The Next Tech Trends for Live Events & Experiences

Report  #1      w      June  2014      

New  gadgets,  apps,  software,  and  other  technology  developments  are  revolutionizing  live  events  and  experiences,  as  well  as  the  process  of  producing  them.  With  information  from  an  exclusive  survey  of  event  planners  and  technology  vendors,  this  report  explains  the  10  major  tech  trends  affecting  events,  and  reveals  the  seven  things  planners  want  from  technology  now.  !This  is  a  sample  version  with  highlights.  You  can  download  the  full  report  at  thexletter.com/tech-­trend-­report/.  !!By  Chad  Kaydo  chad@thexletter.com  !

This  material  is  protected  by  copyright.  Unauthorized  redistribution,  including  email  forwarding,  is  a  violation  of  federal  law.  To  download  a  copy  go  to  thexletter.com.  To  request  multiple  copies  for  one  organization,  email  mail@thexletter.com.

Report  #1      w      June  2014      w      The  Next  Tech  Trends  for  Live  Events  &  Experiences                    �2

You  don’t  need  me  to  tell  you  we  live  in  an  age  when  technology  is  transforming  our  personal  and  professional  lives.  !There’s  a  tsunami  of  hype  around  trends  like  wearables,  Big  Data,  and  the  “Internet  of  Things.”  In  smaller  squalls,  vendors  who  target  events  and  meetings  talk  about  how  their  new  registration  system/ticketing  solution/Google  Glass  app  will  change  the  face  of  live  gatherings.  Meanwhile,  all  too  many  event  professionals  are  stuck  using  Excel  spreadsheets,  or  just  starting  to  marvel  over  Google  Docs.  !This  report  is  meant  to  balance  the  hype  and  the  reality—to  look  at  how  technology  trends  may  affect  live  events,  as  well  as  what  the  people  who  create  events  would  like  to  see.  !This  is  the  First  in  The  X  Letter’s  new  series  of  reports  designed  to  identify  and  explain  the  trends  that  are  changing  how  we  design,  market,  and  measure  live  events  and  experiences.  Some  trends  will  come  from  within  the  event  industry,  but—perhaps  more  importantly—I’ll  also  draw  insights  from  the  broader  business  world  and  the  culture  at  large.  !Technology  can  be  both  exciting  and  terrifying.  My  goal  here  is  to  share  the  excitement  while  removing  some  of  the  fear.  I  also  hope  this  can  serve  as  a  primer  for  people  who  don’t  Xind  time  in  their  day-­‐to-­‐day  lives  to  keep  up  with  these  trends,  and  a  source  of  deeper  insights  for  those  who  do.  !What  you  won’t  Xind  is  a  survey  of  the  tech  providers  working  in  these  areas,  or  endorsements  of  speciXic  vendors.  Looking  past  the  feature  descriptions  and  marketing  promises,  digging  in  the  guts  of  software  solutions,  and  soliciting  users  to  share  their  experiences  and  honest  opinions  is  a  much  larger  project.  !Maybe  a  group  of  us  could  do  that  together?  Let  me  know  if  you’d  like  to  try.  Likewise,  let  me  know  what  I’ve  missed,  and  what  you  think  about  these  movements.  !Chad  Kaydo  Editor  &  Founder,  The  X  Letter  chad@thexletter.com  

IntroductionResearch  Methodology  This  past  spring    The  X  Letter  conducted  online  surveys  of  more  than  55  event  and  meeting  planners  and  more  than  25  tech  executives,  asking  them  about  upcoming  trends,  their  favorite  tools,  and  their  biggest  complaints.  Respondents  connected  through  links  posted  in    The  X  Letter  email  newsletter,  on  social  media,  and  on  event  industry  websites.    !A  pool  of  that  size  doesn’t  make  for  scientiXic  validity,  but  it  provides  insight  into  the  issues  of  the  larger  community.  !This  report  includes  information  and  comments  gathered  from  those  surveys,  from  individual  interviews,  and  from  articles  in  various  media  outlets.      Sign  up  to  receive  notiEications  about  upcoming  trend  reports  from    Chad  Kaydo  and    The  X  Letter  at  thexletter.com.

Report  #1      w      June  2014      w      The  Next  Tech  Trends  for  Live  Events  &  Experiences                    �3

“As  wearable  technology  and  the  Internet  of  Things  become  more  natural  to  how  real  people  live,  there’s  a  tremendous  opportunity  to  transform  events  into  ever  more  effective  platforms  for  engaging  customers,  learning  from  them,  connecting  them  to  their  peers,  and—most  importantly—adding  value  to  people’s  lives.”  Liz  Bigham,  Jack  Morton  Worldwide  !

10  Big    Technology    Trends  Changing    Live  Events

Report  #1      w      June  2014      w      The  Next  Tech  Trends  for  Live  Events  &  Experiences                    �4

Immersive  media  may  Finally  be  ready  for  mainstream  applications.  !Before  Facebook  announced  it  would  buy  Oculus  for  $2  billion  in  March,  there  were  already  signs  that  people  were  starting  to  take  virtual  reality  seriously.    !After  Oculus  funded  the  development  of  its  Xirst  headset  prototype  through  a  2012  Kickstarter  campaign,  it  raised  more  than  $75  million  in  Xinancing.  Sony  unveiled  its  own  PlayStation  headset  prototype  just  days  before  the  Facebook  announcement.  Now  Samsung  is  working  with  Oculus  on  hardware.  And  thousands  of  developers  are  making  content.  !That  has  an  increasing  number  of  people  wondering  how  to  take  advantage  of  the  immersive  experience  of  entering  virtual  reality’s  computer-­‐generated,  360-­‐degree  environments.    

While  video  games  have  been  the  most  commonly  discussed  uses  of  virtual  reality,  Xilmmakers—and  entertainment  executives—are  now  looking  to  explore  its  immersive  storytelling  possibilities.  !Virtual  reality  games  have  already  started  creeping  into  live  brand  experiences,  including  a  promotional  tour  and  season  premiere  party  for  HBO’s  Game  of  Thrones.    !Bombay  Sapphire  sponsored  an  exhibit  during  the  Tribeca  Film  Festival  in  April  called  Storyscapes,  which  included  several  immersive,  “transmedia”  installations.  For  guests  who  signed  up  to  visit  the  exhibit  in  two-­‐hour  windows,  the  virtual  reality  experiences  could  require  a  wait  of  30  minutes  or  longer—which  highlights  the  challenges  of  showcasing  individual  experiences  at  group  gatherings.

“When  you  put  on  the  headset...you  really  do  feel  like  you’re  there  within  seconds.  Then  you  realize  that  the  system  that’s  delivering  this  experience  is  using  commodity  hardware  with  cellphone  screens....  It’s  something  that  people  talked  about  for  a  long  time,  but  I  think  now  the  economics  and  performance  are  Xinally  there  where  this  could  work.”  Mark  Zuckerberg,  C.E.O.,  Facebook  [Wired]  !A  review:  “While  ‘Use  Of  Force’  is  immersive—and  emotionally  intense—it  was  hard  to  miss  the  fact  that  it’s  a  single-­‐user  experience....There’s  no  collective  audience  for  a  piece  like  this,  apart  from  after-­‐the-­‐fact  conversations...It’s  interactive,  but  the  interaction  is  entirely  between  one  user  at  a  time,  and  the  simulation  around  them.”    Tasha  Robinson  [The  Dissolve]  !

1.  Virtual  Reality

ADDITIONAL  READING  !Sony  Unveils  Virtual  Reality  Headset  [The  New  York  Times]  !Virtual  Reality  Poised  for  Mass  Entertainment,  but  Can  Hollywood  Make  It  Happen?  [Variety]  

!!Oculus  Is  Awesome  for  Games,  But  It’s  the  Future  of  Movies  [Wired]    !The  Oculus  Rift  Put  Me  In  Game  of  Thrones  and  It  Made  My  Stomach  Drop  [Gizmodo]

Report  #1      w      June  2014      w      The  Next  Tech  Trends  for  Live  Events  &  Experiences                    9

The  vast  information-­sharing  capabilities  of  smartphones  are  moving  to  new  personal  devices.  !Wired’s  January  cover  took  a  stand:  “Why  Wearable  Tech  Will  Be  as  Big  as  the  Smartphone.”  Inside,  senior  editor  Bill  Wasik  declared,  “A  new  device  revolution  is  at  hand:  Just  as  mobile  phones  and  tablets  displaced  the  once-­‐dominant  PC,  so  wearable  devices  are  poised  to  push  smartphones  aside.”  !While  Google  Glass  is  getting  the  most  attention  (and  criticism),  it  is  only  one  example  of  the  exploding  world  of  wearables.  Developers  of  watches,  armbands,  rings,  goggles,  and  bracelets  are  taking  the  power  of  a  smartphone  and  putting  it  in  more  accessible  places.  

In  addition  to  putting  information  in  front  of  wearers,  these  gadgets  can  collect  vast  amounts  of  data  about  users.  !Developers  have  already  created  event-­‐related  apps  that  help  with  delivering  and  watching  presentations,  with  slide-­‐sharing  and  audience-­‐polling  features.  Wearables  can  also  send  messages  based  on  attendees’  locations  or  other  factors,  and  measuring  guests’  heart  rates  and  body  temperatures  while  they’re,  say,  dancing  or  watching  a  performance.  !Wearables  also  help  facilitate  other  tech  movements:  Some  incorporate  R.F.I.D./N.F.C.  technology  (#7),  some  interact  with  beacons  (#8),  and  they  can  be  used  to  collect  Big  Data  (#9).  

The  Pebble  smartwatch,  which  raised  an  unprecedented  $10.3  million  on  Kickstarter  in  2012,  is  now  sold  at  Target.  [Mashable]  !Two  Ibiza  properties  are  letting  guests  leave  their  room  keys  and  credit  cards  in  their  luggage  in  favor  of  using  bracelets  to  enter  guest  rooms,  pay  for  food  and  services,  and  skip  lines  for  check-­‐in  and  check-­‐out.  [Skift]  !“Let’s  say  your  event  has  10  workshops,  and  I  can’t  attend  one  but  I  want  to  get  the  tips  they  are  handing  out.  Through  Google  Glass…I  could  see  a  brief  description  as  I  walk  by  the  room,  and  I  could  receive  the  tips  and  slides  even  though  I’m  not  going  in.”  Hugh  Lee, Fusion  Productions  [BizBash]

6.  Wearable  Technology

ADDITIONAL  READING  !Why  Wearable  Tech  Will  Be  as  Big  as  the  Smartphone      [Wired]  !The  Next  Big  Thing  in  Wearable  Tech  May  Be  Ear  Computers  [Quartz]  !New  Digital  Wristband  Measures  Crowd  Reaction  [BizBash]  

!!A  Billion-­Dollar  Bracelet  Is  the  Key  to  a  Disney  Park  [The  New  York  Times]  !17  Ways  to  Use  Google  Glass  at  Events  [BizBash]  !5  Google  Glass  Apps  for  Meetings  and  Events  [BizBash]  

Report  #1      w      June  2014      w      The  Next  Tech  Trends  for  Live  Events  &  Experiences                  15

Event  Planner  Survey  ResultsHow  important  is  it  to  your  guests  that  your  events/meetings  incorporate  the  latest  technology?

I  don't  know  2%

Just  a  little  important  14%

Somewhat  important  42%

Very  important  42%

Not  at  all  important  

0%

Budget/cost

Event  team  is  resistant  to  change

Management/client  is  resistant  to  change

My  own  fear  of  potential  problems

I  don't  completely  understand  what's  out  there

The  technology  isn't  up  to  snuff

Other 14%

12%

25%

12%

37%

14%

77%

Which  of  these  factors  keeps  you  from  adopting  new  event  technology  solutions?

Report  #1      w      June  2014      w      The  Next  Tech  Trends  for  Live  Events  &  Experiences                    16

“It's  a  bit  of  a  leap  of  faith  to  try  new  technology  in  an  event.   The  risk  versus  reward  factor  is  difFicult  to  weigh  and  everyone  and  their  brother  with  a  new  app  will  tell  you  it  is  the  best  thing  since  sliced  bread.”  Matt  Gunderson,  Brown  Bear  Events  !

7  Things    Event  Planners  Want  From  Technology  

Report  #1      w      June  2014      w      The  Next  Tech  Trends  for  Live  Events  &  Experiences                    17

The  explosion  of  event  technology  providers  includes  some  for  speciXic  tasks,  and  others  that  automate  larger  portions  of  the  planning  process—often  overlapping  with  other  solutions.  Many  planners  who  participated  in  The  X  Letter’s  technology  survey  expressed  frustrations  over  keeping  up  with  so  many  options  and  with  not  being  able  to  connect  solutions  designed  for  different  tasks.  !Many  planners  would  like  an  all-­‐in-­‐one,  mobile-­‐friendly  solution  that  manages  an  event’s  complete  life  cycle,  from  conception  to  post-­‐event  reporting.  !Here’s  a  planner  for  an  information  services  company  describing  his  dream:  “I  want  an  app  that  can  hold  all  my  planning  information  so  that  on  site  I  just  need  to  carry  my  phone  or  iPad.  It  would  hold  my  rooming  list  (searchable  by  name  and  date),  all  my  room  diagrams,  B.E.O.s  [banquet  event  orders]  (again  in  searchable  form),  audiovisual  and  room  setup  details,  and  Xinally  a  hotel  contact  list  with  emails  so  I  could  quickly  get  someone.  I  would  like  to  easily  be  able  to  enter  my  info  via  an  Excel  spreadsheet.  After  the  event,  I  could  download  all  the  

updated  info  to  my  computer  into  a  document  and  I  could  then  create  my  Xinal  reports.”  !Others  want  add-­‐ons  like  a  feature  that  keeps  invitation  lists  updated  and  synced  with  contact  lists  in  other  locations.  !Several  tech  vendors  also  predicted  consolidation.  Sam  Down  of  Showplans  says  the  biggest  opportunity  in  the  space  is  “probably  the  convergence  of  lots  of  different  technologies  that  are  currently  available  separately—e.g.  event  apps,  planning  tools,  and  registration  offerings.  If  these  technologies  were  to  be  synced  effectively,  the  planning  process  would  be  100  percent  more  efXicient.”  !Some  also  said  in  order  to  foster  innovation,  tech  providers  need  to  be  more  open  with  their  platforms.  !“None  of  them  work  together,”  says  Trace  Cohen  of  Launch.it.  “There  are  no  public  A.P.I.s  [application  programming  interfaces]/S.D.K.s  [software  development  kits]  and  very  little  collaboration  between  event  tech  companies.  It’s  a  very  guarded  industry  with  only  a  few  big  players  who  keep  all  of  their  information.”

“I  would  create  the  perfect  invitation-­‐through-­‐post-­‐event-­‐survey  system  that  includes  on-­‐site  registration  as  well.”  Planner  from  large  technology  company  !“While  new  and  innovative  apps  tend  to  offer  modern  user  interface  design,  the  vast  majority  of  event  management  software  is  outdated,  overly  difXicult  to  learn  and  not  built  for  the  event  planner  on-­‐the-­‐go.  Even  with  bloated  software,  many  planners  still  need  to  spend  hours  doing  Excel  manipulations  in  order  to  make  reports  useful  for  decision-­‐making.“  Greg  Skloot,  Attend.com  

1.  Integration  of  Planning  Tools

Report  #1      w      June  2014      w      The  Next  Tech  Trends  for  Live  Events  &  Experiences                    22

The  X  Letter  is  a  website  and  email  newsletter  about  live  experiences,  brands,  and  culture—and  how  those  things  intersect  to  spark  event  marketing  ideas  and  trends.  !As  technology,  generational  shifts,  and  the  culture  at  large  drastically  change  the  way  brands  use  experiences  as  marketing  tools,  The  X  Letter  aims  to  showcase  fresh  ideas  and  create  a  community  of  the  next  generation  of  innovative  event  leaders.  !Subscribe  to  The  X  Letter  email  at  thexletter.com.  

About  The  X  Letter

About  Chad  KaydoChad  Kaydo  has  been  writing  about  how  brands  create  events  and  use  experiences  as  marketing  tools  for  more  than  15  years.  !As  the  Xirst  editor  in  chief  of  BizBash,  Chad  helped  launch  and  build  the  leading  magazine  and  website  for  the  event  industry,  overseeing  BizBash’s  print,  digital,  and  social  media  content  until  March  2013.  !As  founder  and  editor  of  The  X  Letter,  Chad  writes  about  experiences,  brands,  and  culture,  and  hosts  Xembly,  a  cocktails-­‐and-­‐speakers  series  for  creative  professionals  who  are  passionate  about  creating  compelling  live  experiences.    !He  also  consults  and  speaks  about  event  trends  and  strategy.    !Contact  Chad  at  chad@thexletter.com.    !!!!!!!!Sign  up  receive  notiFications  about  upcoming  trend  reports  from  Chad  Kaydo  and  The  X  Letter  at  thexletter.com.