Boomset Blog

Boomset wins for People’s Choice Technology - and more - at 2020 Eventex Awards

Wed, 13 May 2020 14:54:33 -0400

Boomset has been awarded two prizes by Eventex Awards, taking home the Gold award for People’s Choice for Technology and Bronze for Best Interaction Technology.

Boomset was awarded two prizes at the 10th-anniversary edition of Eventex Awards. Every year Eventex Awards, the biggest global event competition, spotlight the best events, experiences, and suppliers in the industry worldwide.

“I’d like to congratulate and thank all contestants for the endless inspiration and innovation they bring to our industry - we feel privileged to be the ones recognizing the best among them! We will continue to support the event profs community with different initiatives and activities”, comments Ovanes Ovanessian, Co-founder of Eventex Awards.

Eventex Awards are well known for their stellar jury panel and fair evaluation process where the entries are evaluated on their own merit, instead of getting judged against each other.

This marks a remarkable achievement for Boomset and worthy recognition of their excellent work.

All winners can be seen on thе Eventex Awards winners page here.

“Splash” into this NEW Integration with Boomset

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 17:29:52 -0500

Creating beautiful event marketing with Splash? Get to know the new end-to-end brand experience from start to finish and pair your ticket selling tactics and pre-event processes with Boomset’s robust onsite solutions like on-demand badging, facial recognition and self-check-in, lead retrieval, session scanning, and more.

What can you do with this new direct integration between Boomset and Splash?

• Instantly import events, guest details and session information from Splash into Boomset!

• Use the two-way connection to sync and update attendee contact and check-in status in Splash!

• Update your guest list in real-time without having to push any manual updates!

We’re extra excited about this new partnership to give planners the tools they need to seamlessly manage and track their event lifecycle and continuously impress their event attendees - from before the event starts until way after it ends.

Splash details some other points in this article on the benefits of using the integration as well as a quick tutorial taken from the Boomset Help Desk. Any questions or comments? Contact your Splash rep or email help@boomset.com.

Event Marketing: How Software Automation Changes the Game

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 11:37:35 -0500

Once your nonprofit’s fantastic marketing strategy is in place, you can start considering automation software to make the process more effective and efficient.

A lot goes into planning a successful event. You need to plan out the activities that your attendees will participate in, consider the venue capacity and food quantities necessary, the goals you want to achieve, and more.

Maybe you’re building your event based off of another that inspired you. Or maybe you’re starting from scratch. No matter what the case, make sure you make the event your own.

The emergence of new technology has been incredibly helpful for the event planning process. In particular, software automation has helped organizations better market and manage their events.

Some of the ways software automation has helped change the game when it comes to planning an event include:

1. Triggering email series for event promotion.
2. Blasting out social media messages.
3. Segmenting groups for targeted marketing.
4. A/B testing to find better outreach strategies.
5. Collecting and storing registration information.

As a nonprofit, it’s important to understand how marketing automation will help you plan your next event and fit in with the rest of your organization’s strategy.

Let’s dive a little deeper into software automation and how your organization can use it to boost your event marketing!

1. Triggering email series for event promotion.
An effective email series is a great way to build brand recognition among potential event attendees. Plus, you can target specific audiences with email blasts containing information relevant to the reader.

When you have access to the proper software, triggering an email series looks like this:

- First, a potential event attendee downloads a resource, clicks through an email, or subscribes to your newsletter. Any action where you can collect contact data is enough. This acts as the trigger for your email series.

- Next, the potential attendee will receive an email because of the action they completed. This email (and future emails) are designed ahead of time by your organization staff and should help lead them to your event registration page.

- Finally, the email series has an automatic stopping point when the recipient completes the task you want them to. In this case, the stopping point occurs after the email recipient registers to attend your event.

The key to an effective email series is writing the emails in a way that encourages the recipient to open, read, and follow through with the email’s suggestions.

Make sure you follow your other marketing best practices when crafting your emails. For instance, be sure to make the best use of your images, create an eye-catching call-to-action, and use plenty of details in your descriptions.

2. Blasting out social media messages.
In addition to your email blasts, your organization should use other platforms to reach out to past supporters and customers. Social media channels are at least as important as email when it comes to marketing automation.

It can be difficult to interrupt your busy schedule 10 minutes every day to write and publish a social media post leading up to your event. Instead, marketing automation allows you to plan ahead and schedule posts for each day leading up to your event.

However, don’t forget to customize each marketing message based on where it will be posted. Consider the following platforms:

- Facebook. The average audience demographic on social media may be a slightly older crowd than on other platforms. You may see more Gen X, Baby Boomers, and older Millennials using this platform the most. Craft your message to this general audience.

- Instagram. Instagram specializes in posting images. Try posting pictures from last year’s event in addition to your ads for this year. Instagram is also owned by Facebook, so you can connect the two and share posts between them!

- Twitter. This is a great platform for witty comments and polls. You may survey your audience to get them engaged with event details before the event even starts. Make sure to also include a link to your registration page to encourage them to also attend.

The best marketing automation software solutions should help your organization publish on multiple social media platforms in addition to your email marketing strategy.

3. Segmenting groups for targeted messaging.
In your organization’s CRM, you can divide supporters and customers according to specific details and data you’ve collected about them in the past. Then, use this data to craft messages that will most appeal to that specific audience.

Your marketing automation tools will help you send messages to these specific audience members and entice them to get further involved and will help you maximize donations or registrations.7

Consider segmenting your audience by:

- Last year’s attendees. If your event is an annual occurrence, invite your attendees from last year to return. Remind them of all the fun they had at last year’s event and tell them about the new opportunities this year.

- Attendees from other events. Invite the attendees from your other events. Explain to them how this event is different, but just as (or more) enticing than the one they attended in the past.

- Social media leads. You’ve likely collected contact leads from social media platforms. Creating a new segment in your CRM with these leads will help you better reach out to them on various platforms and further increase their engagement.

- Long-term customers. If you have customers, supporters, donors, sponsors, or other involved parties who have been around for a while, you may want to craft a special message to them that differs from that sent to new leads.

- Volunteers. While you reach out to many leads in order to increase your registration rates, don’t forget that you’ll also need to recruit volunteers to help staff the event. Reach out to past volunteers to get started with this process.

When it comes to marketing strategies, one of the best places to start is your organization’s CRM. When you have the right segments created for outreach, you’ll be better equipped to market your event as effectively and efficiently as possible.

4. A/B testing to find better outreach strategies.
As your organization plans your upcoming event, it’s easy to get caught up in the short-game—how to make this event as successful as possible. However, don’t forget the importance of long-term planning as well.

Consider the big questions you may have about your organization’s general marketing strategies. What can you learn from this event to help your entire organizational strategy in the future?

Conducting A/B testing to discover new outreach strategies can help your organization better implement new marketing initiatives in the future.

Try testing out different aspects of your strategy such as:

- Email structure
- Registration page structure
- Newsletter explanations
- Other event marketing materials

Collect information and data about how each of your supporters and recipients responded to each strategy experiment. Then, save this important data in your CRM.

For example, nonprofits may test out two different donation pages in the time leading up to your event and measure success by which got more and larger donations. The data from each page should be saved as donor analytics in the CRM for future reference.

Automating the event outreach lists allows you to add a personal element to your messaging without crafting a new message for each and every person. The best software will allow you to choose the segment of supporters you want to reach, then auto-fill their names and other relevant information upon sending the message.

5. Collecting and storing registration information.
Your organization’s event registration forms are a great opportunity to collect new data to add to existing CRM profiles and to create new supporter profiles for those who are new to engaging with your organization.

However, you don’t want to create a complicated registration page with too many questions or loops to jump through in order to attend your event just to collect data. This may drive people away and reduce the number of attendees for your event.

Use a top registration system so that you can collect relevant information through ticketing without slowing down the process for attendees.

Look for features that improve efficiency such as:

- QR code scanning
- Face recognition scanning
- Attendee profile editing access
- Kiosk check-in
- Cashless payments

When you implement the available tech that will help your organization collect data while speeding up the registration and check-in processes, you’ll obtain more information about your attendees while providing them a better event experience.

Marketing automation has changed the game for event planning. You can now reach out to more people effectively and efficiently when you have access to the best tech.

Guest Author Bio: Gerard TontiGerard Tonti is the Senior Creative Developer at Salsa Labs, the premier fundraising software company for growth-focused nonprofits. Gerard’s marketing focus on content creation, conversion optimization, and modern marketing technology help him coach nonprofit development teams on digital fundraising best practices.

Boomset Receives The Startup Weekly’s 2020 Software Companies to Watch Award

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 14:31:13 -0500

[New York, NY] – February 18, 2020

Boomset was recently recognized by The Startup Weekly as one of the 2020 Software Companies to Watch. The Startup Weekly presented the Software Companies to Watch award to software and technology services businesses that have showcased strong growth and excellence in 2020.

Boomset was founded in 2011 by two friends who were tired of waiting in long registration lines at events. Since then, Boomset’s solution has expanded beyond mobile check-in and on-demand badging to include event registration, facial recognition check-in, and gamification features to name a few. The cutting-edge platform and apps appeal to event planners, marketing executives, IT professionals, and so many more to service their events, vendors, exhibitors, and attendees.

This year’s awards attracted a record number of applications across company stages in the United States. The winners were selected by a panel of judges comprised of top tech founders, investors, and industry experts. The companies were evaluated based on growth, the strength of the technology product or service, impact on the industry, and commitment to customer success.

Boomset’s intuitive turnkey system is the all-in-one solution continues to increase value at events while creating exciting live experiences. “Boomset is the ultimate best-in-class event technology to save event planners time and increase value at events,” says Monica Wolyniec, Marketing at Boomset. “#TheBoomsetWay is truly fostering meaningful event experiences all over the globe; it’s simply fantastic to acknowledge our amazing team behind the product, who works day-in and day-out toward to develop the easiest user experience possible. We’re growing in features, functionality, and events serviced worldwide - 2020 is undoubtedly going to be the most exciting year yet.”

“The 2020 Software Companies to Watch award winners represent some of the most innovative products and services that businesses are using to propel growth,” said Eugene Vyborov, Chief Technology Officer of YayPay and presiding judge of The Startup Weekly’s Founders to Watch award panel. “Today’s software and technology ecosystem is incredibly competitive and it’s no easy feat to offer differentiated value to the marketplace.”

About Boomset
Boomset is the easiest all-in-one event management solution on the market. Boomset solves the challenges event professionals face to complete a successful event lifecycle with an award-winning customizable event automation platform of apps and services. Automate manual efforts and create better event experiences with Boomset’s for event registration, self-check-in, on-demand (color) badge printing, facial recognition, session management, RFID tracking, lead retrieval, gamification, on-site services and more.

For more information, visit boomset.com.

About The Startup Weekly
The Startup Weekly is a leading independent source of news, insights, interviews, and awards for business builders across all sectors of the economy. The company’s media contributors include founders, business executives, investors, and other thought leaders. The Startup Weekly is committed to establishing a community for those pursuing entrepreneurial excellence.

For more information, visit http://www.thestartupweekly.com.

Boomset Announced Finalist for 10th Annual Eventex Awards

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 12:28:28 -0500

Eventex Awards entries are judged by an independent jury comprised of 70 top influencers and thought leaders from the industry, while all People’s Choice categories are voted by the public. The winners will be announced on 26 March 2020.

The Eventex Awards - the biggest global event awards, announced the finalists in their 10th-anniversary edition - and #TheBoomset Way has made the shortlist!

Boomset is a finalist in two categories: Best Interaction Technology, the first prize awarded to the team in 2019, and People’s Choice for Technology. (All categories and finalists can be found here.)

Image of Denton’s 2018 using Boomset RFID Automation, winner of Best Interaction Technology Eventex 2019

An impressive 444 entries from 39 countries around the world competed to make it on the prestigious list. The competition recognizes excellence in every aspect of the event industry - from events and experiences to event technology, suppliers, venues, and destinations.

We’d like to thank take a moment once again to express our gratitude to our clients, community and the creative crowd that make up our “Boomies” for this achievement. The winners will be announced on 26 March 2020 - stay tuned!

5 Things to Know Before Choosing Nonprofit Event Software

Fri, 06 Dec 2019 16:43:33 -0500

When it’s time for you to organize an event for your nonprofit, many different considerations will begin to roll through your mind. If it’s your first time, you may be wondering how to get started. If you’re an event planning guru, you’ll likely dive straight into considering unique ways to make this event better than last year’s.

No matter how many events you’ve planned in the past, some of the more practical considerations to start with include the potential venue, possible themes, effective speakers, and informing the participants. When you dive deeper into this planning process, one of the most important considerations (which grounds the rest of them) is the type of software you choose.

Choosing the right nonprofit event software will help your organization better plan for the event activities, market the opportunity to guests, and manage data effectively.

Don’t just buy the first software solution you find. Instead, ask yourself some key questions before making an important investment. These questions include:

1. How will guests register for the event?

2. Who is your target audience?

3. How will you promote the event?

4. What is your event budget?

5. What other fundraising activities will you incorporate?

Ready to make this year’s event the best one yet? Keep reading to learn more.

1. How will guests register for the event?

While you’re conducting research about various types of event software, put yourself in your guests’ shoes to imagine which registration method will best appeal to your audience.

How guests register for an event is highly dependent on the audience and type of event itself. For instance, you may need software that allows for:

• Online registration. Online pre-registration is a great way to get your supporters excited and committed to your event. Plus, it allows your nonprofit to get a headcount for potential space requirements or food orders.

• On-site registration. If you will allow walk-ins to your event, as many fundraising events do, you’ll need a kiosk or method of collecting on-site registrations. If you choose to offer both on-site and online registration, look for event software that allows you to check-in pre-registrants and sign up new registrants at the same welcome kiosk.

• Signature collection. If your event requires a waiver or signature of any type, look for an event registration software that easily makes signing a part of the registration process. Waivers help organizations better track who has yet to sign as they check-in.

• Session registration. Nonprofits who host informative conferences and large events may benefit from looking into session registration technology. This software allows you to better plan the event so speakers’ times do not overlap. Plus, you can track how many attendees go to each session.

• Badge printing. If you want to up your nonprofit’s registration game, you can print badges. Badges help make your event more secure. Plus, QR codes printed on the badges help your organization gather more information about your attendees.

It’s helpful to find a single event software solution that offers all of these features that your nonprofit needs for your upcoming event. This prevents your organization from needing to invest in several, unconnected software solutions.

Ahem…if you´re looking for said all-in-one solution head HERE!

When everything is available through one or two different yet integrated software solutions, you can easily collect the important data that you’re tracking about your various event attendees in order to transfer to your CRM.

2. Who is your target audience?

Depending on the type of event your nonprofit is hosting, you likely have particular target audiences you want to attend.

This is especially important to think about when it comes to the various planning and marketing options your nonprofit must analyze and decide upon to tailor the event to the needs of this audience.

Before you begin planning your event, be sure to first establish the target audience you want to reach.

Start by looking through your donor software at the various profiles and group segments that you’ve established. Which of these segments apply to your goals and target audience? Consider for instance, if your nonprofit’s goal is to:

• Steward major donor prospects. Check-in on the donor tracking feature of your CRM to see where certain donors are in the process of major giving. You may consider inviting supporters who are currently in the cultivation stage. Or for a larger event, you may invite everyone in the identification through giving stages.

• Provide opportunities to members. If your nonprofit has a membership program, you may be hosting a special event that is targeted directly to those who pay membership fees. Use your donor software to generate an up-to-date list of members to invite.

• Raise awareness in the community. Maybe your event is more open to the community, but you want to ensure you have a strong supporter presence there. Use location features or filters to be sure you invite locals to attend the event.

When you know your target audience, you can start thinking about how you will best appeal to them through your software solutions.

For instance, major prospects may appreciate a more high-tech check-in progress maybe with Facial Recognition, color badges printed instantly and QR codes paired with a personal handwritten invite. However, for a community-oriented event that is open to the public, you may opt for an easy online registration process and a less technical check-in.

Considering your audience through each step of your event will help your nonprofit better reach your goals, whether that goal is to raise money, boost awareness, or steward supporters.

3. How will you promote the event?

When it comes to promoting your event, you’ll also need to conduct some audience analysis. You’ll need to consider the message and platform that are most likely to resonate with your supporters. Then, appeal to those supporters appropriately.

Email is the most commonly used communication tool between nonprofits and supporters. Check your email open rates and click-through rates to see which demographics and segments of supporters engage best with email communication. Then, craft a message toward those supporters.

Of course, you can craft multiple emails to appeal to each segment of supporters you have in your donor database as well. But remember that you also have other platforms you can use to appeal to various groups of supporters. For instance:

• Post to social media. You can set up automatic posts to publish from all of your social media accounts at the same time with a fundraising CRM. You can learn more about this marketing automation for nonprofits with Salsa’s guide on the matter.

• Add the event to calendars. Add your upcoming event to local calendars in the community as well as the event calendar on your website. With this method, you’ll reach active community members as well as those actively engaging on your website.

• Start a crowdfunding campaign. Crowdfunding or peer-to-peer fundraising can help bring people’s attention to your upcoming event while simultaneously raising money for the cause. Ask people to donate and register at the same time!

Before you dive into these great ideas, be sure to define which audience you’re targeting with each message. This will help you reach the broadest range of people. Consider the marketing functionality of your current software arsenal, then carefully select event software that offers the other promotion functionality that you really need.

If you’re still looking for inspiration, here are four great event examples and the techniques they used to draw in attendees.

4. What is your event budget?

Before your nonprofit makes an investment in software, it’s important to first consider any budgetary restrictions you may have.

First: We recommend listing out the various functions you want from your ideal software selection. This gives you a broad understanding of the types of things to look for. It also helps keep you from getting distracted by the attractive bells and whistles of solutions when they don’t have the core functionality you need.

Next: Divide the items on your list into “needs” and “wants” columns. This will help you better understand what that core functionality is. Plus, if you do find yourself constrained by your budget, you may be able to choose a lighter weight solution that has all of your “needs” and most of your “wants” rather than considering them all completely necessary.

Finally: Ask for demos of the software you take an interest in. Ask for a price quote during the demo. Be sure to confirm that the price you’re told also includes the cost of tax and any implementation fees. Remember that it’s usually less expensive to opt for one to two comprehensive solutions than to mix and match multiple to fit your needs.

It is sorely tempting to invest in all of the greatest gadgets with the best tech trends. And while this tech can make your event stand out from the crowd, it’s also important to first recognize how much your organization values these latest trends.

For instance, a conference a nonprofit holds about technology will likely hold these gadgets in higher regard than your local animal shelter’s fundraising auction.

5. What other fundraising activities will you incorporate?

While there are various types of events that nonprofits may choose to host (and a variety of reasons to host each type), one of the most common events that nonprofits choose to host is a fundraising event.

Fundraising events are specifically designed and planned with the intention of raising more money than it takes to plan the event.

This usually means that there are a lot of fundraising opportunities before the event as well as during that provide engaging opportunities for supporters to give. Bonfire provides a comprehensive list of top fundraising ideas for nonprofits to use in their day-to-day campaigns or as a part of a larger fundraising event. Some of these incredible ideas include:

• A t-shirt fundraiser

• Peer-to-peer fundraising

• Bake sales

• A 50/50 raffle

• Text-to-give

• A balloon raffle

• A food truck partnership

• Matching gifts

• And more!

The great news is that you’re not limited to just one fundraising idea at events!

Your nonprofit has the opportunity to get creative and incorporate as many of these winning fundraising activities as you’d like to most effectively raise money from your supporters. Plus, with software that incorporates gamification tools (Have you gone to boomset.com yet?!), your supporters will even find these fun.

Plan out what types of fundraising activities you want to incorporate into your event. Then you can find software that will fill the needs of those activities in addition to the general event planning needs of your organization.

There are many considerations your nonprofit must take into account before choosing an effective nonprofit event software solution that will fit all of your needs. Be sure to use this list as a checklist before you sign any contracts or make a final investment.

_____

Guest Author Bio: Dan Quirk is the Marketing Manager at Salsa Labs, the premier fundraising software company for growth-focused nonprofits. Dan’s marketing focus on content creation, conversion optimization, and modern marketing technology helps him coach nonprofit development teams on digital fundraising best practices. If you’re looking specifically for event fundraising software, you can also check out the additional considerations listed out by Salsa in the guide linked here.

7 Effective Digital Strategies for Your Next Nonprofit Event

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 10:00:16 -0500

Hosting an event is a good way to educate large groups of people about your cause, find new donors, and have a fun time while doing so! However, putting on a successful, maybe even trend-setting event is no small task– there are a ton of factors to consider to make sure everything goes on as planned!

Luckily, hosting an event is becoming an easier task as digital tools become more readily accessible. Check out a few digital strategies you can use to make sure your next event is a success:

1. Evaluate your nonprofit’s software needs.

2. Choose a fully-functional CRM for more efficient actions.

3. Collect donations digitally with online fundraising options.

4. Communicate with donors quickly and through multiple channels.

5. Optimize your attendee-facing software.

6. Work smarter, not harder with donor analytics.

7. Collect data from the event for future planning.

Follow along for a breakdown of each strategy, and how they can positively affect your next event.

1. Evaluate your nonprofit’s software needs.

You may be tempted to dive headfirst into the worlds of constituent relationship management and digital event planning software when beginning preparation for your event– it’s certainly exciting! However, before even considering purchasing a new set of tools, you should first evaluate your nonprofit’s software needs. As it should serve as the foundation of your whole tech toolkit, start by making sure your database is up to par.

Just as each nonprofit is different, so are the CRM options available to help support your event planning goals. It’s important that you evaluate exactly which features your organization needs in order to find the perfect fit. According to CharityEngine’s nonprofit CRM guide, there are five considerations to make before choosing your CRM:

• Conduct a tech audit defining what technology your organization already has, the cost of owning it, and the functionality it carries. Use this to identify any holes in your current lineup.

• Prioritize your needs by considering which missing elements are most pressing. Make a list of the features that will adequately fill those needs.

• Start researching various CRM options by consulting other nonprofits that conduct similar work to yours and reading the reviews on trustworthy tech blogs.

• Ask for a demonstration, during which you should ask many questions to make sure you’re investing wisely!

Finally, after completing your research, choose the perfect CRM.

Carefully evaluating your nonprofit’s needs and completing thorough research on the various software options will ensure that you make an investment that will benefit your nonprofit for years to come.

2. Choose a fully-functional CRM for more efficient actions.

During your research, you probably noticed a few key features to look for in a CRM, such as payment processing, online fundraising, and communications management abilities.

Each of these functions will be essential for digital event planning. Choosing a CRM that offers all of these abilities will help to streamline operations. Instead of having multiple applications and spreadsheets documenting these processes, you’ll be able to handle it all within one software!

A CRM is meant to function as one centralized database that contains information on all interactions with your nonprofit. Investing in a fully-functional CRM now will help you plan better events as you generate more organized, actionable data year after year.

And if you have different systems that you prefer and like working with, opt for one that communicates well via an integration.

3. Collect donations digitally with online fundraising options.

Donations are the driving force of nonprofit organizations, and you want to make it as easy as possible for donors to give at your event.

By choosing a management software that allows for online fundraising, you can make the donation process as easy as one-click. There are a few online fundraising features you should look for in your fundraising and event management tools:

• One-click giving. This enables donors to make repeated gifts without having to fill out their contact information each time.

• Mobile-friendly design. Earlier this year, 48.71% of online traffic came from mobile sources such as tablets and smartphones. Since then, this number has steadily hovered around the 50% mark. Optimizing your website to appear as well-designed and functional on mobile as it does on desktop ensures no donor is deterred.

• Familiar branding. Customizing the design of your online fundraising platform to reflect the visual identity of your nonprofit helps to build donor trust.

• Automatically updated payment information. When a donor uses a new credit card to make a donation, your integrated CRM should be able to add that card to the donor’s existing record to automatically update their profile.

• Secure processing of donations. Look for a PCI-certified provider, which means that they’ve been tested by an outside party to ensure security. Another classification to look out for is PCI-compliant, which means they’ve completed this security testing in-house.

Reduced processing costs. Using an internal processing system rather than billing all donation and payment processing out-of-house significantly reduces the costs associated with the process.

With more and more people using credit/debit cards to donate, employing a CRM that easily processes digital transactions is sure to be helpful to donors at your upcoming event.

Bonus! If you’re planning to sell t-shirts, water bottles or any other type of merchandise to commemorate your event, consider saving time and money by making an online inventory available for those who weren’t able to pick it up during the event.

4. Communicate with donors quickly and through multiple channels.

The key to successful digital event planning is strong marketing in the weeks leading up to the event! Both communicating with potential attendees before the event and following up with gratitude afterward is essential for success.

Luckily, just as you can choose donor management software that offers streamlined online fundraising and payment processing, you can also choose one that can help you manage donor communications effectively.

Whether using personalized email campaigns (that automatically populate the donor’s name and other details from their engagement profile), direct mail marketing (which, when combined with digital strategies, tends to yield strong results), or automated messages (sent immediately to donors upon completion of an action)– your CRM should be able to help you accomplish it all when promoting your event.

Another good option is to capitalize on social media marketing, whether as your primary advertising force or to supplement your more traditional methods. It’s cost-effective, easy-to-scale, and has near-immediate results!

5. Optimize your attendee-facing software.

It’s important to remember that, while your end goal may be to raise funds for your organization, another crucial reason you’re planning an event is to host a group of people. At the end of the day, you want to make sure to be a good host– and that starts with having easy-to-navigate processes for your attendees!

Look for fundraising and event planning software that includes plenty of intuitive attendee management features. Many of these processes directly affect the donor, and you want to make sure they’re optimized for a positive experience.

There are a few key components to remember to ensure the donor leaves your event with a 5-star review:

• A simplified registration process allowing you to gather all needed information without taking too much of your donor’s time. Think of this from the start and even when they arrive onsite.

• An automatic electronic ticketing system eliminating the need for paper tickets.

• A secure payment processing system so donors can feel comfortable contributing to your cause.

While you should definitely be focused on your event’s core goal, whether that’s fundraising, gaining recognition for your nonprofit, or something else, remember that providing an excellent attendee experience is an essential part of achieving any of those goals!

Doing so will ensure that everyone involved gains value from your event. From their check-in experience to their interaction with any donors or sponsors, make it memorable and easy!

6. Work smarter, not harder with donor analytics.

There are approximately 1.8 million events (conventions, conferences, congresses, trade shows, exhibitions, incentive events, corporate/business meetings– the list goes on) held each year, totaling around 205 million total attendees, according to statistics from Events Industry Council.

That is a lot of events targeting a lot of attendees. You might be wondering, how can you stand out when there are so many events to compete against?

It’s easy– by narrowing the audience you’re looking to target, dividing that audience into segments, and tailoring your marketing to target them accordingly. Each of these steps can be accomplished with a bit of donor research.

Donor analytics looks at data you gather on past contributors and gives you insight on trends in your donor base, such as capacity, to give and affinity for doing so. Once you gather this information, you can use it to make decisions on how to best market and operate your event to engage your key segments. A wide range of questions regarding your event can be answered by donor analytics:

• What age range should you expect at the event? Can you tailor activities accordingly?

• How much should you charge for tickets? Event merchandise?

• Are there any opportunities for major gift donations or corporate partnerships?

• How do your donors prefer to be marketed to?

The list can go on! For more information on how these insights can help in your next event, check out DonorSearch’s guide to donor analytics.

7. Collect data from the event for future planning.

After your event, you should collect and store all relevant data gained through the process to use for future event planning.

Data can be the difference between less-than-stellar attendance and a sold-out event, and your most recent event has generated a ton of it!

On the day of your event, you probably learned what worked and what didn’t–from activities offered and speakers hired to food options provided and hours of operation. In addition, data can give you valuable, quantifiable insights into who attended your event, how much they donated, and how they preferred to do so.

This information is valuable in preparing for your next event as it allows you to optimize future planning to fit the donors that you now know are also event attendees. Once again, your CRM will be an essential asset in storing and evaluating this data.

Concluding Thoughts

Planning an event that will both entertain guests and help you reach your goals is no small task, but using a digital approach can certainly help!

When you begin planning for your next event, consider implementing these 7 digital strategies. Both giving you insight on your donor base and streamlining the process for all involved, these tech-based tips are sure to improve the planning of your next event.

Guest Author Bio: Leigh Kessler is VP of Marketing and Communications at donor management software platform CharityEngine and a frequent speaker on branding, fundraising, data and technology. He is a former nationally touring headline comedian and has appeared on numerous TV shows including VH1’s
“Best Week Ever”, CNN’s “Showbiz Tonight”, Discovery Channel & Sirius Radio. He has overseen and informed research and branding strategies for some of the most well-known brands in America.

How to Make Your Next Event Fresh and Attract #Millennials

Sat, 09 Nov 2019 10:00:05 -0500

Photo via Pxhere

Millennials now make up a large portion of adults all around the world, and they think and act differently to previous generations. This means that when organizing an event, knowing what they expect along with your other attendee demographics is important.

Let’s take a look at the millennial group while still making your next event fresh for everyone.

Take Advantage of Technology

Millennials are comfortable around technology. Incorporating it into your events can give them a great impression. Consider offering tech-immersive experiences like cashless payments. With the tap of their wristband or badge, these attendees can purchase merchandise or redeem event-branded items, for instance. Cashless payments will help to reduce long lines as well as provide a much more effective and interactive way for your attendees to participate at your event.

Make It Interactive

Speaking of participation, why not kick-off your event with interactive activities right from the start? For example, you could have your guests check themselves in using self-check-in kiosks at entry. Pair this with facial recognition and use this feature for access control or even lead capture! The more interactive, the higher the chance your millennial crowd will take to the networks and share their experience.>Photo via Pxhere

Give It Meaning

More and more often, millennials are choosing to attend events that promote good causes. One way to promote some positivity is by donating a portion of event fees to a charitable organization. If you choose to do this, ensure it’s for a cause that millennials (and your target attendee audience in particular) are likely to support. Popular charities among millennials include those who support climate action and education.

Also, sustainability is important to everyone - not just millennials! Try to avoid using too much single-use plastic and ensure there are proper recycling facilities at your event. On-demand printing is another more sustainable option that can reduce wasted paper/materials and keep your event budget and time on target. (You can even print in COLOR!)

Make the Education Attractive to Your Audience

If there will be guest speakers at your event, ensure that some of the topics they cover are appropriate and interesting to a millennial audience. Your options are virtually limitless. However, it’s important to make sure that speakers’ takes on these topics (as well as your other sessions) aren’t going to be offensive or controversial. You might like to start off by mentioning a few current events if you can tie them into your event’s purpose.

Photo via Boomset Instagram

Decorate in an Instagram-Worthy Manner

These days, ‘Instagram-worthy’ venues are more important than ever. Millennials love to share what they’re doing on social media when it looks good, so your decorations need to be worth sharing. Your guests will essentially give you free advertising if you manage to incorporate your logo into your decorations.

Suggest a hashtag for your guests to use on social media, and work with your technology (like item redemption functionality) to offer prizes. This will encourage guests who might not otherwise post anything to get involved.

Offer Freebies

Stress about housing and satisfactory job conditions are common concerns for many, especially among the millennial group. This means that free items are always appreciated! To offer freebies at your event, you might like to consider collaborating with local businesses. (However you can further reduce the plastic and make it more sustainable, the better!)

Depending on the type of event, you may instead like to offer prizes throughout the night. Freebies don’t have to be physical objects – you can choose to give away ‘virtual gift bags’. Virtual gift bags can include gift cards, access to exclusive content, and competition entries. (Your attendees can use their wristband or badge to redeem items here, too!)

Concluding Thoughts
Attracting millennials to your event is all about catering to their interests and expectations. Tick all your boxes when planning (look into investing in event insurance, too). You’ll be ready to host a secure, millennial-friendly event.

Guest Author Bio: Freelance writer Cloe Matheson from New Zealand enjoys writing for amazing sites and blogs with a focus on a range of topics from career and travel to business events. Next to writing, one of her biggest passions is traveling. Read more of her work on her blog, Cloe’s Writings.

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Start your event with the right event tech stack for your tech-savvy attendees - or not. Choose user-friendly solutions, always:

“Modern” Event Planning: Digitalizing Your Events (A How-To)

Sun, 20 Oct 2019 10:00:13 -0400

Are you already using some event technology to help streamline your event processes? Not only will digital and mobile solutions make it easier throughout the entire event lifecycle but they’ll help you modernize your event and capture data you want - or need - to see (i.e. what’s important to YOUR event objectives).

One thing is learning how to collect (meaningful) data and another is how you are going to use it. It’s nice to have the ability to gather insights on your events but what counts is how you’ll use that data to make them better each and every time.

What does this look like pre-event, onsite, and post-event?

How does one even begin and what are the “right” solutions at hand when it comes to building an event technology stack?

We broke it down with our friends at Attendease, a direct integration with the Boomset platform. As Attendease is an event management and automation platform that helps elite marketing and events teams run repeatable and scalable on-brand events, Boomset complements their platform well when it comes to a stellar entry and onsite experience.

Our teams sat down to discuss how #eventprofs can modernize their current event planning and execution processes. Start with just a few of these simple suggestions on how to go digital - along with some neat real-life examples.

Learn how to provide a remarkable attendee experience - listen to our talk by clicking below:

Boomset is Official Inc. 5000 Honoree for 2019

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 10:00:02 -0400

“To be on this year’s list with other great companies proves that our focus on leading-edge technology and customer service continues to be the key to [Boomset’s] success as an industry leader.” - Kerem Baran, CEO of Boomset, Inc.

We are thrilled to be an official "honoree” and there’s more on the horizon when it comes to #TheBoomsetWay. Have a look at what Inc. and our very CEO have to say about this honored recognition.

Thank you to our team, our customers, partners, family, friends, the #eventprofs community…and so many more. It’s truly an honor to be part of this year’s #Inc5000 list.

8 Event Trends to Consider for the Rest of 2019 (and Beyond!)

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 10:00:30 -0400

It’s all about standing out from the crowd these days, being up-to-the-minute and moving with the latest trends, so why should your events be any different?

Whether you’re a party planner, venue manager, or simply looking to throw the biggest party the world’s ever seen, there are many new and innovative methods you can use for your events and event marketing this year. From veganism to Instagrammability, 2019 may be the year of the pig in the Chinese calendar, but in the events industry, it’s all about being unique.

So, how can you make sure your event is memorable for your guests? Here are some of the top event trends to think about:

Image courtesy of Time Out

Be immersive

The last thing you want when a guest comes to your event is for them to be bored and look like they’re on the point of leaving. You want them to be wowed, and the easiest way to do this is by making your event immersive. (And starting with your event entry is a perfect way!)

This can be done in a number of ways. Some people like to take people on a ‘journey’ during events, via related storytelling or décor, whereas others prefer more of an interactive approach, incorporating uniquely-designed games and activities (more on that later). Whether you take inspiration from a fun themed venue, such as Ballie Ballerson, or a slightly barmier themed event, like the well-known Gingerline, being immersive will definitely keep your event in the forefront of guests’ minds.

Image courtesy of DesignMyNight

Incorporate games

Another fun way of engaging your guests can come from incorporating games and activities into your events. You may have already noticed that more and more ping pong bars and crazy golf clubs, such as Bristol’s Kongs of King Street and London’s Plonk Golf, are popping up all over the UK, so why not take a leaf out of their book?

Everyone loves a bit of friendly competition, so adding easy-to-use games could be a great way of guaranteeing your guests have an entertaining time at your event.

Image courtesy of The Independent

Utilize the vegan food movement

Love it or hate it, veganism is a food trend that is here to stay. It seems to be pretty much everywhere these days, with over 300,000 people recently taking part in this year’s Veganuary – an event encouraging a vegan diet throughout January.

Leading news magazine The Economist also predicted late last year that 2019 would be ‘the year of the vegan’, so why not use that to your advantage for your event catering or its growing popularity within your event design?

Image courtesy of Natural History Museum

Think about health and wellbeing

Another trend that has been consistently growing year on year is the rise of events focused on health and fitness. Whether it be fitness classes like Pilates, yoga or Zumba, or healthy food and drink launches, such as Lean Cuisine’s #WeighThis campaign, the events industry loves the health and wellbeing bubble. It’s tried and tested, relevant to everyone, and highly marketable – what’s not to like?

Image courtesy of Go Dine Digital

Posting on the ‘Gram

Talking of marketability, social media is your best friend. While organising the most amazing event may be great, making sure that it’s also being seen and heard about is arguably as important. There’s no better way of doing this than through social media, and the photo-sharing app Instagram in particular. The much-loved software is a great way of spreading news and images of your event, helping it to be seen by the masses.

So, how can you use it? For starters, you want to make your event as photogenic as possible, giving your guests something worth sharing an image of. Next, you should encourage them to link their images to your brand’s Instagram account, potentially featuring a specific hashtag solely dedicated to your event. This will help ensure that your brand is clearly visible online. #greatplan

Terrific technology

Technology has come a long way over the years, so why not use it to your advantage?

Live streaming is a great option for guests who are unable to attend your event, as it still involves them in the shenanigans. It also makes it look like you’ve gone the extra mile to keep them involved, which will keep you in their good books.

Event management and on-demand entry solutions, like Boomset, also make it much easier for you to plan a great event - before, during and after it takes place. Beyond session and schedule management, see who’s coming, and avoid check-in queues from forming, while adding a more engaging AND time-saving experience.

Image courtesy of Best Venues London

Party all day, sleep all night

Source: Best Venues London (Image caption: Warehouse 89 in East London is close to two tube stations, making it easy for guests to commute to and back from.)

Ease is another big thing to consider when organising an event. You have to think about it practically from a guest’s point of view: are they really going to want to come to an event that’s difficult to get to transport-wise and location-wise? Or, is there anything you could do to make it easier for them, such as arranging transport or accommodation options?

Just because you have to combine a place to party with a place to stay doesn’t mean you have to hold back on style. Take a look at The Royal Court Hotel in London for instance. It’s a fabulous venue for all sorts of events, with hotel rooms available right above the event function rooms. It’s a perfect place for ensuring your guests can have a great time, without the need for a night-time curfew.

Image courtesy of Oxfam Apps

Get sustainable and eco-friendly

Another big trend for this year is sustainability, which goes hand-in-hand with being eco-friendly. It’s all about keeping that carbon footprint as low as possible, whether that be through waste management, using local produce, reducing guest transport fees or sending digital invites.

With research finding that over a third of all food produced globally goes to waste, events with initiatives to combat food waste are also a big win-win. Think about partnering up with a food donation program to help your event reduce what’s being thrown away.

Guest Author Bio: Dakota Murphey has been working as a professional content writer for over 10 years. She enjoys writing extensively about anything event and business-related, and has done so for a number of established companies in the industry.

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Make the interaction easy and the post-event follow-up better for your exhibitors and attendees with the Boomset Lead Retrieval app. See how it works:

How Can SEO Help Event Promotion?

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 14:20:29 -0400

Image courtesy of Sarah Pflug

Brands with the goal to get better visibility and higher engagement may use the best SEO tactics to get the results they need. However, many have the tendency to neglect SEO for the purpose of non-digital endeavors such as events. This is where this aspect of contemporary event marketing can help you tremendously not just in raising awareness for your upcoming event, but in getting more people interested, inspiring conversations around your event and collecting ideas as to certain aspects of the event itself.

Essentially, this is not the time to treat the digital and the physical worlds as two separate entities, on the contrary. They have merged into a unified network of experiences, and modern companies can now utilize digital strategies, including search engine optimization, to make sure that their events are successful. Without further ado, here are a few methods you can implement to let SEO work in favor of your event promotions!

FOCUS YOUR CONTENT ON THE EVENT

SEO doesn’t mean that you should focus all of your efforts on engines alone. In fact, the more you devote your attention to your readers and potential guests of your events, the greater your chances are of kick-starting a good word-of-mouth chain that you can always benefit from. Moreover, search engines such as Google will recognize a brand that invests time and effort into producing content that’s not stuffed with keywords but built to provide value to its readers.

Make sure that you build your event-friendly content in the months prior to the event, since that will be the only way to gain the traction you need and deserve through vivid content. Spark engagement and more people will be talking and looking forward to the event in no time! Have you organized solid events before? Use reviews from those to remind people of your previous experiences and get them to sign up as early as possible.

THINK LOCAL THOUGHTS

Although more businesses have started using live streaming as a way to include people from all over the globe in their local events, your primary target are still those that come from the region where the event is held. Let’s take Asia as a perfect example of a thriving and highly populated area where brands compete for the attention of truly impressive numbers of people, while they also find themselves competing with many brands with similar offers.

In such a brand-competitive environment, using local SEO in Hong Kong and the surrounding regions has become the key ingredient in raising awareness of business events, product launches and the like, and the only way to stay truly visible. It has become of vital importance to apply the best localized SEO practices that are specific to the region in order to reap the rewards.

UTILIZE YOUR INFLUENCER BONDS

As more people turn to celebrities and social stars for advice and suggestions, it’s only natural for businesses to strive to build better relationships with them as well. With a proven track record of high social media consumption, being promoted by powerful influencers in the US means almost instant success for your events as well. If they plan to head out to the event as well, all the better for your brand!

However, much like your overall bond with them, it’s key to work on this particular campaign on a more long-term basis. You should use more than just one or two promotional posts, but create an entire approach for strategic timing and keyword-optimized posts, and let them get their creative juices flowing to inform their followers on your progress, during the event, as well as their impressions afterward.

SPREAD THE WORD WITH VARIOUS CHANNELS

Every event deserves its own event, and while this may feel like a cumbersome task for smaller companies looking to promote themselves, it’s the only way to fully utilize your online presence. What better way to optimize your digital presentation than to build a dedicated one for your event? This is a surefire way to get more attention, and search engines appreciate such specificity as well, not to mention your followers on social media who will be notified of the event, and their responses will trigger more interest.

Keep promoting on your website as well, but if you have any relationships with other websites, businesses, or bloggers, you can post guest posts, offer interviews to magazines and use other “spread the word” tactics that will help your event spread its wings for more exposure in search engines.

USE YOUR EMAIL CAMPAIGNS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Finally, do you have subscribers, whether for your blog or your services? Utilize your email lists to spread the word. However, in addition to merely sending out invites or even offering discounts for early RSVPs, you should include social links to the events, encourage shares, kick-start a contest, and embed all your social buttons into your email template for offering more information.

Some of the simplest, yet powerful SEO methods will have an impressive reach when it comes to promoting your event. Make sure to keep these essential tips in mind and you will ensure that your events get the proper exposure they need!

Guest Author Bio: Emma is a digital marketer and blogger from Sydney. After getting a marketing degree she started working with Australian startups on business and marketing development. Emma writes for many relevant, industry related online publications and does a job of an Executive Editor at Bizzmark blog and a guest lecturer at Melbourne University. Interested in marketing, startups and latest business trends.

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Interested in sharing your insight about the latest tech, trends and event industry news?

PRODUCT UPDATE: Your Lead Retrieval Experience Has Changed!

Mon, 06 May 2019 11:05:43 -0400

Our design and development teams have made some BIG changes to the Boomset Lead Retrieval experience!

Some important features and processes have changed - like adding exhibitor contacts via the web platform and activating a lead retrieval license. There are also some neat new features and functionality that you – and your exhibitors – are going to love.

NEW: Add an Exhibitor on the Web Platform

Gone are the days of adding and managing multiple users! Now, organizers can add exhibitors directly via the web platform and allow their exhibitors to take care of the rest.

On your event dashboard, you’ll see the “Add Exhibitor” option under the Lead Retrieval section on the menu bar:

Once an exhibitor contact’s info is added, you can click into each individual to view more details like their license status, leads they’ve scanned, and their unique QR code identifier in the new Manage Exhibitors view. They can use that unique QR code to validate the license and log into the Lead Retrieval app as a guest.

The Lead Retrieval settings on the web also now host a new public purchase link. (This is where your exhibitors can purchase their licenses online, without having to go to the app!)

Get familiar with these updates and more in the video below:

NEW: Guest Login on the Lead Retrieval App

No Boomset account? No problem!

Exhibitors can opt to continue their Boomset Lead Retrieval experience by logging in as a guest on the app. This makes it fast, easy, and an account-free experience - should they prefer - on event day.   This new feature grants immediate access to the dashboard of the event they’re currently participating in - no event selection or filtering required.  

Watch the video below to learn about how logging into the Lead Retrieval app as a guest works:

No Need To Wait: Give Your App An Update
Please update your device to the most recent version of the Lead Retrieval app. Search for “Boomset,” then select “the green app” and proceed with the most recent version in your app store:

iOS: v2.9.6 in the App Store
Android: v2.9.8 in the Google Play Store

Have an upcoming event and using our Lead Retrieval feature? Perhaps you’re looking for more information or want to ask additional questions about the new lead retrieval changes? Let’s talk about it!

Please contact a Boomset account manager or email support@boomset.com.

How to Organize a Corporate Event Overseas

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 10:00:10 -0400

Photo by Jeremy Dorrough on Unsplash

Corporate events are a great way to gain new customers or clients and can help to grow your business exponentially - when done correctly. When done wrong, things can go south fast, so it’s important to know all the ins and outs of planning your event. This goes double for overseas corporate events, which come with a whole new list of details you’ll need to attend.

Read on to learn how.

Overseas Opportunities
Depending on the industry, you might find many of these details will practically work themselves out… just as likely, you may find yourself scrambling to make the pieces fit.

Regardless of your situation, going in with a detailed plan from the start will make all the difference between a successful corporate event overseas, and a less efficient one.

1. Most companies choose to host their corporate events overseas is to induce a deeper connection with their clients and employees alike. Everyone likes a vacation, and an overseas event is a great way to give the attendees that feeling of zen and/or fun… and they’ll associate those positive feelings with the organization.

2. Soaking up the local culture is also a big draw for a lot of companies seeking to host an event. They choose to host overseas so as to immerse their clientele in an exotic and culturally diverse environment.

3. Many organizations cater to specific cultures and ethnicities, of which there may be large communities in their immediate principality. By planning a corporate event overseas, not only can companies reach out to that audience on a larger scale, but they will also be able to learn more about target audiences’ wants and needs.

4. From putting staff to the test to scooping up tons of networking opportunities, hosting a corporate event overseas provides many opportunities for success.

When hosting a corporate event overseas…
… You’ll immediately be faced with a set of challenges to overcome. Don’t let this hold you back. Lean into it, learn from these tips, and do your due diligence in your own research, too, and you’ll find facing these issues to be much less stressful.

Pick the right location! Location certainly is the pinnacle of your event. You’ll want a place that’s immediately desirous to those your target audience. Some say to avoid little-known locations.

On the other hand, if you market it the right way and you have a solid reason for the location in mind, it’s up to your discretion when all is said and done. You know your clients better than anyone else. Stay away from areas that have difficult terrain to navigate and/or are fairly isolated. Consider areas which are home to international airports and/or coastal regions for a change in scenery.

After you’ve chosen your location, you’ll need to become familiar with the local culture. Understanding the unique customs and social practices will greatly increase your chances of successfully incorporating the local resource companies into your event. Be sure to thoroughly explain all of the expected cultural differences and how to handle any discrepancies that may arise with your team and your guests.

Get educated on the legal issues involved with traveling. You’ll want to initiate an efficient, coherent, and accurate process for your guests to understand exactly what they’ll need to travel.

Prepare for the unexpected - and don’t let it ruin the event. #Eventprofs know that for every problem there is a solution. When you’re managing an event of this (international) caliber, you’re going to face your fair share of unexpected happenings throughout. Hold fast to your plan and make decisions accordingly. Keep any cultural differences in mind at times to diffuse any situations with locals.

Don’t forget to check, double-check, and triple-check your to-do list! Below are some things to consider for your overseas event’s to-do list.

1. Make sure your event appeals to your target audience. Provide items of interest and actionable events for the attendees to take part in to increase their interest in your brand or company. Give them something to go home talking about!

2. Include other businesses in your event. Consider using local resources and companies for your entertainment, catering, and event set-up needs. If you can, utilize remote workers to make the process run even more smoothly! The things you can accomplish in one video conference call might astound you.

3. As with the location, picking the right day and time is going to be tantamount to the success of your event. Become familiar with local holidays and such, which might have an adverse effect on traffic the day of your event.

4. Most importantly, when you host an event overseas, grab that contact info! A lot of times, your attendees will be coming from all over the world so it will become imperative to keep on top of acquiring their information to keep your company in their thoughts (and their inboxes!)

With all this information, coupled with your own, independent research, you’re ready to begin your overseas event planning. Cover all the angles and don’t forget to actually enjoy yourself at some point. You deserve it!

Guest Author Bio: Jasmine Williams covers the good and the bad of today’s business and marketing. When she’s not being all serious and busy, she’s usually hunched over a book or dancing in the kitchen, trying hard to maintain rhythm, and delivering some fine cooking (her family says so).

Like what you read? Have something to share about the event industry or technology?

PRODUCT UPDATE: Boomset Lead Retrieval App + Data Consent Experience

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 10:01:55 -0400

Making the most of time spent at an event is key for fostering relationships and potential business. Event technology aims to assist in making live experiences better, especially when it comes to saving valuable time and data.

Using a lead retrieval app will not only enhance the event for the attendee-exhibitor conversation time but will ensure that the post-show engagement continues - and flows - to nurture those valuable connections.

You’ll notice a different look and feel to the Boomset Lead Retrieval app. The same user-friendly experience of the Boomset Lead Retrieval app now comes with an improved app experience. It includes a new Data Consent module and qualifiers to make capturing attendee info more interactive, secure, and customized.

Here’s what our product team has been working on.

A New Look

Enjoy a new, colorful look to the dashboard and navigate throughout the app easier than ever before. The simple display provides an overview of the lead capture activity, along with more organized tabs for easy access to information.

Data Consent

Whether being GDPR-compliant or simply having an additional security feature, the new Data Consent page is ideal for obtaining additional consent to captured information. This feature visually states the purpose and permission levels of data collection to justify future communication with those being scanned by an exhibitor or sponsor. If selected for use, this page will appear immediately after scanning a lead.

Qualifiers

Though every exhibitor or sponsor participates at an event in the hopes to generate more business or expand their network, everyone has different means in reaching their target ROI. The new qualifiers feature are customizable questions that can be used as valuable, more targeted data points to further “qualify” a lead in the follow-up process.

These questions can be asked in a variety of ways, like multiple choice, fill-in boxes, or a rating scale, and are meant to collect the information needed not only faster but more interactive with the attendee. The qualifier experience can be completely customizable to each unique exhibiting business or brand and will appear after scanning a lead or after the Data Consent screen if this option is included by the organizer.

Both the Data Consent page and qualifiers are optional. The event organizer - not the exhibitor or sponsor - is responsible for opting into these features.

Watch this clip for a brief introduction to these new features and the new Lead Retrieval app experience:

No Need To Wait: Give Your App An Update

Please update your device to the most recent version of the Lead Retrieval app. Search for Boomset, then select the most recent version in your app store:

iOS: v2.8.34 in the App Store

Android: v11.11.15 in the Google Play Store

If you need support, are looking for more information, or would like to ask additional questions about the new lead retrieval changes, please contact a Boomset account manager or email support@boomset.com.

View the entire Boomset Lead Retrieval app experience here:

4 Examples of Event Marketing to Inspire You

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 10:00:03 -0500

Image via rawpixel on Unsplash

Event marketing is a hugely effective marketing strategy, employed by a wide range of businesses. When done right, businesses can experience significant increases in leads, higher brand engagement, and a strong customer base. It’s an effective and rewarding marketing strategy that lets brands get really creative.

To inspire you with your next campaign, we’ve found four examples of some great event marketing that really made us sit up and take notice.

REFINERY29 & 29ROOMS

Refinery29 is a lifestyle and culture brand based in the US, and as part of their strategy, they regularly run 29Rooms. This is an annual celebration of arts and culture, featuring interactive exhibits, unusual artwork and, of course, a few celebrities too.

The event consists of 29 different rooms, with each one decorated according to a theme that changes each year. Past themes have included “Powered By People” and “Turn It Into Art”, and each one is a vibrant, diverse celebration that draws thousands of visitors every year. This year’s event featured a recreation of a millennial teenager’s bedroom (complete with working Nintendo 64), a swing made purely out of swirling fabric, and a station where visitors could really register to vote.

Takeaway tip: Refinery29’s diverse and interactive events provide a glittering backdrop for some strong marketing. The way to really grab your attendees is by offering an interactive experience that gets them involved. If you’re going to create an interactive event though, it’s important that it fits in with your overall brand.

Relevancy is key when it comes to creating events, and it’ll pay off in the long run by capturing attention and bolstering your reputation for creativity and innovation.

FACEBOOK IQ LIVE

A few years ago, social media giant Facebook launched Facebook IQ, a customer research tool that lets brands and agencies get a better insight into their audiences. To promote the tool, they launched the Facebook IQ Live tour, heading around the country to give users an insight into consumer behavior.

With any other company, this might seem like a tame event, but not so for Facebook. Rather than simply giving dry speeches and lectures on its product, Facebook created an engaging, dynamic experience for their attendees. Statistics and figures were turned into immersive installations to help deliver statistics and messages. It even featured a dance troupe, as well as an Instagram Cafe and a guest appearance from comedian Aziz Ansari.

Takeaway tip: Facebook IQ is proof that even the most uninspiring event niche can be turned into an engaging, immersive experience. Anyone can deliver dry, tepid lectures, but it won’t stay with your audience. To really make it memorable, you need to step out of the mainstream. Get creative with your event and think of new ways to deliver information.

Even simply adding in physical elements can be enough to make things memorable — set up an installation and pepper it with branded merchandise for people to take.

MOZCON

MozCon is a three-day digital marketing conference in Washington, established by SaaS brand Moz. It covers everything from SEO tips to client relations, and it’s something of a mecca for the industry. As you might expect from a digital marketing event, this is a conference like no other.

As well as lights, music, costumed characters, and lots to see, the conference is also innovative in its use of technology too. To keep the conference affordable and available to all, Moz leverages technology in a variety of ways. For example, Moz uses check-in technology and apps to obtain real-time data throughout the year to calculate how many attendees to expect, allowing crucial logistical decisions to be made ahead of time.

Takeaway tip: With such an array of useful technology at your fingertips, you’d be remiss if you didn’t make use of it for your next event. Self-service check-in kiosks can save your guests time queueing and save you money on staff. Lead retrieval technology, too, can quantify your event attendance with real-time reporting.

Not only will technology speed up your queues and save you time and hassle, but it’ll keep your guests happy, too. (Tap into Boomset to find the best-fitted event technology to make life easier and your event experiences greater!)

DAVID LLOYD & NAPERCISE

The British sports and leisure brand, David Lloyd, runs a string of high-end gyms and health clubs, offering tennis, squash, swimming pools and more for its discerning customers. To boost signups for its racquet club, the brand created a one-off class for the general public to try a new exercise called ‘napercise’…

Marketed as the solution to new parents’ sleep troubles, the exercise itself actually consisted of simply climbing into bed and getting a good night’s sleep. Of course, the class itself was intended as a gentle satire of popular exercise classes, but the message was clear (and effective): David Lloyd cares about its customers’ health and wellbeing.

Takeaway tip: The reason David Lloyd’s event is so successful is that it acknowledges — and addresses — its customers’ desire for health and wellbeing. It’s a fine example of how targeted marketing can work with real-world events.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Create events that cater to your customers’ needs. These will compel guests to engage with your brand because they stand to gain something from it, giving you a chance to generate leads in a natural, organic way. When it comes to event marketing, there are plenty of approaches you can adopt. Identify your goals early on and craft a creative event that meets those goals, while keeping your guests hooked at the same time.

Guest Author Bio: Patrick Foster is lead writer and editor at Ecommerce Tips, where he shares his years of experience in the ecommerce industry with aspiring entrepreneurs. From marketing to branding, Ecommerce Tips has it all. Check out the latest news on Twitter @myecommercetips.

There are tons of possibilities to automate your events from entry and beyond. Start by building your event technology stack as YOU see it fit for your objectives:

Event Success Story: Boomset, Zebra, and On-Site #EventTech Automation

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 10:00:19 -0500

Event registration and badge printing software combined with the power of RFID technology at event entry.

Read this success story on how Boomset and Zebra partnered together to create an amazing event experience for #FlipMyFunnel’s B2B marketing, sales, and customer success attendees.

4 Technical Questions to Ask When Researching Event Marketing Software

Sun, 16 Dec 2018 22:00:08 -0500

There are plenty of event marketing platforms out there. How are you to know which one is the best for your platform? In this post, we’ll take a look at the top questions to ask when shopping around.

You’ve run an event technology assessment to better understand your strategic needs, you’ve gotten buy-in from your team, you’ve asked around your network, and you’ve narrowed down your list of prospective event marketing platforms to a slim few.

Now comes the hard part: Determining which platform is the best for your organization.

At the end of the day, event marketing platforms share a lot of functions in common. However, it’s where they differ that will make the difference. And, it’s in your conversations with sales representatives and product experts that you will best understand those differences.

These are the technical questions that you need to be asking.

1) How does your platform integrate with other platforms?

No event marketing platform exists in silo. To get the most out of your platform you will likely need it to sync with other platforms in your event technology stack. These platforms could include CRMs, marketing automation platforms, business intelligence tools, event management platforms, communication tools, on-site registration tools and more.

There are several different methods by which platforms can integrate with one another, each of which requires different skill sets and degrees of labor:

- Native Integration: Otherwise known as “out-of-the-box” integrations, native integrations come ready to activate. Despite this simple first step, native integrations can get somewhat technical when it comes to mapping the specifics of how the two platforms will work with one another.

- iPaaS: Integration platforms as a service work as the middle-man between your platform and another one. Because iPaaS put in the technical work for you, they are often easy to set-up. The downside is that they can be less customizable.

- Open API: By far the most flexible integration solution, open API is also the most technical. Here, developer expertise is required as you are basically building the integration between two platforms from scratch.

2) Does it require expertise to build a website with your platform? Is it possible to use HTML, CSS or JavaScript to make advanced edits?

In the era of the internet, roughly 30% of consumers expect to communicate with brands via digital channels. Having an event website is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. While it’s possible to build your event website using a third-party platform like Wix or Wordpress, many event marketing platforms come equipped with tools for accomplishing this self-same task.

This comes with the added advantage of being able to more easily reconcile your event data—from website visits to conversions.

You may want your team to be able to quickly make websites themselves. If so, then you may want to look into a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) website builder. These sorts of tools require little to no website design experience.

However, it may be the case that you want to create a more advanced website using HTML, CSS or JavaScript.

Ask to see a variety of website examples to get a better idea of what is and is not possible within your event marketing software.

3) Does your platform come with an event app? If so, how can you track event app adoption?

From networking and session management to venue navigation and interactive polls, event apps have a lot to offer attendees. If implemented well, they can create a polished attendee experience.

Some event marketing software providers will include an event app with their product. Others will charge extra. Some providers may offer comprehensive branding features that make your app an extension of your event brand, while others will not.

Some features to look for in event apps include:

- Event Agenda

- Personal Schedule Builder

- Speaker Profiles

- Sponsorship Pages

- Special Offers from Partners and Sponsors

- One-on-one messaging

- Event Community

- Live Polls and Surveys

- Social Media Integrations

Regardless of the type of event app you use, there is only one thing that truly matters: Whether or not your people are using it.

When shopping around for an event app as part of your event marketing platform, ask what sort of reporting features the event app comes with. For instance, will you be able to see metrics like event app adoption rate, event engagement rate, or sponsorship engagement rate?

An example of an event app. (Source: Bizzabo)

4) What sort of reporting features does your platform come with? How will it help me prove ROI?

Beyond event app analytics, there is a wealth of other reports that you may want to access from your event marketing platform. Just as no event marketing platform exists in a platform, the same can be said about events in general. One event may play a key role in a larger event strategy, which may, in turn, play a role in a larger marketing strategy, which may, in turn, play a role in a larger organizational strategy.

It can be a real Russian nesting doll situation.

Reporting is essential for understanding how one event (or many) connects to the bigger picture and, by extension, proves ROI.

There are a number of reporting features to be on the look-out for, including:

- Gross event revenue vs. event revenue goal

- Revenue by promo code

- Sponsorship page engagement

- Event registrations

- Event check-ins

- Number of returning attendees

- Session and speaker ratings

- Attendee satisfaction

The list goes on. (And grows even more intricate when we consider cross-event analytics).

The KPIs that are most important will depend on what type of event you are running and what your overall event goals are. That said, chances are you will be looking to derive event performance and areas for improvement from a range of metrics.

An example of an event analytics dashboard for specifically looking at data regarding an event agenda. (Source: Bizzabo)

Wrapping Up: The Art of Researching Event Marketing Software

This is by no means the end of your research. There are many areas that we did not discuss above, like contact management, customer onboarding and support, mobile optimization, SEO, and email marketing and automation. But, this list should help you in navigating four technical aspects of event marketing software that often get overlooked.

If you have further questions feel free to shout it out on Twitter by tagging @Bizzabo.

Guest Author Bio: Brandon Rafalson is the Content Marketing Manager at Bizzabo, the world’s most loved event software.

Building your event stack takes a lot of moving parts and sometimes multiple departments to hone in on what’s right for your events. Make it easy with an integrated, automated, award-winning platform:

Top Event Technology Tools for Social Media Engagement

Sun, 09 Dec 2018 22:00:25 -0500

Photo courtesy of rawpixel on Unsplash

It’s time for your company’s next big event. Social media is an important tool to utilize not only for your event’s content but also for the content your attendees will create.

Below, we’ll outline a few steps and tools that you can use to make your event a step above your competitors.

PREPARATION FOR THE EVENT

In the months leading up to your event, remember to prepare your social media team. In addition to event-specific materials, think about the following:

Setting up your social stream

An ounce in prevention is worth a pound in cure. Preparing posts prior to your event is a great way for your social team to know what messaging to use.

Have a batch of posts ready to go out, in case a glitch occurs during the event. Use tools like:

Hootsuite: Manage all of your social pages from one place on this platform. Schedule posts to go out at specific times during the event. Searching for specific hashtags and keywords is another useful feature.

IFFT: Saving time is the main focus of this platform. If you post an image on Instagram, IFFT will post it to Twitter for you.

Buffer: Manage Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest on this platform. It can schedule posts to go out at specific times that are optimized to your audience’s activity.

An easy way to build pre-event engagement is by creating an event under your company’s Facebook page. Attendees can post their questions to the page, which you can easily respond to. It’s also a great place to include event updates and information.

Creating an event/company hashtag

Hashtags are a useful way to track guest engagement during the event.

When creating a hashtag remember that it needs to be short. Twitter users only have 140 characters in a tweet, so something long like #MicrosoftCAEvent2018 is not going to leave enough room for other information in the tweet.

Make your hashtag unique and relevant as well. Search possible hashtags on Twitter and Facebook to see if different industries or other people are using it. Finally, make your hashtag tweet-worthy! Test it out on people within your company to see their reaction.

Once you’ve settled on the hashtag, encourage others to use it prior to the event. Include it in countdowns and testimonials. Ask your featured guests or speakers to add it in their social posts about the event. Create an incentive for attendees to use it. Require the hashtag in a photo or caption contest to build awareness about your event.

Include your custom hashtag in all event materials as well. In every press release, event marketing material or registration page, add a mention of the hashtag so guests know it before attending the event.

DURING THE EVENT

Don’t let all of your event preparation go down the drain once the event occurs. During your event remember to build engagement by:

Live streaming from your location

Despite the social posts you’ve already set up, remember that some things happen that were not planned, and that’s a great opportunity to post about it on social.

Let people at home know when your featured speaker has said something thought-provoking or funny by tweeting during keynotes or panels. Share photos of your booth squad or the event floor. Remember this is also an opportunity to include your event hashtag as well.

Facebook Live allows you to livestream panels or from the event location. Do a quick check-in from your sales team or booth guests. If the Wifi connection is good, livestream a whole panel or guest speaker’s talk.

During the event, designate someone to reply and share people’s posts. Your own attendees can provide some of the best posts about your event. Answer questions from people unable to physically be at the event. Replying and sharing content from your followers builds goodwill between them and your company.

Create social giveaways

Build up engagement for your event by creating a giveaway on your social pages. Set up a contest on Facebook or through your website. On event materials, include a QR code that scans to an official contest page or the social post describing it. Once again, this is also another opportunity to use your event hashtag.

If you need assistance with setting up your giveaway, Rafflecopter is an easy-to-use management tool. It helps set up your giveaway and allows you to share it via social media or emails.

Q&A on Twitter

A great way to engage with an event audience is via Twitter. Send out a few questions with your event hashtag to see if attendees have questions for your speakers. Encourage people at home to submit their own questions as well.

Polls are another way to interact with your attendees. Ask them which booth features they like the most or which speaker they enjoyed.

PresentersWall allows you to display questions from your audience and polls that you created. This app also lets attendees up-vote certain questions they want answered by you or the speaker. By using a laptop and projection screen, you can display these questions during your event.

Sli.do is also another event industry favorite option. No app required, attendees simply visit a custom URL and begin to voice their opinion!

Track and display all social media

Let your attendees be seen and heard during your event. The following platforms not only help track your user-generated content but allows you to share it live at your event.

Tagboard: This platform transfers real-time generated content by tracking hashtags, and can post it on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You can also share all of this content on a projection board during your event.

Eventifier: Similar to Tagboard, Eventifier allows you to hand pick what guest content can be displayed on your event projection board. However, it also grabs all event-related content that you can share at a later date.

Walls.io: Like the platforms above, Walls.io allows you to share event-related content on a display board during your event. It collects content from all social media platforms and can be embedded as a widget on your website.

AFTER THE EVENT

You’ve made it, your event is over, and everyone is headed home. Now it’s time to see how well your social team performed throughout the event.

Socialbakers can review content performance on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. Compare your event content to your competitors from this platform. Review which posts users engaged with, and use it to fuel what you’ll post next.

Remember social media is another great tool to help your event to the next level. By using any of the tools or practices above, you’ll boost your company’s message out to your attendees.

Guest Author Bio: Maddie Davis is co-founder of Enlightened Digital and a tech-obsessed female from the Big Apple. She lives by building and redesigning websites, running marathons, and reading anything and everything on the NYT Best Sellers list.

Amping up your event marketing and automating your attendee experiences?
Are you Boomset-ready?

UNCERTAINTY-BASED EVENT MANAGEMENT

Sun, 18 Nov 2018 22:00:18 -0500

We have a lot of expectations when it comes to our events. We tend to envision about an upcoming event. However, one must always be prepared for the unexpected, since uncertainty plays a huge role in the management of any event.

Events don’t happen in isolation. As the event management process unfolds, every individual meets other people who don’t see things the way you do. One of the essential aspects of an event manager is negotiation advancements. Such training helps you to manage your event successfully, especially regarding your interaction with sponsors, suppliers, and partners. Many successful event managers have undergone negotiation skills training and count what was learned as invaluable.

What’s one of the most important things an event manager should know? How to come up with effective ways to minimize uncertainty and maximize efficiency. For this, one needs to follow a three-step process. The first step is planning, the second is implementation, and the third is the evaluation. An event manager can eliminate uncertainty from the event in its entirety.

One might encounter four levels in an event management process. The degree of the uncertainty will define your role as the event manager.

1. VARIATION

Small unpredictable things often take place. Hitches affect the timeline and variations are relatively easy to address. As a manager, you need to troubleshoot the situation to get everything back on track.

For example, if you’re planning a corporate dinner, you might be caught in a situation where your kitchen staff is ready, but the meat hasn’t yet arrived. What should you do? Put the kitchen staff to work on something else while the event manager contacts the meat supplier.

Variations occur all the time when you’re planning events. A manager is expected to know how to deal on the spot, adjust the timeline, and take charge of the situation.

2. FORESEEN UNCERTAINTY

Uncertainty is defined as something that could happen but might not. You can recognize the potential for such a situation to occur. As a manager, you and your team need to put contingency plans in place. (Like if you’re planning an outdoor event, it might rain!)

Some situations do take place without any guarantee. However, since there is a possibility, the event manager makes alternative arrangements - such as making a provision for the indoor area. An event risk committee plays a big role here because one can brainstorm the various foreseen uncertainties and possible contingencies. Here, you can apply the negotiation training to work when implementing these contingencies with vendors and suppliers.

3. UNFORESEEN UNCERTAINTY

Uncertainties are unpredictable, and you cannot put contingencies in place to mitigate it. Event managers dread because problems will not always be easily addressed. For your corporate event, the keynote speaker may be involved in terrible traffic or delays while on the way due to unforeseen circumstances. The chances of some of these uncertainties are so remote that you wouldn’t have been able to foresee.

At this point, you realize that relationships with stakeholders are critical. You may have to rely on others to help you determine and implement solutions. Handle situations with tactics you learn in negotiation workshops. In a high-pressure situation and decisions need to be made with an immediate effect. It’s better to know how to negotiate with people to get to the best possible result.

4. CHAOS

Chaos is an event organizer’s worst nightmare. Uncertainty is the central theme around which an event is planned. One must have a set of defined goals that will help to overcome the qualms. A good deal of flexibility is expected from an event manager to ensure that the event goes smoothly. Sometimes an event manager is asked to take over a poorly planned event, remember this could be a challenging task that requires great flexibility from your side.

You need to be able to work with a team of people on the understanding that things are going to be challenging. A good manager can get everyone on board by implementing the skills in negotiation workshops. The key lies in overcoming any uncertainty that an event manager comes across while planning an event and the effort you put in beforehand counts. The best way is to break the event down into smaller pieces. Create a fixed timeline with a fixed set of priorities. Keep checklists to track your progress.

Evaluate and make changes when you see that your plans are not working out. Use your team to brainstorm all the variations and foresee the uncertainties. Also, event manager must decide on contingency plans that will work best. The team represents the manager while engaging with vendors, suppliers, and stakeholders. As a manager, you cannot be everywhere at once. The team has to negotiate on your behalf.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Specific tools can be used by the event manager in order to deal with the uncertainty, including checklists, timelines, and an event risk committee. The latter promotes teamwork and helps to keep an eye on an event and the accompanying risks from many different perspectives.

Count an event as a great investment in your business success to send your team on a negotiation seminar. Help an event manager to negotiate effectively and handle complex situations in a better way.

Guest Author Bio: Business negotiation training is the sole focus of The Negotiation Experts. They believe this gives their trainers and writers unique insights to deliver practical advice and training to clients and readers. Their website is packed with negotiation resources for buyers, sellers, and anyone needing to earn more yeses.

You can’t prevent uncertainty, but you can plan for efficiency when it comes to using event apps and entry management technology: