Three Experts on the Future of Event Technology

AI has recently dominated discussions in a variety of industries, including meetings and events. But what does this mean for event technology? During Connect Marketplace 2023 in Minneapolis, we posed this very topic to an expert panel of event tech leaders, including Jessica Connolly, director of events for Hubilo; Michelle Kristoff, senior director of marketing for Community Brands; and Oliver Rowe, co-founder of VenuIQ.

Below are three key points from their discussion regarding the future of event technology.

Hybrid is the future for events

Immediately, the panelists reached consensus on this point. “We’ve witnessed the pendulum swing from a virtual-only era when it was absolutely necessary to a heavy in-person era.” But hybrid is truly the best of both worlds, and this will be essential to your year-round marketing strategy,” said Connolly.

Yes, the past three years have demonstrated that nothing can replace in-person meetings, but that does not mean event technology has no role. “We’ve demonstrated that nothing in the virtual realm can compete with [in-person]. We attempted. It didn’t work,” Connolly added. “But we also realized that with virtual, you can reach your target audience so effectively.” Finding a method to combine these elements will be the driving force behind your revenue.

Rowe also observes increased reach among his consumers at VenuIQ. “When you’re in person, there are people who can’t attend, and I believe one of the greatest things that virtual did for our customers, especially from an event planner’s perspective, was to increase their reach, their data, and the number of people who could access their event,” he explained. “I believe that the fact that everyone is striving to meet these climate and emissions targets over the next two decades will come to the forefront. I believe that will play a role, particularly with corporate occasions.”