Jan 26, 2021
Hewlett Packard planned to send 2,000 attendees to Nashville for an event in May. There were 270 presentations ready to go, featuring a combined 700 speakers. Rather than let a little thing like a pandemic let all that work go to waste, HP’s planners reached out eventPower, the company behind its event platform, about transforming all those sessions into a digital event.
Laurie Powell, vice president of business development of eventPower, had a simple response: “Why not?”
In the technology-dependent world of today’s trade shows, conferences and other events, vendors like eventPower must… more
Jan 21, 2021
Tracy Judge, founder and chief connector of Soundings Connect, is as poised a person as you’ll ever meet. A former corporate meeting planner at Maritz Global Events, Judge runs her own company, a network for freelance event professionals, while contributing to many industry organizations and causes. She has an uncanny ability to build relationships and rise to any challenge, and is a popular speaker for events.
So, when Judge admits that the process of putting together a presentation in a virtual studio spooked her, it is noteworthy. “I had terrible anxiety,” she said of prepping for the… more
Jan 14, 2021
Swapcard, the Paris-based leading AI-powered engagement and matchmaking platform for premium virtual and hybrid events, has acquired Avolio, Inc., a registration platform headquartered in Atlanta and its event management software, IPReg.
This move is the first step in Swapcard’s answer to the biggest challenge organizers are currently facing: finding one technology partner that can run all their virtual, hybrid and face-to-face events throughout the year.
Swapcard, which ran more than 1,570 successful virtual events in 2020, experienced unprecedented growth in 2020, with a 400% growth in… more
Jan 07, 2021
It was a dark and stormy night. The internet connection in Maor Ezer’s Israeli home kicked out only for the senior vice president of marketing at WalkMe to return to a Zoom call via a mobile hotspot.
The scenario speaks to 2020’s challenges and the rewards that can be reaped by those agile enough to quickly adapt from business as usual.
In the case of WalkMe, a digital adoption platform, the decision was to build fast, with company leaders like Ezer believing their product is a solution to challenges that have been amplified during the pandemic.
Conceived when CEO and Co-founder Dan Adika… more
Dec 23, 2020
Convention centers across the country are making way for hybrid meetings and events. Renowned facilities looking ahead to 2021 and beyond have repurposed spaces to become virtual studios, complete with state-of-the-art AV equipment for digital and in-person presentations.
“While hybrid meetings are not new in our industry, the demand for them has increased dramatically due to this pandemic, forcing meeting and event planners to make adjustments to their events to continue to address the needs of their members and attendees who will not be ready to travel anytime soon,” said Tim Muldoon,… more
Dec 15, 2020
U.S.-based CLIPr was crowned the overall winner of the 2020 TechWatch Live Award, which was presented during IBTM World Virtual, held online Dec. 8-10. The platform beat out four other leading event tech companies for its achievements in addressing “Zoom fatigue” with its intelligent use of machine-learning and AI technology to provide searchable, personalized recorded video recaps and insights of online meetings, events and classes.
By analyzing recorded video content and highlighting key topics, CLIPr enables users to search and share important moments from an online event in a fraction of… more
Dec 07, 2020
With virtual elements taking an increasingly prominent role in the events industry, new digital technologies continue to emerge to aid planners with the various components involved in a meeting or exhibition.
Here are four recently launched tools that help organizers in everything from site selection and exhibit booth design to networking and awards.
IFEMA Virtual Site Tour
Madrid-based IFEMA launched a new digital tool that offers a 360-degree virtual tour of the indoor and outdoor spaces, rooms and halls at its Feria de Madrid and IFEMA Palacio Municipal meeting venues. The new… more
Nov 12, 2020
While virtual events and video conferencing aren’t a perfect substitute for face-to-face, technology that replicates the real-life experience as much as possible could be a viable option, particularly for work teams and stakeholders wanting to stay connected during the COVID-19 era. Enter Preciate, a relationship-building platform for workplaces that launched Preciate Social, the first virtual socializing and teambuilding platform designed specifically for companies and teams, in late September.
Built to provide an immersive experience that replicates the atmosphere of real-life business… more
Oct 28, 2020
In late June, CEN reported that Event Tech Live, the annual London, U.K.-based trade show and conference dedicated to event technology, would take place as a hybrid event. However, due to new gathering restrictions in response to rising COVID-19 infections across the U.K., coupled with travel restrictions for international exhibitors, the decision was made to push the show to virtual only.
Now, ETL is scheduled to take place virtually from Nov. 2-6, with plans for a hybrid event in 2021. In normal years, the face-to-face event offers educational programming across six stages, showcases event… more
Oct 21, 2020
In the continuing evolution of virtual and hybrid events, the role of digital technology used to host those events has continued to evolve as well. To help sort through some of the new technology designed to aid organizers as they plan their virtual and hybrid meetings, here are four recently launched virtual event platforms.
e-Attend Virtual Experience
Denver-based event services company Image Audiovisuals has added a virtual event platform to its e-Attend technology. The new e-Attend Virtual Experience links broadcast-quality production, recording and live streaming services with virtual-… more
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is more