Tech Trends Embrace the Future With These Latest Meeting Planner Trends

Planners can gather biometric data via wearable devices, but attendees may become self-conscious about them and affect the results.

A sign of the widespread integration of technology into the meeting experience comes from a respondent quoted in the American Express Meetings & Events’ 2020 Global Meetings and Events Forecast. Mobile apps, says the meeting professional, have become “the new lanyards.” Like lanyards, apps are ubiquitous at conventions, trade shows and many corporate meetings. But of course, their functionality is far greater, facilitating attendee communication and networking, document delivery, engagement, surveys and much more.

In the report, Linda McNairy, global vice president at American Express Global Business Travel – Meetings & Events, in Jersey City, New Jersey, gives an example of app usage from her own experience: “We recently used a ‘getting to know you’ Q&A in our mobile app for our customer council meeting. One key question was ‘How many of our council meetings have you attended? We seeded this question knowing that our new global M&E leader would answer ‘First time.’ We then segmented the group, based on answers, and created team gamification challenges. This exercise worked well to foster a fun and competitive spirit between leadership and clients, driving deeper engagement with this very important group.” Given the versatility of apps as a meeting tool, it is not surprising that their use “to support meetings and events continues to rise around the world,” McNairy says.

Read more here about how Bishop-McCann is using technology to measuring attention and emotional resonance with Immersion to get more accurate information about their events.