Over the past two years, I’ve developed somewhat of an obsession with event technology. The mobile apps, online communities, social media tools and a plethora of other options provide numerous ways for us to enhance our events. It seems that the more I learn, the more obsessed I become. The possibilities with event technology are limitless. My company, Liz King Events, now creates Technology Integration Plans (TIPs) for our clients, and we are gearing up to host our fourth PlannerTech event—introducing event planners to up-and-coming event technology companies. While not every event planner has the time or interest to learn about these things, there are a few things I think all event planners should know about event technology. Here they are, in no particular order.

If you think something can be done more easily, it probably can.
We all encounter moments while planning where we think to ourselves, “There must be an easier way to do this!” In my experience, there often is. From searching for venues to finding speakers, there are products popping up to help you in all these processes. Use a simple Google search or ask an event planning colleague and there is typically a solution for your challenge.

If you think your attendees are connecting in the best ways possible, they probably aren’t.
The modes of communication between people are constantly changing. Social networks are pervasive, and people are more comfortable being closer to other people. Networking events are a great opportunity for your attendees to meet each other and make connections, but there are countless tools to help people sort through a group of people and find the ones most targeted towards what they are looking for. It’s important to consider how changing your meeting formats or increasing the time spent on coffee breaks can be used to better connect your attendees—and how technology can help facilitate this process.

If you think your clients are not “into” technology, you are probably wrong.
Some clients say they don’t need technology at their events, or that they aren’t tech savvy. However, most of the time, it is because they don’t see the benefits or haven’t spent time looking at the areas of their events that are not quite working. You don’t have to be a tech genius to integrate event technology into your events. The companies that have done the hard part in creating software are usually more than willing to help you implement it. All you need to do is identify weak areas in your event and then look for products that can help address that area. By taking the focus off the technology and putting it back on the event, you will usually find a product that can help address the issue. My Event Technology Resources Guide is a good place to start looking for some of those products.

Liz King runs the innovative firm Liz King Events, which creates dynamic branding events integrating the use of social media. Planning events from soup to nuts, she works with her team to create and sustain your event brand and enhance attendee engagement. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook for more.

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