It’s time for an Oh-Ah-Ha Live kōrero with Claire Webber from Event Solutions. Event Tech is on the menu!
It’s no secret, I’m a bit of a geek. And I think I have found my equal.
Time to meet the ‘Mean Lean Event Tech Machine of Aotearoa’!
I’m not joking. Claire Webber from Event Solutions really is!
The Auaha squad has been using the event tech solutions offered by Event Solutions for what I thought was 2-3 years. Turns out it’s a bit longer than that. I guess time goes fast when you’re having fun.
The bottom-line is: I’m a fan of what Claire does. And for good reason.
How Event Tech can Streamline your Event
Tech makes both Claire’s and my eyes pop.
I mean, it can make your life so much easier in so many ways.
But just like me, Claire is a big believer in the need for some wisdom around deploying new event technology solutions. There is a real gap between what’s fun and novel and what is actually going to help you create a better event. The difference between the two is wisdom.
‘My Inbox bursts at the seams with new Event Tech gadgets on a daily basis. These days, we have facial recognition and virtual reality creeping in. Don’t get me wrong, things like holograms are seriously cool. (I mean how awesome is it to have a 3-dimensional image of a signed contract hand-over between two people during your event. Yet, neither of them is in the room!)
I always ask myself 3 questions:
- Is it affordable?
- Does it serve a real purpose?
- Is there a cost benefit?’
Claire has a point!
She confirms my idea that during 2020 we leapfrogged the adoption of 5 years of technology advancement. There is no doubt that our current situation has made us be creative. We had to sit down and seriously reflect on how we can do things better. Despite it being hard times, it’s a very, very useful thing to do.
It’s something that will propel our industry forward into the future… in a good way!
Spitting out Name Badges on Demand
One of the Event Tech solutions we already had in our toolbox but received a massive endorsement during a time of contactless interaction is the ‘On Demand Name Tag Printing’. Event Solutions is our go-to. Turns out Claire has been quietly beavering away during lockdowns on some exciting upgrades I didn’t know about.
In a nutshell, the experience we all had in the past of people climbing all over each other trying to find their name badge at the start of an event is no more! (This is the moment when the recollection of the noise and the chaos makes you shiver! I know!)
You’ll be pleased to learn these days we can get 550 people in the door and seated, name badges on display in the span of 45 minutes, all done in an orderly manner.
It’s as simple as getting out your phone, scanning the event app, and… POOF! … your environmentally friendly name badge is spat out. I’m talking contactless, double sided, colour coded and branding on full display.
Best of all? No queues!
To App or Not to App is No Longer a Question
Talking about event apps, aren’t they a godsent that goes well beyond the digital entry ticket? Really, they are the Swiss army knife of the 2021 event industry. And of course, they also fall into Claire’s department.
The options are mindboggling, but Claire has a few favourites that make attending an event so much easier!
- These days, virtually nobody asks for a handbook anymore. It’s all paperless.
- From an organiser perspective, event apps are treasure troves of data. (I know… we’ve had a yarn about this before. You can find it here.)
- Of course, there is a plethora of options to facilitate communication. Speaker to audience, delegates to organiser and vice versa, participants amongst each other. Break-out sessions, questionnaires, setting up appointments, … You name it. In a novel world of hybrid events, it’s a game-changer.
- One of my own personal favourites is the ‘push notifications’. Basically, they are little tweet-like pop-ups. Sometimes they include a call to action, and they are nifty tools for sponsorship. (Any sponsor who thinks they don’t stand a chance without a booth, think again!)
Event Software Integration
So often, it’s our thinking that needs to catch up with what technology can offer us. But now and then, it’s the other way around.
In a day and age when everything talks to everything in the tech department, sometimes it’s brands being territorial that create the hurdle rather than user reluctance.
As a result, all-in one event tech solutions exist, but they don’t necessarily do everything to the same high standard.
The good news is that as Event Organisers, we’ve become very skilled in applying API keys to puzzle together the perfect smooth-sailing event tech solution.
It’s what we do, right!?
Claire’s Ah-Ha Moment: Sometimes Less is More
Finally, as always, we asked Claire about her biggest Ah-Ha moment in business.
For Claire, it was the moment she had to let go of her team when the event tech business she was running was no longer profitable. It was a very painful experience from a human perspective, but it allowed her to go back to what she loved doing… without the stress that was killing her. This was the moment she also came face to face with the realisation that ego can be a dangerous thing and that sometimes, small is good.
Starting in 1997, Claire worked for several professional conference organisers and then the countries main event software solution provider before starting Event Solutions NZ in 2007. Initially, as a consultant working with event producers providing best practice/software advice, training, development and support, Event Solutions NZ evolved into a software development AND service delivery company, but now focuses on offering online, onsite and event app solutions, equipment hire and support services.
Claire is passionate about streamlining event delivery through innovative solutions and fantastic service. She is currently serving on the Board of the NZ Events Association.
Website: www.eventsolutions.co.nz
