Adam Parry is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com (EIN) which is a global online event magazine.
EIN is read by organisers, promoters, event management and production companies, suppliers, experiential agencies, the corporate sector, local government and organisations that host exhibitions and conferences.
Adam, who is a self-proclaimed technology evangelist, along with his team organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology. He also runs The Event Technology Awards, a world renown awards scheme showcasing the best in event technology. Both of these events take place in London each year during November.
In this interview Adam shares his experience and knowledge of the events and exhibition sector to give us some interesting insight into how technology is shaping the industry.
The industry is embracing technology, slowly but surely. Over the last 5 years, I have seen some of the sectors really embrace tech, others have been a little resistant and I understand why. Some of the technology overpromised and underdelivered.
This has is now changing, the technologies out there are living up to the standard that is needed, there is more education and information than there ever has been which is helping the buyer make an informed decision on what they actually NEED!
Who do you feel stand out as providing an innovative product or service that solves a common problem in the events industry?
I would say both Zenus Biometrics and Exposure Analytics are really standing out for me.
They are producing technology that can really help brands, corporates and companies that are exhibiting or activating at events really understand their ROI.
Both are delivering key insights into how visitors interact with an event or exhibition space.
What are your top 3 tips for using technology at large events?
1) Start small, understand that as events sometimes only come around once a year it’s going to take 2-3 iterations to really nail and integrate technology into an events ecosystem.
2) Find a technology that has a team behind it that believe and understand your vision. This is very important as the provider of the tech is an extension of your team!
3) Budget accordingly, technology is more than just supplying a username and password to access a system. Understand that the cost of the technology directly isn’t the only cost. There is time invested in ensuring it is set up, tested, deployed and reviewed.
What are the trends for 2019 and beyond that could have an impact on the sector?
I would say we will see a huge increase in the use of Chatbots at events and on event websites.
Chatbots enable attendees to get quick answers about an event 24/7 365 they never sleep, they are always there to talk and help.
For the organiser, it also helps replace frustrating FAQ’s, frees up staff time and provides better insight into the mind of the attendee.
You can take the full Venue View tour of Event Tech Live here.
