Essential Technology For Your Event

Planning an event isn't easy. From ticketing to marketing, finances to logistics, putting on a successful event is challenging to even the most organised event planner. Why not ease the load by making the most of the technology that is out there? You don't need to be a geek or spend a fortune to access the latest technology. There are hundreds of apps, services and gadgets to consider. We've done the hard work for you. Here are our suggestions for essential technology for your event.

1.Get your Social Media right.

The key to using social media effectively is to first consider where your audience hangout online. Facebook is still the most popular platform, with over 1 Billion monthly active users worldwide. Professionals are increasingly using Google+ and Twitter. Marketing a conference or exhibition? These are the ideal platforms for you.

If you have a highly visual event or your demographic is the under 30's, Instagram in particular should be considered. 80% of Pinterest users are female. Start a board for your event and pin information and inspiration to it.

Consider the use of a unique hashtag for your event. Make it catchy and as short as possible then use it on all communications, including your website. Although your ultimate aim is to sell tickets, the key to social media success is engagement. Keep your audience entertained and it will grow. Don't fill your social media output with sales pitches. Ask questions, share content and create a buzz around your event. Ticket sales will follow.

Consider using Periscope or Meerkat to live stream your event to your Twitter followers. It's cutting-edge but with thousands of accounts being registered daily, who knows how popular it will become?

2.Sell Tickets Online

Today's audiences want to be able to buy tickets quickly when they want and how they want. Using an online ticketing platform will help you meet the demands of your attendees as well as providing a low-maintenance box office for any event.

Once the ticket has been purchased, it can be printed out, or platforms such as Ticket Tailor provide e-tickets that can be shown from the users phone. Selling tickets online is easy for you as an events organiser. Automating the ticketing process saves you money and will free-up more of your precious time.

3.Payment Technology

Whether it's ensuring that people can pay for tickets easily or buy merchandise at the event, you need to consider the needs and expectation of your attendees.  Easy, safe payment options are key. Whether it's card payments or transactions via Paypal or Stripe, people expect convenience.

At the event, if you are selling products whether food, official merchandise or tickets for future events, people will expect to be able to pay by card or possibly even mobile technology. Are you ready for that?

Having a cashless payment system available; whether it's chip and pin, contactless payment cards or even RFID/NFC solutions is becoming the norm. You can get RFID wristbands, perfect for festivals.

4. Analyse your Data.

Whether it's analysis of your social media engagement or any other variable, analysing your event data is a key factor in the success of your event and any future events.

Ensure that you use the tools that are readily available and often free. Facebook Insights and Google Analytics are free. Twitter analytics are also free to business users. There is no need to be juggling spreadsheets. If you use an online ticketing platform such as Ticket Tailor, data is easy to view, export and use. Know exactly what's been sold and what's remaining and you can use tracking codes to see who's referring your ticket sales.

Leveraging your existing data is also essential. We have an integration with Mailchimp so you can easily produce an email marketing list from your attendees. Keep your audience informed and increase engagement with you and your brand or use it to send a reminder about an upcoming event.

When deciding which technology to embrace for your event, consider what your aims and objectives are. If you're selling merchandise, ensure that your payment technology is spot on. Do your attendees need WiFi? Check that your venue has adequate provision. Selling tickets online? Make it as easy as possible for your audience to buy.

Ticket Tailor provide an easy-to-use online platform for selling tickets. Why not take our two-minute tour and find out more?