How to take your event to a higher level with Beacon technology
Technology brings innovation to events, which is crucial if you want your event to be fresh, attractive and memorable for your attendees. Beacons can bring you priceless data and help you connect with your audience at the event. Find out how this technology can influence your event’s performance.
What is a beacon?
The first aspect that I think we should get out of the way, before digging deep into the topic of Bluetooth Beacons for events is what they are in the first place. Therefore, they are a device, which constantly transmits a bluetooth signal within a range set by the operator. This signal is then picked up by a receiver and used to activate certain actions through a software application.
Initially, beacons were nothing more than a stationary device used to transmit a signal to mobile devices, such as telephones and tablets, which ran a native application. The application would then trigger certain actions, based around the beacons ID within the app.
Just to make this idea more down to Earth. Did you ever wander around the shopping mall and out of nowhere, there it was, a notification that you favorite store is offering you a 30% discount? Feeling special yet? Well, this was all possible thanks to bluetooth and beacons. Although, not everyone is aware use cases have been based around a wide variety of industries, including Retail, Transport, Manufacturing, Places of Interest, and yes, Events.
As technology has changed, so has the way beacons are used, where now, stationary receivers locate movable and wearable beacons, to monitor movements and locations, through triangulation, connected to different types of software.
One of the key requirements for businesses in recent times, has been the need to monitor and analyze different metrics, so that there can be a constant enhancement in services, along with being able to stay ahead in the highly competitive culture that we live in today. There is nowhere that this is more suitable, and necessary, than the event industry.
Beacons at events
Events are about interaction, networking and relationship building. The sector is growing at a rapid pace, as more and more businesses are seeing this as a way to connect with new and existing contacts, along with becoming reputable leaders of their industry. What makes this possible? Their attendees.
With Beacons, there is a possibility to not only provide and collect basic data around attendees, but also monitor movement, and even be able to use real time location, to bring a wider range of engagement and analysis, which can be used as a source of data for your organization, but also to your partners and affiliates.
The event industry is becoming more and more aware of the positive influence of this technology, and I have witnessed first hand, the way that the event industry is improving across multiple areas with including beacons and the opportunities they bring.
Such successful implementations have provided location based content, heat mapping, data collection, indoor navigation and personalized experience measurement.
Data collection is key for event organizers, as it gives a clear indication of the journey of the attendee, the length of time spent in each area of the venue and the level of experience they achieved.
Once you have such information, you are then able to create profiles on your event, your attendees and the levels of success you have achieved. Then, you will also be able to look at areas for improvement, or things to include in the next edition, to bring an even higher level of experience.
Beacons not only have a positive effect on the next editions of your event, but influence the experience of the attendees themselves. If beacons are used to introduce some kind of tasks or games that encourage the attendees to be part of the digital version of the event it results in a higher engagement from their part. In addition, why not give your partners potential leads with the use of these small practical devices? Send your attendees a notification if they are close to a specific partners stand, as easy as that. Beacons reduce the amount of effort that needs to be put into seeking for new leads, business partners or products and later store all the organizer’s data in one place. Forget about announcements, counting hands and business cards. To top all of this, when building attendee engagement by using beacons, your statistics grow and the same device that caused this also measures this growth, what can I say except for “this is a genuine 2 in 1.”
Bluetooth technology is one of the most expansive and unlimited ways of connecting with your audience on the market. As long as there is a software application, a beacon and a goal, it is possible.
The leading event organizers are looking at this more frequently as a means to stay ahead of the game. So should you.
For more information on how you can use beacons effectively, to take your analysis to a whole new level and maintain your position as leaders in your industry just contact me at Eventory, I will be glad to help.
