All Systems Go - Tech Trends for Meetings & Events

As technology becomes increasingly inseparable from our every day lives, it’s only fitting that tech gurus develop technology that’s industry-specific. This year, the meeting + event planning industry will continue to see a rise in valuable technology to make event planning, procurement, engagement, and interaction easier and more effective than ever before.

Lost and found. Using GPS inside buildings for help with navigation is not always possible. Too often structural materials interfere with signals. However, new indoor mapping content management systems like MapsPeople, Sherpa Solutions, EventBase, and more offer mobile mapping for those attendees that might feel lost or overwhelmed in a big venue.  

Playing it Safe. As data breaches, hacking, and ransomware attacks become more frequent, there is a greater need for more protections to be put in place. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is Europe’s response to these threats. Expansive privacy regulations will go into effect on May 25, 2018 with hefty fines levied for non-compliance. GDPR will impact any European members’ event and attendees no matter where the event takes place.

Check Out Check Ins. Event check-in will become increasingly easier with automated check-in technology, such as Cvent OnArrival. Use of state-of-the-art facial recognition technology that makes check-in five times faster, will also be on the rise.

Make it Mobile. As in past years, mobile apps will play an integral role in meetings and events. They’ve proved themselves to be highly beneficial, not only in communicating information to attendees, but in gathering data for planners, such as social engagement, poll responses, and event reviews.

Kris McNeely, Content Editor | meetingpages | kris.meetingpages@gmail.com

As a freelance editor and writer for more than twenty years, Kris McNeely has had the opportunity to write and edit everything from non-fiction books to blog posts, web content to white papers, ads to articles. She was named an Erma Bombeck Humor Writer of the Month, has been featured in multiple anthologies, and was selected by Amtrak Railway Service as one of five travel writers from among a pool of 1500 applicants nationwide. In her free time, she likes to jog, garden, travel, and spend time with her two kids and three grandchildren.