How Modern Tools Are Reshaping the Way Events Are Planned and Delivered

Before we even jump into what is new, such as event management software, it’s important to pay homage to what we used to use. Notebooks and sticky notes are still a go-to because of ease of access, but they are no longer the pick of the litter. With applications on phones that take notes quickly with the help of AI, you never have to skip a beat again.

Even further down the rabbit hole, think back to only using Excel to plan events and schedule rooms. Now we have automation processes in place and schedules that can be moved around with ease instead of having to restructure an entire sheet! The advancements are insane, so let's dive into what event management software has become: a modern tool that is reshaping the way events are planned and managed.

Notes

It would seem like this is nothing. Just grab a piece of paper. Well, that’s not the story anymore. Finding a way to keep all of your notes organized can be difficult if you don’t already have a system. Using something like Evernote or even the AI and notes system on your phone is a massive update to how we used to run events and keep track of ideas.

Team Management

Phone calls, text messages, emails, oh my! It was endless communication in multiple formats, while having to CC and sometimes BCC everyone you could think of to keep communication clear and make sure that everyone was kept abreast of what was going on. 

Now we have fantastic ways of managing teams through communication in event management applications or through one of the number one communication applications, Slack. Then, even before Slack, there was Discord, and these were and still are great ways to manage team communication that is organized and well managed.

Virtual Invitations

A virtual invitation used to be a JPRG, PDF, or PNG attached to an email and sent out. We didn’t even have the ability to insert the image into the email without going through a million hoops. Now, you can send virtual, classy, well-thought-out invitations through event management software that has the ability built into its programming. 

Not to mention, virtual invitations can now be done with various sites, and you can also send follow-up cards that give a big thank you at the end of the event. It’s incredible how things have changed!

Surveys

Not to sound ridiculous, but back in my day, we did paper or email surveys where we had to tabulate the data by hand or through Excel and sometimes even Access! Now, that seems like such a far thing of the past. There’s event software where you can send out surveys to your email list, and then my personal favorite is using a well-thought-out Google Forms survey. 

The biggest discrepancy between the two is going to be coherence with your event and how the survey matches your event invitations. Usually, with the newer event management software programs that have the capability to send invitations and surveys, they have themes and formats that are more coherent and can be easily manipulated to fit the theme of your event.

Attendance Tracking

This has probably been one of the biggest game changers for the event planning field. With QR codes, facial recognition and more, you can now track attendees with almost pinpoint accuracy. It used to be that you had to get emails and read chicken scratch to try to understand which John Smith was arriving at the event. 

Now, guests can set up profiles with your event if you are using the right software. This can allow for facial recognition or a simple QR code scan to check in. Some software will let you generate unique codes for each attendee, adding to the personalization and accuracy of your attendance tracking.

What To Look Forward To

There are many trends that are going on right now that alter the way that we approach events on a regular basis. Just think of large events that happen all around the world all the time. What about gaming events? What ways are people being brought into events that we would have never thought of before? Not only is the world of event management changing drastically, but the way that events are delivered is also changing. Think about the involvement of AI in our daily world. This will continue to change the face of events as we know them.

From changing how we keep track of our thoughts to changing the very way that we communicate with attendees, the changes for events are coming fast and hard, and we have to keep up with the trends. Hopefully, this helps you see these new changes and think about new ways that you can incorporate some of these trends into how you work and plan your events.