Event Requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Second, you should provide a detailed description of the technical requirements for your event. This should include any equipment needed, such as audio-visual equipment, wifi, computers, and other hardware, as well as the software required for the event. Also, provide any technical specifications for the hardware and software, such as the minimum system requirements, any formats that need to be supported, and any other specific requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third, provide any additional information the technology partner might need to provide the best solution. This could include the expected number of attendees, any special requirements that need to be accommodated, such as language translation, or any other constraints that must be taken into consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, make sure to include contact information for the person responsible for the event. This will allow the technology partner to quickly get in touch if any additional information is needed or if any problems arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use our helpful event technology brief template.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n Below we discuss how to scope, plan, and budget your event technology and then ultimately select your event technology provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We commonly see two types of conflict when scoping the event technology brief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When scoping your event, you should define the goals you wish to achieve rather than the functions it must perform. It is easy to have your head turned by the latest features in event software, but if this is at the expense of essential functions in your software, then it is better to go without than have the latest gizmos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A competent event technology provider can suggest what is critical to event success and provide that accordingly. Requesting the latest tracking or matchmaking facility when your app cannot offer essential functions will ensure that guests do not use it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if your event has seminars, it should have Q&A functionality in the event app, as this is a base requirement for guests, even if it comes at the expense of a much-wanted bespoke AI matchmaking solution or similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Examples of setting a goal for your event: <\/p>\n\n\n\n The second type of conflict in scoping the project is the pull between importance and budget. How important is it for your event to have a certain feature? Does the importance of this feature mean everything else must suffer because of its cost?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your budget will determine what is essential within your event, so allow your event technology partner to suggest the best use of your budget to meet your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When putting your event technology brief together, work from the point of view of benefitting your customer, the delegate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What is in it for them? Does it make their event day better, faster, more efficient, or easier? Does it reduce friction in the check-in process? Does it enable them to find their way to and around the event easier? Does it provide them with all the information they need to have a great day? <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you provide helpful event software, your guests will use it, talk about it, and benefit from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Event technology suppliers provide solutions daily for hundreds of events worldwide. They experience various events and scenarios and have generated sufficient expertise in producing software that works for events (if they’re good, that is!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Armed with your list of goals, you should ask your technology supplier to devise a solution to them. By allowing your supplier the freedom to generate the solution you enable them to display their expertise, and you’ll almost certainly be presented with solutions you hadn’t thought of yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you create a prescriptive brief full of a list of requirements and necessary functions, then all your tender companies will come back with the exact same solution. You’ll end up sitting through five demonstrations of the same thing! <\/p>\n\n\n\n In certain situations, you may have multiple suppliers to your event, including AV, electricians, stand builders, etc. Where possible, include these other suppliers in your brief requirements for technology so that you’ll get the best possible solution for your event. For example, we recently had an issue where the AV team had very different requirements to how they could manage Q&A for what our system could offer. Within five minutes we agreed that putting slido into our app would be better for the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The success of your event will almost certainly need to be measured. How you measure that success is up to you. What metrics will determine a successful event? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Are these metrics the same as your initial goals? If so, how will you plan to record, demonstrate, and present these to your various event stakeholders? <\/p>\n\n\n\n In your brief to your event technology partner, you should request their assistance in providing measurable metrics and reports to deliver those metrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some ideas for metrics to convey the success of your event:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reports that these metrics contain should be clear and easily understood. Nobody wants to look through reams of data to try to understand what happened at an event. Ask your technology provider for a clear reporting solution or completed report as part of their delivery post-event. This report should allow you to make clear and obvious understandings of your event and share them with your partners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You’ll use your reports to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reporting can be easily overlooked and difficult to create after the event happens if you haven’t planned for it. Ensure data recording and reporting is part of your event technology brief and your technology supplier can incorporate it into their solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When briefing your event technology, plan for the event to evolve over the years. Unless it is truly a one-off event that will never be repeated, you should plan to build on features over the years. Delighting your customers with new features or building on the success of existing ones should be calculated into your brief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With your long-term plan in mind, don’t try to do everything at first. You can afford the luxury of learning and developing and working with your supplier to discover what works and what doesn’t in your event. You don’t need to have the event app that does it all in your first event year. Nobody needs to have the new Facebook invented for their first event app. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Learning to work with your technology partner and allowing them to make a success of your event piece by piece is important. Learn from the reports that your event provides and plan for the future based on that. Plus, you allow for the growth of your event with new things to talk about in future events as features are added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At VenuIQ, we like to use the example of the Woundcare event for this long-term plan adoption. Woundcare in their first year of event software chose to only have sessions in personal agenda, Q&As, and polling in their app as they knew their guests would appreciate that interactivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If this event has happened before, use the information that it generated previously to help with your brief. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What worked previously? <\/p>\n\n\n\n What didn’t work? Do you know why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have event reports or feedback surveys that you can use to help guide your event technology partner for this year’s event? And if you don’t then should you absolutely plan to ensure that reporting and feedback are part of your event technology brief. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With reporting and surveys, you don’t have to guess your audience’s reaction to your event. You know. You know what they did, where they went, for how long, and what engagement they took with guests, speakers, and exhibitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf we have data, let\u2019s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let\u2019s go with mine.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bespoke developments have a better chance of succeeding when based on data, not assumptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When asking your event technology partner to respond to your brief, you must ask them about their ability to scale. Your event may not always be at the same venue, have 500 guests, and have the same theme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your event technology partner may have a perfect solution for year one, but what about the future? What happens as your event grows, becomes more popular, and has different requirements?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Set your budget based on the value that technology brings to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure your budget plan includes more than one year. Your first-year budget may be higher for many reasons, but that initial cost should average down over three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First up, you should send your brief to VenuIQ<\/a>, and then several competing companies. You can choose from recent award winners at Event Tech Live or from one of the larger review sites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you’ve written your event technology brief and sent your RFP (request for a proposal) to your chosen shortlist, you’ll want to receive responses and choose some to talk to directly. Here are some tips for this process:<\/p>\n\n\n\nDOWNLOAD THE FREE EVENT TECHNOLOGY BRIEF TEMPLATE<\/h2>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Scoping the event<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Goals vs functions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Importance vs budget<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What’s in it for the delegates?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Let the supplier be the expert<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Data and Reporting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Have a long-term plan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Don’t try to do everything at once<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Hindsight is a wonderful thing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How can it scale?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Budget is key<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Who should you send your brief to?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to select your event technology partner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tip 1: Quality vs Quantity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Tip 2: Don\u2019t ever buy from a slide deck<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Tip 3: Use all your knowledge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Tip 4: Gauge the service & software<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"VenuIQ](\"https:\/\/venu-iq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Silver-Service-Header-300x158.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nTip 5: Find out the true cost<\/h3>\n\n\n\n