Category: event technology
ABCey Presents: 5 Ways to Use Instagram Stories for Your Next Event
Instagram Stories has opened the door to a new range of possibilities for both users and marketers, making it a great space to promote events. Thus, ABCey has created a list of our top 5 ways that you can use Instagram Stories for your next event!
1. Instagram Live Video
Record and show in real-time! You can shoot live video using Instagram Stories before, during, and after your event. This way, you can showcase your venue and promote event transparency. Backstage content is a great way to drive viewership and keep your audience interested. Filming behind the scenes will give users a sense of involvement/understanding of how event planning actaully works.
2. Q&As
Having a Q&A session is a good way to engage your audience. Your followers might have common questions about your event or are interested in knowing more about the event planning process. In this case, you can collect the most popular questions and answer them in a picture or video format on your stories.
3. Advertisement
There are so many ways you can advertise your event using Instagram Stories. You can promote your brand or upcoming event using appropriate hashtags; you can also place your event page link in your stories. There’s also Instagram Stories ads, which allow you to insert a short advert in between users stories. You can target your ads by reach, video views, traffic, conversions, app installs, and brand awareness.
4. Start A Poll
The good thing about Instagram Stories is that it lets you run quick surveys and take your audience’s pulse. Thus, if you have a dilemma while in the midst of planning an event, you can always ask your audience for their thoughts. This is a nice way to engage with your followers and make them feel that you value their opinion!
5. Influencer Takeover
It’s always good to change things up. Consider letting your event speaker, a performer, a sponsor or an influencer take over your account and engage with your audience. By providing a platform for others to push some of their own content, you’ll also be able to leverage the speaker’s own audience and marketing power, and drive impressions for your event.
What do you think of these ideas? Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
If you’re interested in learning more about events we’ve done for other San Francisco startups or Fortune 500 companies, click here.
ABCey’s Top 10 Trends in Projection Mapping & Lighting
New trends in projection mapping & lighting make events immersive and interactive for any sized audience! From lasers, to 3D projection mapping, to motorized lights, these trends will blow your mind and create a memorable event that your guests will never forget!
1. Motorized Lighting Structures
No matter how big your event is, Motorized lights are a great way to involve your whole audience and make them feel closer to the center of the event! These funky and fun lights will bring your event to the next level!
2. Lasers
Lasers will enhance any event! They have the ability to sync with your music, be programmed to draw shapes, project basic images on surfaces, and extend across your entire audience! Who wouldn’t want lasers at their event?
3. LED Beam/Spots
Whether it is a corporate event or a night out with friends, LED beam/spot lights make the experience colorful and fun! LED Beams/Spots are immersive lights that are placed on a beam and then programmed with colors, positions, cues, and patterned motions. These dynamic lights bring the room to life!
4. 3D Projection Mapping
3D projection maps are a must have at every event! The projection maps light onto 3D objects to bring them to life as engaging displays. These extraordinary displays make a great fit for reveals, brand launches, all kinds of presentations, concerts, entertainment events and corporate events! Not to mention, they’re fun and cool to look at!
5. Sports Arena Projection Mapping & Lighting
Make any sports game more interactive and fun by adding projection lighting! Use these lights to entice more people to buy tickets and boost sales! Projection lighting can be used after a goal is scored, an exciting half-time show and so much more!
6. Hologram Videos
Spinifex Group created an awesome hologram videohfor Buick Shanghai Auto Show! Hologram videos are a great feature for all kinds of events!
7. Interactive Projection Mapping
Interactive projection mapping is the perfect addition to any event! This new technology is the best way to get guest’s feedback as well as engage with your audience!
8. GostMESH
TDC presents the newest updates in projection fabrics: GostMesh! This incredible new technology combined with projection allows for a one of a kind experience. GostMESH creates bright moving images that are sure to make your event venue pop!
9. Architectural Video Mapping
Make your next event an experience your guests will never forget! Architectural video mapping will make your event an out of this world experience by transforming the event venue into absolutely anything you want!
10. Neon Black Lights
Neon UV Black lights makes any event venue extraordinary! Turn your bland ordinary event space into a funky glow in the dark black light party!
How would you use this new and exciting technology to improve your event? What’re your favorite trends in projection mapping & lighting? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter?
ABCey’s #TechTuesday – The Bosco
#TechTuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. ABCey would like to recognize these up and coming technologies for their innovative ideas and impact on the event world! In today’s #TechTuesday, we present to you The Bosco!
What is The Bosco?
Looking to upgrade from a classic photobooth? The Bosco will help you do just that! Their five products create extra branding opportunities as well as opportunities to bring photos to life in GIF form. All of their products are sure ways to get people raving about your next event!
GIF Booth
The Bosco was the creator of the OG GIF Booth! GIF booths combine multiple images into an animated picture for guests to send themselves, use for social media, and as branded print outs of the photos! ABCey most recently used one of their amazing GIF Booth’s at the Sephora VIB Rouge SF Flagship Launch Party!
The Multicam
The newest product to the Bosco lineup is the Multicam. Eight cameras all capture one moment creating a really cool 3D effect. Once users take their photos, the images are then branded and uploaded to the interest so users can share them across their social media accounts!
The Bosco Lite
The Bosco Lite is the non-printing version of the GIF Booth. Using an iPad, users make their GIF and then the GIF is branded and shared on the internet! This extremely portable machine is a great addition to any event!
Video Booth
The Video Booth is based off of the video confessional booths you have seen in a lot of reality TV shows, (The Bachelor, any MTV show). Using an iPad, the user records their video. The booth has the capability to brand the video and upload to the internet where users have the opportunity to share the video to their social media pages. Finally, the booth also prints out a branded print as well! The Video Booth combines, video, social media sharing and printing to make an awesome experience for any partygoer!
#Print uses social media hashtags to print out user photos! Partygoers take photos on their phone and use the designated party hashtag and upload the photo to their social media accounts. #Print will find the photo using the hashtag and print a branded version of the photo!
We love The Bosco and have used products at various events! It is a great way to add branding to an event while also giving attendees a fun activity and something to remember!
Will you be using a photobooth for your next event? Want to try something new and exciting like The Bosco? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
7 Tech Gadgets for Event Professionals
Welcome to the digital age! Yes, robots taking over can be scary, but technology can also be used for good. With so many gizmos and tools on the market, we want to keep you in with some of the top must-haves for event tech. ABCey Events has compiled a list of 7 great tech gadgets and apps for all event professionals to help make your job just a little bit easier!
7 Tech Gadgets and Apps for Events
1. Measuring Tools: Camera measuring app
Whether you want to know the measurements at a site visit, or see if the venue will fit a certain event prop, knowing exactly how much room you have is important. Instead of struggling with a regular measuring tape, turn your iPhone into a measuring tool with the EasyMeasure app! This app uses your camera to measure your distance from an object and dimensions of an image. Simply point your camera, click, and get very accurate measurements!
2. HD Livestream Broadcaster
It sucks when guests can’t make it your event, but they can still be part of the event action with livestream broadcasting! Event tech gadgets, like Livestream’s Broadcaster Pro, allow you to broadcast your event live in HD! You can easily attach this to any HDMI camera or your smartphone’s Livestream app. Then, click play and you’ll be recording live! Help guests who couldn’t make it, get your event noticed, and let people see how tech savvy you are!
3. Lightwave: Biometric sensor-equipped wristbands
Did you ever want to know how your guests are feeling? Now you can with Lightwave wristbands! These sensor wristbands pick up on a person’s body temperature, movement, and other biometric data. You can then use this data to adjust your event in real time. Change everything from the lighting brightness to music tempo and mic volume to create the perfect balance!
4. Digital Portable Scanner
If you’re an event professional on the go, it’s hard to keep track of documents, floor plans, proposals, and more! And, now that we live in the digital age, having hard copies of papers is almost pointless. To help fix this problem, try a digital portable scanner! With this magic wand, you can take physical copies of important docs and scan them to make digital copies. This way you won’t ever lose a contract, bank statement, or receipt ever again!
5. Crowd Mic App
It’s great to hear from your audience, but walking around to each person in a crowd with a microphone can be a hassle. Crowd Mic’s app lets any event guest’s smartphone become a microphone. Tap to request to speak, and the presenter can accept it, mute you, and let everyone speak with the open mic mode. Also, this app lets you have live polls and text, so you can directly connect with your attendees. Don’t make your staff run around and engage your guests with this fun event tech!
6. Google Chrome Work Devices
Make your virtual meetings a breeze with Google Chrome Devices! Google has devices and packages that can include everything from speakers, a remote control, a mechanical pan and tilt HD camera, tech support, and the physical Chromebox system/core processor. In addition, the box is equipped with Google app software which makes it easy to share docs, spreadsheets, Google invitations and more! Next time you have a virtual conference call, use this event gadget to help your video conference run smoothly!
7. Portable Projector
As an event prof, you have to be prepared for the worst, like your projector breaking down! Instead of having a massive projector, get a small portable projector. These are great for both meeting presentations and displaying videos or images at your parties! For a great all purpose projector, check out the Epson PowerLite Multimedia Projector. Not only does it project high quality data, videos, and photos, but it also connects directly and wirelessly to phones, computers, tablets, and USB memory drives. Give attendees a great presentation with a remote or a mouse control, and easily carry this 3.7 pound projector in your bag!
Do you plan on using any of these event gadgets for your events? Let us know in the comments below and on Facebook or Twitter!
5 Tips to Successfully Use Instagram for Your Event Business
Instagram has easily become one of the most popular social media apps. In 2016, it’s estimated that 500+ million people use Instagram monthly, 300 million daily, and 58% of Instagram users are 18-29 years old. Why is this important to Event Profs? Because this means Instagram can allow you to reach a larger audience, including millenials!
There are tons of research on the Instagram usage and the ways businesses can utilize it. Also, it’s important to stay up to date with what’s going on with your instagram account. So ABCey Events has created 5 tips to successfully use Instagram for your event business!
1. What to post
First, you need an Instagram account! If you don’t have one, just scroll down to #5 for tips to create the perfect account. Okay, you have an account or just created one, but now what? What do I post? hint: See below to see what types of content to post!
Types of Posts
1. Have a story: Let your followers feel like they are a part of your business and on the inside of the event action with story-like posts! However, don’t post straight advertisements. Instead, have a variety of images from selfies to video interviews. There is no limit to the content you post!
Similarly, studies suggest users want to experience the story rather than see plain objects. Salesforce found most users liked, “amusing, creative, beautiful, and inspiring” content. So maximize your Instagram reach by captivating images, posting entire event processes, features of event speakers and famous attendees, inspirational quotes, and especially human faces!
2. Relatable posts: Keep followers by posting stuff they can relate to! By fusing scenes and possible scenarios that can happen in everyday life with your products and services, followers can see how useful your products and services are!
https://www.instagram.com/p/0tpeJfAUUf/?taken-by=nike
3. Business posts: Advertise your business by posting your sponsors, events, and brand. Do this by sharing images about your sponsors in colorful and fun photos. Additionally, try to get other users, special guests, and famous people to post/tag/hashtag about your event and company. More and more people are basing their decisions on what they see on social media. Therefore, you can grow your business by having ambassadors give you some exposure!
But be careful! No one wants their entire feed filled with obvious advertisements. Learn about event marketing on Instagram below (#4 Instagram for Events).
2. Strategic Posting
Previously, we mentioned that Instagram accounts are more successful when the types of posts are different. But here are other things you can do to boost likes, follows, and comments!
1. Editing your posts: Studies have found what specific aspects of a post make them more popular. They found more people like photos with the Mayfair filter! Also, the 2nd and 3rd most liked filtered photos are #nofilter and Inkwell, respectively. In addition, you’re more likely to get likes on images that are brighter with a single dominant color, especially blue, and background space than others! Don’t forget to use Geographical locations and connect with users by a shared location. Check out Curalate’s full study for more tips.
2. Posting times: Don’t pester and annoy followers! If you are posting multiple times a day, spread them out. However, most studies suggest posting only 5-7 times throughout the week. Specifically, your best bet is to get the most likes by posting on Wednesday from 5-6pm! Additionally, don’t stress about posting right on time and schedule posts with apps like Hootsuite and Schedugram.
3. Gain followers, grow your business
1. Instagram interaction: By interacting with users, you’re sure to gain and keep followers! First off, you can simply ask questions and inviting captions that lead people to comment. From re-gramming someone’s post related to your business/event, tagging companies, responding to comments, commenting on and liking posts, and giving shout outs to your loyal followers, show your followers you care and value their support!
2. Spoil your followers: Reward your followers well by posting announcements, contests, and special offers! You can have them follow, like photos, comment, hashtag, and tag your account to be entered to win prizes and special offers! This encourages people to follow you, as they will be the first to see when you are holding contests. Now you have followers promoting your event and business to others!
4. Instagram for Events
Now, for all you event profs, we have Instagram tricks to make your next event a success!
1. #Hashtag: Make sure you use hashtags to help people discover your Instagram. Use both specific hashtags and popular hashtags so people can find your event/company easily! One study found that interactions increased with 11 hashtags, but most studies suggested using 5-10 hashtags. If your choose to include many, hide them by commenting your hashtags or hiding them many lines below your main caption. This way followers don’t get annoyed seeing them!
2. The Event: You can use Instagram to entertain your attendees and market your next event! Encourage users to post images and include your event specific hashtag in the caption. Then, companies like instafeedlive, will display them on screens around the event, making your guests feel special!
In addition, by simply using your event hashtag, your guests can leave your event with memorabilia! Printers, like Photoboxx and Luster, scan Instagram for your event hashtag and print the images out instantly. Also, you can allow guests to print a postcard and polaroid picture when they hashtag their photos! Learn more about them here. So give your event and company immediate publicity and get these tools at your next event!
3. Event hype: When showing the story of your event, there are tons of things to capture! Post about the event before, during, and after to keep the event fresh in your follower’s minds. First get them excited with behind the scene images of the venue set up with your event team hard at work! Moreover, use Instagram to not only remind followers when tickets go on sale, but also hype up attendees with event fliers and countdown day photos. This makes them feel like they are right in the middle of the everything happening at the event!
5. Creating Perfect Profile
Your profile is extremely important as it’s how they judge your account! Therefore, you need to be sure that your Instagram looks like something they should follow.
1. Your Bio: First, create a bio description that is short, fun, and interesting. But it still needs to say your business name or who you are, what your business does, and make it unique!
2. Get them to your website: If you didn’t know, links on your photo captions don’t work. Thus, the only link to get people to your website is in your bio. So make sure you include your website link, and any other informative names you want people to search and find you by (ex: Event Planner).
3. First impression/Profile pic: Along with photos and your bio, users see your profile picture first. Get a good quality photo of your logo or a picture that represents your company to bring in more followers!
How are you going to use Instagram at your next event? Tell use in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter. Also, follow us on Instagram!
Top 3 Tech Trends for 2016
Who’s ready to kick off the New Year? As we say goodbye to 2015, and move forward into 2016, there’s a few technological developments that are just too good to leave behind! These trends are taking huge strides in not only the tech world, but the event planning industry!
ABCey explored 3 of the Top Tech Trends for this upcoming year! From planning to entertainment, these trends have been proven to be extremely beneficial for a successful event!
1) AFFECTIVA
Want to know what your guests are thinking? Affectiva has analyzed over 3.5 million faces to match expressions with emotions. This software has app capabilities that enable it to analyze an audience’s interest and reactions to give the host better insight on the crowd’s engagement level. Their online demo gives you an idea of how it works!
2) GEORAMA
Not enough hours in the day? No problem! Georama has made it easy for event planners to find anything from an event venue to entertainment- no car required! These live virtual tours can take place from something as small as your phone with two way audio capabilities so all questions can be addressed. Not to mention, these tours are access code friendly, which provides the luxury of privacy!
3) OCULUS RIFT
As we dive deeper into the 2000’s we can expect our technological development to expand with us. Live experience interaction is no longer a foreign topic when it comes to events. Trends like Oculus Rift, allow educational conferences to become less boring and more interactive! What was once a conference room could now be an exotic land, and this tech device can be utilized for training and simulation purposes to create a more “real world” experience.
We can’t wait to see what the future holds for event planning. What trends do you like the best? Let us know in the comments below or find us on Facebook and Twitter!
5 Unique Options for Event Registration
Registration for large events can be quicker and more steamlined thanks to new event tech on the rise. This is crucial for massive events because it allows improvement of the guests experience in terms of a fast and easy check-in, instant data collection, and even payment options. ABCey will explore 5 different registration programs and the strategies some of these top companies use to check in thousand of guests!
1. RFID tech
What is RFID tech? RFID stands for radio-frequency identification which utilizes electromagnetic fields in order to transfer data to objects with tracking tags that hold even more electronically stored information. A Montreal based company Connect & Go is a leader in the in this tech. In a project they did for WE day, they created bracelets embedded with tech that allowed for guests to register before the event and could also connect the bands to their email, facebook, and twitter. And of course, take selfies at event kiosks and instantly save them.
2. Online Registration Software
Custom online registration software allows users to implement ones own registration creation. Etouches is an online registration software and tracking platform that allows the user to implement the registration questions, agenda, and check in while also being able to creatively tailor the fonts, colors, and logos so that they are cohesive with your event. You can print badges with bar and QR codes for your guests.
3. Mobile Check-In App
Since everyone has their phones on hand mobile check in seems like the most obvious choice, especially with the rise of new mobile applications that can personalize and simplify the event check in process. One such mobile app called Boomset assists the event manager with just that. You can make a variety of registration adjustments straight from your phone and can even collect guest selfies upon check in to immediately print badges or store for your records!
4. WordPress Event Registration
WordPress has a function that allows admin users to curate their own event check-in guest list as well as offers editing features for detailed transcripts on registered guests and easy payments. There are multiple WordPress plugins you can utilize for event management. Event Manager has all these features and is even integrated with Google Maps.
5. Event Marketing Companies
Try an all in one event marketing company that merges multiple tech aspects to get the job done. Make your event registration as high tech as possible like the company FISH! They offer a “Live Event Operating Systems” which means they offer a multitude of registration options including pre-registration, mobile, and onsite registration.
With all this new technology on the rise the future of registering and data sharing for events is endless! Tell us which tech seems the most effective to you in the comments below, or find us on facebook or twitter!
Using Technology to Enhance Guest Experience
In an era of apps, event planners are not only utilizing technology on the back end, but are starting to incorporate wireless technology into the events themselves to enhance guest experience. For marketing professionals, it’s also interesting to think about how some of these new trends can be leveraged to further elevate your brand. Lets take a look at a few examples of this in action:
1. RFID Technology
Music festivals such as California’s Coachella Festival and Belgium’s Tomorrowland music festival use radio frequency identification technology, RFID, wristbands in lieu of admission tickets. This not only makes festival entrance a little more seamless, but as an added social benefit where daily attendees can check into stages and otherwise connect with one another.
Tennessee’s Bonnaroo music festival also allowed attendees to swipe their wrist bands at various photo booths around the festival and have the photos automatically upload to their Microsoft OneDrive cloud account.
2. Snapchat’s Our Story
We saw the power of the event hashtag with Instagram and Twitter, being able to remotely browse pictures and tweets from an event. Now, Snapchat’s Our Story features aggregates users ‘snaps’ happening at an event into one fun photo,video story. The implications of adding a new level local and remote awareness to your event could be huge.
3. 3D Selfies
With the increasing popularity of 3D printing, companies like Shapeways bring a whole new dimension to the selfie. Party goers interested strike a pose, hold still for about two minutes while a camera works its magic. Two weeks later, your mini-me arrives on your door stop. The ultimate party favor!
Have you seen any of these technology innovations at events you’ve attended? Any other impressive uses of technology in the events? Tell us about it in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
Go Mobile: Event Apps We Can’t Get Enough Of
Staying connected to events and conferences is key for many attendees and event planners these days. Today, we’d like to introduce you to some of our favorite apps to keep your event running smoothly and connected with attendees! We love these apps and can’t imagine planning future events and conventions without them!
1. Attendify: This app builder lets you pick from two stunning interfaces and it guidesyou step by step. This feature eliminates all guesswork and gives you the ability to post last minute changes and information about your event. We love the ease of use, and simple step by step guides!
2. EventMobi: EventMobi features tons of interactive and engaging features to keep everyone up to date about your event and agenda. With its simple drag and drop customization, you can highlight and emphasize the most important features of your event. EventMobi goes one step further and allows you to include your event logo and branding, a feature we are head over heels with!
3. Live Cube: This all in one gamefication app allows you to create the ultimate engaging experience. We love the incorporation of social interaction, agendas, and gaming, as well as polls and surveys. We can’t get enough of its interactive interface!
4. Planspot: Want to place your event on social media platforms and broadcast it? Planspot can help by putting all of the information for your event, registration, and links in one sector and promoting it. What we love about this app is the ability to track conversations about it on Twitter and Facebook from one platform!
5. DoubleDutch: This San Francisco based company has the goal to create the most user friendly app for your event! They even create subsets within the same app for multiple venues as well as an Offline Mode, which we love for those times when WiFi and data coverage get tough.
What mobile event apps have you used for your conference or event? Which ones are you faves? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!
Friday Five: Event Startups We Love!
The dynamic event industry enables ABCey to keep an eye on unique event startups that will help create an unforgettable experience! Here are five of our favorites that can inspire you to start planning your next occasion.
1. EventWith: When planning an event, it can be overwhelming to determine who handles each task. With collaborative planning on the rise, this user-friendly service assists you in deciding when the event will take place, who brings what, and the budgeting needs. Specific features include the division of group lists and tasks in a timely fashion! Check out how it works by watching the video: EventWith – What is it all about?
2. Boomset: Guest list check-in becomes a lot simpler with this innovative service! Forget long lines, now you can check guests in within seconds. Additional services offered include badge printing, and an opportunity to make a donation right then and there through Stripe or Paypal. Pricing is quite affordable for the services you will be provided with!
3. TableCrowd: If you are new to a city, industry, or hobby, it can be tough to find others that are alike. Find those with common interests by meeting and eating! It is simple to start a table, and all you have to do is a pick a restaurant and theme. The service will tell members all about it, and you can also invite friends! Options to join a table that already has a set location and theme is another easy option.
4. Seats.io: Developing the seating chart for an event can be a daunting task. Make your seating chart in a fun and simple way! This service provides an online seating chart drawing tool that can create rows and automatic seat numbering. With the click of the mouse, guests can choose their own seating. The seating charts are also available on any smartphone device for your guests to have full access to!
5. SlideKlowd: Presentations can serve as important elements at events. In order to keep your audience engaged, share your slides to any device! Real-time audience responses can be captured, allowing you to follow up with your participants and create an interactive environment. Guests can ask questions and submit comments for you to respond to. Presenters also have the ability to monitor attention levels and receive direct feedback from their audience!
These 5 event startups can bring innovation to your next event and make it stand out amongst others! Which would you use to leave a lasting impression?! Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!