It’s no debate that technology is vital to the success of an event, especially in our digital age where we have become more and more reliant on high-tech gadgets.

It’s safe to say most event planners want a stand packed full of futuristic-looking gizmos to wow an audience, but is this the best option?

There is lots you need to ask yourself before deciding what event technology to use, questions that could make or break your next event.

How do you decide what technology will elevate your next event? We have a list of questions you need to ask yourself before taking the plunge…

WHAT IS MY BUSINESS?

Who are you and what does your business do?

You need to determine what products and services you offer, in order to determine what type of event technology will be beneficial to you.

If you offer a range of different products, touchscreens can prove useful to allow attendees to scroll through catalogues of gear. If you’re a gaming company, large LED screens and virtual reality technology will allow event-goers to get hands-on with your games.

WHAT TYPE OF EVENT AM I PLANNING?

Are you manning a stand in a large event hall, or hosting an intimate meeting? The scale and theme of your event are vital when deciding which technology will be appropriate.

Large LED builds won’t be as effective in a small conference room, but you may benefit from lightweight and discreet tablets or iPads.

It’s important to make sure the technology you choose is best-suited to the event ahead so you will always be working at maximum efficiency.

WHAT IS MY BUDGET?

There’s technology out there to suit every budget – you just need to work out where you stand.

Not only do you want to make sure that you don’t overspend and end up panicking days before the big day, you always want to assure that you get the most bang for your buck.

By working out a budget, alongside other factors, you can work out what technology options will best suit not only your event but also your purse strings.

WHAT DO I WANT TO ACHIEVE FROM MY EVENT?

Are you hosting an event to build on existing relationships, attract new clients, or sell a bunch of products?

Outlining your event objectives forces you to create and prioritize the goals you wish to accomplish prior to, during and after your event, and helps you choose technology to help achieve that.

Conferencing technology is perfect for meetings, while touchscreens are a great way to allow your attendees to get hands-on with what you have to offer.

WHO IS MY TARGET AUDIENCE?

It’s important to know who your audience is if you want your technology to have the biggest impact.

If you’re trying to appeal to an older age group, you may want to use more simple technology as opposed to if you’re dealing with a younger age group, who may be more familiar with cutting-edge gadgets.

You don’t want to put people off by technology that they don’t understand, but you also don’t want to bore them with average, run-of-the-mill gizmos.

By learning more about who your target audience is, you will figure out just what makes them tick.

WHAT TOOLS DO MY AUDIENCE ALREADY USE?

If you appeal to an audience that regularly uses high-tech smartphones, you can integrate technology into your event that relies on them using these everyday objects.

Social media walls are perfect for this, as they encourage interaction with your event and provides free marketing material all from your audience’s fingertips.

Similarly, augmented reality content can also be accessed from an attendees smartphone to unlock graphics and information during an event.

If you can use technology that your audience already owns within your event, it can save you heaps of money and time explaining how to use what’s at your stand.

HOW FLEXIBLE AM I WILLING TO BE?

You may have an idea in your head of exactly what technology you want to use at an event, but not all spaces make this possible.

You may be at a stall with limited space, or in a challenging environment that rules some equipment out entirely.

It might be useful to come up with a list of potential event technology to use so that you’re not left clueless if your original idea isn’t possible.

IS IT A NECESSITY OR JUST A BIT OF FUN?

Will the piece of technology be vital to your stand, or is it just there as a bit of interactive fun?

While both are absolutely fine and can be equally successful, it’s important that you know the exact purpose of the piece of kit before your event.

Virtual reality can be a great way to promote interactivity at your stand, but it may not prove to be a vital way to deliver messages regarding your brand.

If you know exactly what you’re using your kit for, you can make content that will be displayed in the best possible way.

CAN IT IMPROVE MY RELATIONSHIP WITH ATTENDEES?

It is absolutely key during an event that you foster a positive relationship with your attendees – will your event technology allow that?

You want technology that will strike up a conversation and a personal interaction, rather than technology that isolates the attendee and doesn’t allow you to speak to them.

You also want to stray away from technology that may be difficult to use, so you don’t get off on the wrong foot with an irritated event goer that just can’t get to grips with your touchscreen game.

MOST IMPORTANTLY…DO I KNOW HOW TO USE IT?

If you’re going to hire technology for your next event, you need to make sure you can use it.

If you don’t already know how to use a piece of kit, it will be useful to trial it a few times so you can get to grips with it ahead of the big day.

No one wants an attendee to ask them a question about a piece of technology that they can’t answer.

Want to learn more about hiring equipment for events? Speak to ITR today.