions on a weekly basis, providing helpful tips for new and seasoned event organizers alike.

• Every Wednesday, join in for a free Event Build Training. This webinar provides an overview of setting up forms, creating different agenda types, and walks you through the registration process start to finish.
• Every other Thursday, the team conducts training sessions with an attendee management focus. Reporting, refunds, labels, badges and much more are discussed.

Sign up for a Webinar Today!

2. Event Technology Seminars (ETS)

A few weeks back, we referenced the Event Technology Seminars commonly known as,  “ Lunch and Learns”. Our ETS team travels the country to educate existing and potential customers on how technology makes life easier while boosting event ROI.
Check out our schedule to find an Event Technology Seminar in your area!

3.LinkedIn

A widely known fact: we learn just as much from others as we do in a classroom. The Event Technology Group on LinkedIn is a forum for discussion with other event organizers. Post a question for peers to answer, learn about new industry trends, and build a network of colleagues. Join the Event Technology Group, to start discussing industry topics and trends with other event planners.

4.Professional Services

Need more? Hire the expertise of RegOnline Professional Services.

The Professional Services team provides consulting services for every stage of your event. The trained team can help create an effective online registration form, guide you through the process, and even be there on site.  Professional Services is the team to have on your side.

Have a great event education resource? Let us know what works for you!

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky

Guest Post: Lessons Learned from Event Technology Seminars

Guest Post By:
Andrew Steiner, Senior Marketing Manager
Active Network | Events

This week, Senior Marketing Manager Andrew Steiner serves as  guest writer for the RegOnline blog. His posts  focus on the lessons learned from running the Event Technology Seminars over the past six months. Today’s post will discuss the initial struggles to fill their events , while the next will focus on how one individual can manage the entire process.

We have held 75 Event Technology Seminars since March. After running these live events, we have learned a few things about managing meetings.

The hour and a half “lunch and learns” were designed to educate event organizers on different technologies that could expand the size of their events, manage events more efficiently and intelligently, and build lasting relationships with their attendees.

As our events began we had to put the very concepts we were teaching to the test. We had to drive as many people as we possibly could to sign up for the events we plan to hold in 2011. And all of it had to be managed by just one person.

In the process of organizing our first 75 events we confirmed a few facts about getting people to sign up.  Location still matters. The size of the invite list affects the number of registrations. And price still has an impact on attendance rates.

But we’ve also discovered in today’s event world, these aren’t enough anymore. Focusing on these factors helped get us some qualified registrants to sign up, but in the beginning we were continuously struggling to fill all available seats.

Like most event organizers, we immediately began to focus on our marketing materials. We tweaked the emails, we looked into developing direct mail pieces, and we even hired professional copywriters. None of it worked. The lack of results forced us to step back and ask the question, “Why aren’t people responding to us?” We were offering a valuable education and even a free lunch.

The answer hit us like a ton of bricks. People just don’t believe us.

Consumers are bombarded with marketing materials loaded with promises that will never be fulfilled. They have seen enough of statements that tell them to “Act NOW!” only to have another chance to act in a month. And they are tired of signing up for events because “seats are going fast” only to discover that the event wasn’t even sold out.

If our invitees really didn’t believe us or they didn’t have the same level of trust in promotional materials as they used to, we had to ask the question, “Who do they trust?”

That answer was simple. Consumers tend to listen to their colleagues and friends more than anyone else. Word of mouth is still the most powerful marketing tool out there. And we needed to use it to promote our events if we were going to fill the seats.

We immediately went out and found targeted contact lists focusing on exactly who we were hoping to attract to our events. We asked them to register and to invite any colleagues or friends that may be interested in attending with them. We made it easy for registrants to mention our events on their Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and LinkedIn profiles. But most importantly we encouraged them to forward the invitation along.

We empowered our own registrants to become promoters for our events. And the results were almost immediate and were exactly what we needed. Almost every event since the adjustments has been sold out. And if we hadn’t made the changes, I believe we would still be struggling to fill our events.

Because of the terrific response, we have been forced to increase the number of events we are planning in each city. And we managed to break our registration goals for the year before the end of the third quarter. Essentially we are practicing what we are teaching and you could do it too.  You can encourage your attendees to promote your events through word of mouth advertising by making it possible for them to forward your invitation along to their colleagues and friends. You can also allow your registrants to promote your events through their Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts.

Go ahead and give it a shot. And if you do it effectively, like we did, the results you’ll see will be shocking!

To learn more about how to get more registrants by empowering attendees to become promoters, open a free account,  and we will be happy to teach you more.

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky

LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, Oh My!

This week we will be dedicating our Blog to ‘Did You Know Topics’ about RegOnline. These will include tips and tricks on how best to use RegOnline, enabling the product to make things easier for you!

To start things off, Did you know there are multiple ways to stay informed on new features, best practices, and news regarding RegOnline?

The RegOnline blog is our hub to spread the word about product releases, feature updates, key bug fixes and more.

Our LinkedIn Event Technology group has recently become open to the public. This is a great resource for event organizers to engage in discussions surrounding best practices, technologies and tips for events. Join the group today to start engaging with others through discussions.

We’re also on Facebook and Twitter, so check in on what is happening there.

Customer service  is our highest priority and we love hearing from you. Feel free to connect with us on any of our social media outlets and don’t hesitate to call (888) 351-9948 or email us (advisor@regonline.com) with questions.

Written By: Kyle Rose

Tweet Your Event!

Did you know that Twitter can help create buzz around your event?

Through the RegOnline event promotion tools, it is quick and easy to push your event to a number of social networks including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Since we have enabled the promotion to the Twitter feature, we have seen a significant increase in reach to customers. From 1,040 mentions in July alone, replies have reached nearly 10,700 followers with nearly 7,000 re-tweets.  Never underestimate the value of a tweet; as clearly illustrated, a single tweet can multiply exponentially beyond your current target audience.

Be sure to make your event hashtag prominent on your event website and in your communications with registrants and prospects (ex: #regonline).   When attendees complete the registration process, they receive a confirmation email with links to reach out to friends, family and co-workers about your event.  The screenshot below displays the promotional links to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Email on the confirmation email page.

When you select the Twitter button, a new window will open prompting you to log in to Twitter. Once you have logged in, an instant dialogue box opens up generating your tweet. Remember, on Twitter you have up to 140 characters, so if you have room left, add a personalized message further promoting the event.

And once you hit Tweet, there it is! You have officially promoted your event on Twitter.

Remember, when an event is in “testing mode” within RegOnline, you are able to run multiple test registrations without being charged. The moment the event is activated, payment processing and related service fees are also activated, so make sure to do some initial “test tweets” while still in testing mode.

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky

Event Camp is This Week!

This Thursday and Friday, August 25-26, we are headed to Event Camp Twin Cities. Born from the Twitter handle #eventprofs comes a two day conference about hybrid technologies, social media and collective collaboration. This will be a truly unique event with in person attendees working directly with virtual attendees connected through remote pods.

Our General Manager Eric Olson will be speaking on “Technology Mixology: How to Choose the Right Technology Mix for Your Events”.  Justin Ramers, Director of Online Marketing, will be speaking on Social Media Measurement & ROI.

We will be posting news and updates during Event Camp on our Facebook page, as well as a recap of the event next week on our blog.

Make sure to to visit the Event Camp homepage to learn more about their event and corresponding pods for virtual attendees.

Written By: Michelle Nikolayevsky