London, UK, six November 2019 A new study found that 47% of event planners said they had limited skills in making confident, informed decisions about their event tech investments despite being responsible for it at the majority of organizations. A survey found that 91% of event organizers said that event tech was an important part of their jobs, but only 48% considered themselves tech-savvy.
Eventsforce conducted a research study in October entitled ‘Are event planners struggling with event technology.’ It is based upon the opinions of 145+ professionals from the U.S., U.K., and Canada, including corporations, associations, and government institutions.
The Importance of Event Technology in Event Planning
The study’s main objective was to identify the challenges that event technologists face in managing technology. Results show that event tech is essential to 46% of the respondents as event planners and 68% think being a tech expert will help them succeed. Another 30% of respondents believe that having event tech skills is essential to their career advancement.
Only 48% of event organizers consider themselves tech-savvy despite the importance of this technology. A further 75% struggle to keep up with the latest trends and products on the market. Conversations with colleagues and peers are the most popular ways for event professionals to stay up-to-date with event technology (78%). This is followed by blogs/news websites (50%) and conferences and trade shows (48%).
The Challenges of Event Technology
The Eventsforce Study looked at the challenges that event planners face today when managing event technology for their organizations. The time required to implement, integrate, and procure event technology is the biggest concern for 65% of the organizers. Other challenges include getting employees to use technology across the organization (54%), a lack of skills that would allow them to make confident investments (47%), and managing migration from one system into another (42%).
The survey also examined which event technology tools organizers struggled with the most. The top three tools were data management (47%), live streaming (34%), and event apps (32%).
George Sirius, CEO of Eventsforce, said that “the challenges of managing event technology will not go away for organizers” – particularly when you consider things like data management and reporting, analytics, and the increased use of tech tools that help them collect a huge amount of data about their events and attendees.
Our research has shown that event organizers do not have the necessary time or skills to deal with this issue. This is why we are creating a new role for an event professional who will focus on event technology exclusively. This role’s requirements can vary depending on the event organization, but we are seeing more and more of it – especially in agencies and corporate organizations.”
The Future of Event Tech
According to the Eventsforce study, 56% of event planners believe that the event technologist role will be a growing one in the industry. However, 82% of respondents said that the event organizers are responsible for the event tech investments made by their organization. Results also reveal that only 22% are confident in the future of event professionals. Fresh graduates have the necessary tech skills to succeed in their jobs.
The study also examined some of the emerging technologies that event organizers would like to implement in the future. The list was topped by mixed reality platforms such as A.R. and V.R., with 50% of the vote. AI-enabled tools that provide a more personalized experience for attendees, like chatbots or networking tools (43%), followed. Other technologies include facial recognition, 5G connectivity, holograms, and smart wearables.
Please see the infographic below for a comprehensive look at the research results on ‘Are Event planners Struggling With Event Technology?’
About Eventforce
Eventforce is a SaaS-based event management solution that helps thousands of events run smoothly each year. Its headquarters are in London, UK, and its customers come from 14 countries. They include some of the biggest names in finance and education, government and associations, PCOs, publishing, and association management. Its highly customizable software offers a complete, end-to-end event management solution, addressing every aspect of the event lifecycle, from planning and marketing to registration, on-site check-in, mobile apps, and abstracts management, as well as real-time analytics, reporting, and analysis.