93% of events apps offer engagement tools to provide the right information to users, offer monetization opportunities, gather data to improve events, and allow interactions. The drone market is predicted to nearly double in 2016 and almost triple by 2017, allowing event organizers to capture creative photos and map venues. Virtual reality will create a $2.8 billion hardware market by 2020, changing events through virtual site inspections, attendance, and booth demonstrations. Responsive design, internet of things, beacons, wearables, mobile payments, security, and Wi-Fi are all trends that will impact the event industry in 2016.

1. engagement
apps
93% of events apps on the market offer
engagement tools. *
How to ensure your app will be a success:
• Provide the right information to the right users
• Offer app monetization opportunities
• Gather data to improve events and content
• Include engagement tools to allow interactions
*Event Apps are Dead: Welcome the Event Remote Control
(Webinar), Event MB & etouches, October 2015
drones The drone market is predicted to nearly
double next year and almost triple by 2017.*
How event organizers can exploit drones:
• Capture creative event photos of venue
and surrounding area
• Map out the venue for GPS
• Show off your total number of attendees
*5 Disruptive Tech Trends That Could Dominate in 2016,
The Motley Fool, September 2015
virtual reality
$2.8 billion hardware market by 2020.*
Virtual reality shipments will create a
How VR will change the event industry:
• Virtual site inspections for planning
• Virtual attendance and training
• Booth engagement via games and
immersive product demonstrations
*The Virtual Reality Report, Business Insider, April 2015
responsive
design
Traffic to non-mobile websites
from Google mobile searches fell 12% after
Mobilegeddon.*
Which content should be responsive:
• Webpages for events
• Mobile event apps
• Email marketing efforts
*Digital Advertising Report, Adobe Digital Index, May 2015
internet of
things (loT)
By 2016, the IoT market will surpass the PC,
tablet, and phone market combined.*
Benefits of IoT for event participants:
• “Smart” name badges to share business
cards, open hotel rooms, and more
• Monitoring food and beverage levels
• Presentations controlled from devices
*The Internet of Everything, Business Insider, April 2015
INTERNET
OF THINGS
BLE and
beacons
65% of smartphone owners would rather learn of
a promotion from their phone over a sales associate.*
What beacons can do for events:
• Measure crowd flow to eliminate bottlenecks
• Automated and targeted push notifications
• Improve scavenger hunt gamification
*http://venturebeat.com/2014/01/15/ibeacon-retailers
50% OFF
order now!
wearables Worldwide wearables market to grow to around
155.7 million units by 2019.*
How event guests will use wearables:
• Quickly glance at event alerts and notifications
• Respond to audience polling questions
• Record and track CEU credits
*http://www.statista.com/statistics/296565/wearables-
worldwide-shipments
mobile
payments Nearly one in five smartphone users will use
mobile payments by 2016.*
How attendees will use mobile payments:
• Event registration
• Certification and training costs
• Donations and silent auction bidding
*Mobile Payments Will Triple in the US in 2016, eMarketer,
October 2015
$
mobile
security 25% of all mobile devices encounter a threat
each month.*
Event tech security practices:
• Use complex passwords
• Limit user access to critical data
• Communicate security policies to members
*https://www.skycure.com/blog/skycure-study-2015-
best-worst-tourist-attractions-for-mobile-security
venue wi-fi By 2018, mobile device and Wi-Fi connections
will surpass wired connections. *
Wi-Fi standards for event organizers:
• Determine Wi-Fi importance based on
audience needs
• Secure your Wi-Fi network with
password protection
• Conduct an onsite speed test
*Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast
Update 2014–2019 White Paper, Cisco, February 2015
Event Tech Trends to
Watch for 201610