A LOOK INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL AT THE FUTURE OF THE MEETING INDUSTRY
Q: How will the meetings industry change in the future and in which direction will it go?
Speaking from the mobile perspective, we will witness an increasingly sophisticated attendee with well-defined expectations, both for the event itself and also for the event app. Like other technologies before it, mobile apps will be more widely adopted as a tool to help get the most out of the event – before, during and after. What this means to event planners is they will have to deliver a more timely, personalised, valuable – and fun – mobile experience. Mobile event and meeting apps will have to meet these expectations and enable truly meaningful networking and connections; provide access to relevant, useful content; and help attendees take advantage of the community of which they are a part. For example, if social was big in 2012, it will be doubly so in 2014, only it will have to support business objectives more directly.
For meeting planners and owners, the industry will be more driven by insight into attendee behaviour. Not just the simple points like number of attendees and number of app downloads, but data that more directly supports their broader objectives, be they revenue, networking, education, reward or others. Here’s where mobile apps offer significant advantages, because the app is the most pervasive, data driven tool at their disposal. Because of this, ‘basic’ apps won’t cut it; meeting planners and owners will need an app that maximises adoption and usage, and provides analytical insight into the how’s and why’s of attendee behaviour.
Q: Which innovations in your opinion will most influence the organisation of events?
We believe mobile solutions for meeting planners and organisers will completely change the way they currently work. Many of the tedious and manual tasks related to physical binders, document management, scheduling and messaging can be radically improved with mobile technology. This can also be connected to the attendee mobile event app as it will provide a whole new dimension of visibility and functionality for the event. We are also excited about real time polls and surveys and how interactive audience response will transform the experience of events.
Q: What personally inspires you?
Seeing the incredible creativity, dedication and commitment of our QuickMobile team to transforming the event experience. As we grow, I am constantly amazed at the diversity of ideas and the determination to take new technology and see the ideas materialise – it is truly inspiring.
Related articles
