Technology has entirely changed the landscape of every business and organization and event planning and management is no exception. Days of manual registration and paper flyers have long gone and the event management industry is swiftly moving from a simple mobile app for basic event information towards augmented and virtual reality for better event management and enhanced attendees’ engagement. The Internet of Things (IoT) is one such technology that connects everyday objects to the internet.
What does IoT mean?
For starters, IoT is a broad network of Internet-connected objects; the objects are embedded with sensors that collect and exchange data creating an efficient data-driven network about the activities of the daily life.
Apart from the traditional connected wearables and gadgets, IoT lets everyday physical objects like home appliances, lights, heating/cooling systems, even doors, windows and curtains to connect to a network and generate data from them.
IoT for Event management
IoT holds the potential to transform any industry and will play a key role in revolutionizing the event planning and management industry.
Event management relies on tons of data about the venues, potential attendees, caterers, performances, attendees’ check-ins, and payments. By incorporating IoT in the event management, the event planners will be able to get their hands on a treasure of attendees’ data which will aid them in making informed decisions. Information derived from the data can then be utilized in better planning, engagement, and management of the event. All these high-speed connections require smooth internet connectivity; event planners can contact companies that provide temporary internet service for events according to the speed requirements of the event and free themselves of the worries of connectivity.
Ways to Capitalize on IoT
From automating attendee management to enhancing the safety and security of the visitors and from intelligent lighting to smart catering, event managers and planners can capitalize on IoT in innumerable ways. Check out some of them.
Navigation
A unique experience and distinctive engagement are crucial for any event to make it successful. Technologies like iBeacon allow the event managers to seamlessly connect the event with the attendees; this way the visitors will be able to access the event schedule, check-in on time, get mapping and direction within the venue.
BLE chips in the event badges for the attendees allow the event staff to attentively monitor the visitors’ data from their wearable devices like lanyards and wristbands and generate a heat map. This allows them to keep track of the attendees’ location and their area of interest. Part of the event which engaged visitors the most will send significant data to the event planners and they will devise strategies accordingly for the upcoming event.
Automated Registration
Smartphones and wearables nowadays are already equipped with the technologies like NFC, BLE, WIFI, GPS, and others and IoT will let the event managers use these technologies to automate the registration process of the guests at the event. Attendees can check-in with the onsite registration software when they will be near the venue with the help of BLE connectivity.
Smart notifications on phones will direct them towards the collection booth to get their event badges. Automated attendees’ management system will save both, time and energy of the event managers and they won’t have to deploy onsite workforce for manual registration.
Smart Catering
Keeping track of what most of the attendees will prefer to eat is practically not possible, because that’ll require extensive surveys about catering services and not everyone has time for this. And misjudgment will result in food and drinks’ wastage costing significant money. However, with IoT, event managers can smartly handle this situation. As every single physical object can be connected with IoT, so this also includes coffee makers and food making and serving equipment.
With the help of data generated from these devices during the previous event, event managers can predict how much coffee will be brewed in the event and what sort of eatables will be preferred by the attendees. This automation will let them save food and money and the event planners will be in a better position to offer the guests what they preferred to eat.
Smart Buildings
Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed a simple building into a smart building which has the capability to ensure fool-proof safety and security of attendees and tackle all sorts of problems and hazards. Connection of beacons and cameras allow the controllers to wirelessly monitor, control and operate windows and doors in the smart building that’s hosting the event. Internet-connected cameras provide continuous surveillance whilst the smart doors allow the controllers to either stay open to welcome guests or get locked to keep the unwanted visitors out of the premises.
Apart from ensuring the safety of the attendees, smart features of the building will let the managers wirelessly control the lighting, heating, and air-conditioning of the building and swiftly change them according to the changing environment of the venue.
Final Word
Potential of IoT can’t be enclosed in a blog or two as it’s beyond one’s imagination and deploying such diverse technology in the event management will aid the company gather tons of useful data. The company can then analyze it and utilize it for seamless and effective organization of the events. Assessing data the right way is the key for deploying IoT and if the event managers are ignoring critical data metrics, they are missing the point and the futuristic technology they installed then won’t be of any use for their event management.
