A Beginner’s Guide To Event Technology Integration, 2023

Event planning is a huge responsibility that requires proper planning, coordination, and communication.

It may seem like a tedious job, but not when you have the right event technology at hand. 

Whether you are looking to reduce costs, save time, or make the event planning process more efficient, event technology integration can help you see the bigger picture making attendee data accessible, connected, and available in one place.

Join us as we take you through the basics of event technology integration and help you choose the right event technology for your needs.

A. What is Event Technology?

Event technology is any application, software, or digital tool that helps you plan, execute, and evaluate an event. This technology can be used before, during, or after a live event which can range from the initial event marketing including ticketing and registration tools to after-event networking. 

B. What is Event Technology Integration?

Event technology integration means the sharing of processes and data among two or more software applications. This allows a seamless flow of data between applications making it easy to share information about the event, attendees, speakers, and sponsors.

When vendors connect different platforms, it allows them to share event information without having to manually transfer data between separate programs every time a change is made. There are multiple ways to integrate event data into your system which can be direct or through APIs.

C. Why Does Event Technology Integration Matter?

Before event technology and event technology integration, organizers had extremely limited access to attendee data constricting the scope of their reach. Processes were more manual and time-consuming and measuring success wasn’t that easy.

The success of your event lies in how well you plan and manage audience engagement and comfort. And a lot of this has to do with how well you coordinate your data for which data integration is extremely important.

Not convinced yet?

Here are some more reasons-

i. Streamlining the planning process

Event managers have a lot on their plate to work on. Whether it is for small or large-scale events, they have an extensive checklist and managing time is the key to implementing everything perfectly.

Event technology integration can help planners arrange both virtual, in-person, and hybrid events through one platform simplifying complex tasks managed from one collaborative location.

A great event technology platform offers an array of features including-

• Customizable registration pages for easy sign-ups
• Secure check-ins
• Easy ticket distribution system
• Optimized planning for a faster process

ii. Boosting brand awareness and loyalty

Doesn’t matter if you are launching a new product or hosting a karaoke night, building brand awareness is a crucial part of hosting events. Using event technology integration can help you plan your events and create a brand image consistently.

Using multiple platforms separately can relay a disparate brand image, missing out on crucial details that align with marketing guidelines. Using one event technology platform with integration capabilities can help you create consistent templates for various types of events.  This enables you to maintain a consistent look and feel across your portfolio that aligns with your brand guidelines.

iii. Enhanced security

Safety and security are the most important elements of an event as any negative incident can color your brand image. Technology like secure check-ins and ticket validation can help improve security to ensure everyone has a pleasant and hassle-free experience.

For example, Ticket Generator creates one-time scannable QR Code-based tickets where event volunteers scan the code to check the validity of the ticket. Your guests will receive the tickets in their email and can show the tickets on their smartphones. No printing, no software development, and no hardware is required. All this is made possible via a simple integration with a secure third-party API.

iv. Event registration

Event technology integration has made event registration a seamless experience. Also, the registration process plays a major role in initiating the audience’s experience with your organization, so you want to make it as smooth and user-friendly as possible.

With event technology integration, you allow users to fill up registration forms at their comfort. Most platforms are integrated with payment gateways like Stripe making the process quick and easy. After which, you can send the tickets to your attendees via mail in a matter of minutes.

v. Data and insights

Collecting data is as essential as hosting the event itself. It helps you evaluate your event performance to identify strengths and weaknesses and how people are engaging with your event. These insights will act as a cornerstone to making your next event even better.

Before event technology integration, event organizers relied on pre-event and post-event surveys to measure performance. Such calculations are tiresome and rarely give a realistic picture of an event’s success. But with event technology integration, things have changed for the better where you get access to all the crucial event KPIs in one place to track customer behavior, lead generation, ROI, and more.

vi. Saving time

Event technology integration is an excellent way to save time by having crucial information in one place. You don’t need to manually transfer information or spend days constructing a floor plan. 

This will not only speed up individual tasks but also make teamwork a lot easier. Event technology integration will keep every member of your team on the same page by avoiding communication breakdowns or costly misunderstandings, thus saving time and money.

vii. Effective communication

Event technology integration has enabled organizers and participants to virtually be connected. Attendees can message each other anytime making it easier for people to build connections and network. Also, event organizers can inform attendees about any potential changes via event platforms much more easily.

D. Things to Consider While Choosing the Best Event Technology Integration Platform

Event technology integration has a lot of major advantages that we have just discussed.

But how do you make sure to choose the best platform aligning with your goals and budget?

Here are some things to keep in mind while evaluating event technology platforms-

i. Needs and objectives

Before you even start scrolling through options, you need to get your needs and objectives clear. Who are your target audience? What are their expectations? What features and functionalities will help you deliver a successful event? How will you measure your performance? Asking these crucial questions will help you to identify your goals. 

ii. Market and competition

Once you have a proper layout of your goals, it is time to dive into market and competition research. You need to be clear about what kind of software you want with choices like event apps, registration platforms, live streaming tools, virtual reality, and more. Once you have a list of your preferred tools, you can evaluate each option based on its features, benefits, costs, compatibility, and customer support.

iii. Budget

Of course, you need to consider your budget and resources while evaluating your choices. You have to make careful calculations by balancing the cost and value of each option to find the best fit for your event. To make the best use of your budget, start by

• Prioritizing essential features
• Negotiating with vendors
• Looking for discounts and packages
• Looking for sponsorships and partnerships
• Using free or low-cost tools

iv. Contingency plan

It is important to have a contingency plan in case of any technical issues or failures. It is best to test and troubleshoot your technology before the event to ensure it works smoothly and reliably. 

Don’t forget to conduct a thorough quality assurance process, such as checking the functionality, usability, security, and performance of each tool. Additionally, you should be accessible to a dedicated support team, a backup system, and a clear communication channel to manage any problem that may arise during the event.

E. How to Evaluate the Right Event Technology Integration Platform?

The options in the market can be overwhelming and we know that. Here are some quick tips to help you evaluate the right technology that aligns with your needs and goals.

i. Ease of use

As an event planner, you already have a ton of work, so you don’t want to spend another two days learning how to navigate an event app. Make sure to choose a platform that gives you the right balance between functionality and accessibility. 

Based on your needs, consider choosing a platform that is easy to understand and intuitive while providing all the necessary features in a simple manner. Learning more sophisticated systems requires greater time investment, with additional and complex functionalities that may not even be required for you. 

So don’t be tempted to buy a tool just because it offers several fancy features. First, evaluate your requirements and the usefulness of the features provided to avoid overspending.

ii. Customization

Attendees connect better with your brand if they get tailor-made experiences. All touch points of your event should reflect your organization’s branding and design to ensure brand consistency across your registration process, emails, event website, name badges, and more.

Good personalization capabilities are a notable feature of event technology tools allowing you to create dynamic registration paths. A great event technology integration platform will allow you to

• Add logos and brand colors 
• Change the background color and add relevant pictures on your event platform
• Select font choices to reflect your brand aesthetic and overall customization

iii. Attendee experience

Delivering a positive attendee experience is a crucial aspect of event management. Any lag in this experience can make your brand look amateur which can bring down your brand image. As you narrow down your options for the best event technology platforms, here are a few questions you can ask-

• Does the platform offer customization capabilities to tailor-make your homepage and agenda?
• Does the event registration require a visitor to leave the main website?
• What is the ticket distribution process?

iv. Customer Support

A good event technology platform will naturally offer best-in-class support. They should be willing to assist immediately in terms of any inconvenience. Here are some questions to ask while evaluating your event tech providers-

• What are the available channels of contact? (Chat, email, phone)
• Are there any helpful guides or documentation available?
• What is the average response time for a ticket?

v. Security

Security is one of the most important features to look for when choosing your event technology integration platforms. Look for platforms that offer strong security features like QR Code tickets so that event coordinators can easily validate tickets. This can help you identify if a ticket is valid, invalid, or duplicate ensuring only people with valid identification get to enter the event.

Event technology integration with Ticket Generator

Event technology integration gives organizations the power to bring disconnected and fragmented systems together to make them widely accessible. It not only saves time but makes the event management experience much more enjoyable and effortless.

Ticket Generator is an all-in-one event management software that offers integration through APIs and other means to help you capture, analyze, and act on your events faster than ever before. It offers-

• Seamless registration where users can effortlessly fill up their details and get their tickets ready in minutes
• Convenient ticket distribution options allow users to download the tickets in printable PDF format, or even make it contactless by sending them via mail and SMS
• Secure ticket validation process with unique QR Codes
• Event analytics to help you draw valuable insights about event performance and optimize future events more efficiently

Sign up now!

‍