ABCey’s #TechTuesday: Top 5 Smart Badges for Your Next Event!

#TechTuesday highlights the best and brightest ideas in the tech world. Technology is designed to make our lives easier, especially as event planners. With an innovative smart badge, you are able to make things much simpler for attendees, exhibitors, and yourself! Today’s #TechTuesday features a list of amazing smart badges we LOVE!

Why use smart badges?

Smart badges can simplify your event by promoting deeper networking connections between attendees, or by providing a simple method of sharing and exchanging contact information. They can also give event planners access to foot traffic and real-time analytics for their events. Exhibitors can benefit by easily sharing access to information to attendes, and can determine which guests are valuable prospects.

1. RFID Badges and LED Tech

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JficYgaK8j8

With the addition of smart LED tech, you can enhance any attendee’s experience! Whether it’s a lanyard or a bracelet, it will come alive and you can decide when. You can choose to light it up at a specific moment, signal an upcoming segment, or set up to interact with sensors, too. You can see them in action in the Coldplay concert in 2016 featured above!

2. SmartTrac by Hubvents

SmartTrac benefits all. For exhibitors, it notifies them when potential prospects enter their booths. How? With an analysis of attendees’ profiles and behavioral attributes! Moreover, attendees receive and event journey report that includes all their connections, booth visits, and more. Event planners can get an overview of foot traffic and interactions to see which attractions were most popular and for future improvement.

3. eventBit by Experient

EventBit has many features your guests will love! We’re all guilty of checking Yelp to look for recommendations.. EventBit can do that for you, but for booths you’d enjoy based on your preferences. In addition, it provides networking opportunities for attendees based on matching interests. Goodbye to awkward small talk! When the event is over, your guests can receive links to access information relevant to their event journeys.

4. Proxfinity

Unique features of Proxfinity are the options to brand the badge and to program a specific topic of interest! This will elicit conversations that sponsors and clients intended for the event. Event planners love that Proxfinity provides useful metrics! It includes meaningful interactions made per person, connections between demographics, topics that drive connections and conversations, and much more!

5. LiGo by Limefy

Like eventBit, this badge signals to guests when someone with mutual interests are in close proximity with flashing lights. Now your guests can spend more time engaging in meaningful connections! Guests are able to easily exchange contact information with each other with a personalized timeline. Additionally, attendees are able to access exhibitor and fellow attendee portals with a messaging platform available if they want to contact them!

Will you use smart badges?

We love smart badges, and we hope now you do too! Are there any that we missed? Will you be using any of our smart badges at your event? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter! If you’d like to see our past #TechTuesday blogs, click here.

ABCey’s Startup Monday: Loopd

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that showcases some of the most innovative startups based in San Francisco! These are often companies that we have our eye on or have worked with in the past. This week, we are putting the spotlight on Loopd!

What is Loopd?

Loopd is an event engagement platform aimed to make networking easier and to access to relevant marketing materials for your attendees, but it doesn’t stop there! Loopd is a great tool that benefits event planners and booth staff, too! It allows you to track guest traffic information, view interaction history and follow up with attendees!

How does it work?

Loopd is able to provide information and promote engagement with two devices: Bluetooth beacons and chips located in lanyards! Beacons are placed around the venue and communicate with the chips around guests’ necks to allow for location-tracking tools. For guests to share networking information, a simple tap between their badges can help exchange all needed information! Talk about convenient. To receive materials from any booth you visited at the event, a quick look to the app will give you access to all the fliers and promotions from the exhibitor! As event planners, you are able to track how successful your event is with real time analytics and to see what attracts the most guests.

Why we love Loopd!

Aside from the networking capabilities and analytics, Loopd also cuts down on check in and check out times! Event planners always find ways to cut down on waiting times to prevent boring guests, and Loopd is an amazing solution. With this technology, guests are able to cut down on their carbon footprint by networking through the badges instead of passing out business cards. Also, it eliminates the need for printed fliers since it can be shared through the app!

Have you had to opportunity to use Loopd or interested in trying it out? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

If you’d like to see other San Francisco startups we’ve featured before, click here.

ABCey’s #TechTuesday – Social Tables

#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 Social Tables, an awesome event planning software!

What is Social Tables?

Social Tables is event planning software that streamlines the floor plan and guest list creating process. We love Social Tables because of all its customizable features as well as their dedication to helping users maximize the software. It is cloud based so you can access your diagrams from anywhere and those shared on the event can get up to date changes as they are being made. Social Tables provides a customer success planner which helps you with any problems you might be having with the software. They can also coordinate with venues to get a floor plan if the software does not currently have it. We love that all these features truly let users personalize events to their needs and create very accurate representations of their upcoming event!

Creating Floor Plans

An awesome feature on Social Tables is their floor plan creator. You can take floor plans from the actual venue site and pull furniture etc. from the menu bar to create a realistic depiction of the floor plan. That floor plan can also come to life in a 3D rendering. Once you add tables to your layout, Social Tables also gives you the opportunity to create a seating chart. If you tend to work with a specific furniture company your customer success planner can also coordinate with the company to upload their furniture to the floor plan creator. If you choose to share the floor plan with vendors you can give them a handy equipment list.

Managing Guest Lists

Social Tables also allows you to upload a guest list. You can use that guest list to seat people around tables on the floor plan. Additionally, you’re able to tag guests as “VIPs” or group certain guests together that you know should sit together. This guest list also proves helpful the day of the event. Using an iPad, you can check in guests as doors. If there are multiple entrances the guest list will automatically be updated to all tablets so you can see if guests have checked at any other entrances. If you have any VIP members you can receive texting notifications when they check in as well.

Have you tried Social Tables? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Monday: DoubleDutch-Live Engagement Marketing Platform

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on, or have worked with in the past & would like to share with friends and followers of ABCey Events! In today’s Startup Monday, we highlight a live engagement platform and mobile app: DoubleDutch!

As event professionals, we always try to create better experiences for our event attendees. It’s also important we have right tools for the event to run smoothly. Afterward, we really want to learn from the event, so that our next one is even better! So, how do we manage all this information? With DoubleDutch, you’re able to do all those things and more!

DoubleDutch Live Engagement Platform:

This company’s main product is their live engagement platform, which helps everyone from sponsors, attendees, planners, exhibitors, and marketers! Under this platform, there are 5 different sections: Studio, Event App, Lead Manager, Performance Manager, and Exhibitor Portal. All of these applications help to improve the event process and the overall success of the event!

Studio

First, customize your app and plan your event with DoubleDutch’s Studio! After you create the perfect app that matches your brand, use Studio to send out event invites to promote your app and event. In addition, manage your event content including: agendas, interactive maps, event information, user profiles, and more. And thats not all! You can help your sponsors advertise their posts, achievements, and activity to your guests!

Event App

Having an app for your event will be sure to impress attendees, but it’s also great for event professionals and will make your guests’ event experience so much easier! For event producers, the DoubleDutch Event app lets you give out attendee lists, surveys, polls, Q&A’s, direct messages as well as set up gaming aspects and forums. Also, attendees can create their agendas, and see profiles of sponsors, exhibitors, and speakers!

Performance Manager

Learn what worked and what didn’t with their Performance Manager! During the event, you can easily see how the event is going, what your guests like the most, poll/survey results, and more. Now you have tons of info that tells you how your event went and valuable insight for the next ones!

Exhibitor Portal

Your event exhibitors and sponsors will love Double Dutch too! Because the Exhibitor Portal lets exhibitors contact and understand their attendees, they are set to have a better booth and business! From customizing exhibitor’s app profiles and scheduling meetings to managing staff and giving offers to guests, there is nothing this app doesn’t do!

Lead Management

Finally, their platform has a Lead Management application to help you market your event! It looks at attendees’ actions, interests, and engagement, so that you can make informed decisions. Also, your attendees will love when DoubleDutch gives them recommendations on connections/sessions based on their activity at an event! Try their demo and see how DoubleDutch can improve your events!

Integration and Security

Are you currently using a different registration system? DoubleDutch has the answer! In addition to their platform, this company has added integration features that allow you to combine schedules, profiles, etc. from more than 100 other registration systems! They make it that easy!

You can also integrate with Salesforce and Marketo to have the best marketing campaigns and CRM services! Now you can use their platform with the info and work you already have. There are also security measures that make sure your data and event is safe!

Are you planning to use DoubleDutch? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!

Startup Spotlight: Snapcastr

Startup Monday is ABCey’s weekly post that features some of the best and brightest companies in the Bay Area. They are often companies that we have our eye on or have worked with in the past & would like to share with friends and followers of ABCey Events!

A growing trend that has been sweeping almost every event blog is the necessity for audience engagement and interaction! Conferences, Festivals, and Sporting events all call for larger scale audiences that must be enticed to attend, excited through out, and anticipating the event return for the coming year. So, the question is, how do we as event planners create this buzz? This Monday, we would like to highlight Snapcastr, a tech-driven company that provides all of these solutions through their social media platform!

THE BUILD UP!

Before we get to the main attraction, we must have a plan of action, and Snapcastr certainly does! Their #Hashtag Campaign supplies companies with clear marketing and event strategies from the very beginning to ensure that promotion is being maximized. In addition, their Social Event Display optimizes on audience connection. These event displays are customizable to create a unique and exclusive feel that can educate and boost audience interaction! By the way, sponsors they did not forget you! These displays have a space for your logos to market your companies and thank you for your support!

WE’VE ARRIVED!

Integrating social media interaction at an event is no longer a question, it’s a MUST. Snapcastr’s Live Social Wall enables guests to feel connected with their live tweets, posts, and shared experiences utilizing the hashtag you created with the #Hashtag Campaign! However, it doesn’t stop there.

Hosting a sporting event anytime soon? The FanPhoto feature creates guest incentive to tweet and promote your event at a chance to be featured on their team’s video board or Jumbotron!

Not sold yet? We have a few more to share! The Leaderboard feature highlights your top fans, top contributors, and/or top influencers! This is a great way to recognize your fans for their dedication or your contributors and influencers for their amazing support!

Have an opinion you want to share? Twitter Polling enables guests to participate in polls concerning your event, which will not only keep them engaged, but it will give you some great insight to their interests and what they’re looking for!

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

One of the best features of this company is the data capabilities that come with it! With all of these social media platforms being utilized, moderation and control is a necessity, and Snapcastr provides it. Interested in knowing your guest’s thoughts? The reporting features enables you to measure fan impact based on conversations. As well, you can monitor the growth of your social media accounts with real time analytics. This capability is a great way to track your success and pinpoint any problematic errors to ensure growth for the upcoming year!

What’s your favorite feature of our Startup Monday featuring Snapcastr? Let us know in the comments below or message us on Facebook or Twitter!

StartUp Monday: Intercom

We are really excited about this gem we found! Intercom is designed to increase sales and foster customer loyalty, by combining all aspects of helpdesk, email marketing and automated marketing! Its goal is to let companies start meaningful dialogue with customers depending on who they are, and how they’re using an online product. It’s a whole new dimension in customer service, and designed by former employees of Facebook, Apple, Google and Amazon, they must have something special!

Using a simple JavaScript code on your website or app, developers can use this product to track customers as they sign in. Using this data, companies are able to interact with customers more easily, with on-the-spot messages divided based on customer demographics! Intercom looks at many descriptors of customers online behavior as to more effectively interact with them. This is beneficial for the company and the customers because the company learns how to make the customer happier!

Reviews say Intercom is easy to use and the pricing is refreshingly transparent! They are aiming to replace platforms such as Zendesk for customer support. We are really excited about it because as connoisseurs of digital marketing strategies, we love to see innovative new ideas that make it easier for companies and customers to interact and engage!

Would you use this tool for your next website or app? Do you think it’s helpful for customers? We’d love to hear what you think in the comments below, or on Facebook and Twitter!

Juice Up: CAN CAN Cleanse

As an event planner, I often spend long hours on my feet and staying energized is important! I was excited to receive a call last week from Teresa at CAN CAN Cleanse asking me if I wanted to try their new “Drink +Eat” Ra-Ra Cleanse. I am a big fan of juice cleanses, as they are especially great after having over indulged in unhealthy foods and alcohol, or even when you just feel the need to re-boot and kick-start your system. I often recommend these to brides-to-be, since they are also a quick way to slim down or jumpstart a healthier lifestyle!

For those who don’t know CAN CAN Cleanse, it is a nutritional (mostly liquid) cleanse program that gives your body a break from the stress and toxins of your on-the-go lifestyle. Their are a variety of different cleanses offered through CAN CAN, such as the Power Cleanse, the Green Cleanse, and now the Ra-Ra. Most cleanses have options for 1-Day, 3-Day, or 5-Day, which is great for beginners and those that are more advanced cleansers.

The cleanse I tried this time was the Ra-Ra, which is a cool new partnership between CAN CAN and Blue Barn Gourmet. Each day of your cleanse you’ll consume 6 beverages and one Blue Barn Gourmet Raw Salad in this suggested order:

8:00am #1 Lemon Ginger Juice -Lemon, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cayenne, Filtered Water
9:00am #2 Green Juice – Cucumber, Celery, Parsley, Kale, Cabbage, Broccoli, Fennel, Spinach, Romaine, Lemon, Ginger, Apple. I prefer mine without the apple as I’m not a huge fruit juice person, but for most this helps cut the green taste.
10:30am #3 Cardamom Dandelion Tea – Dried Dandelion Leaves, Filtered Water (Herbal)
12:30pm #4 Winter Orange Soup – Carrot, Butternut Squash, Onion, Garlic, Celery, Ginger, Cayenne, Cumin, Curry, Cinnamon, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Sea Salt, Filtered Water
2:30pm #5 Spiced Apple Juice – Apple, Fennel, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Filtered Water. I switched this one out for the nut-milk.
4:30pm #6 Green Juice – Cucumber, Celery, Parsley, Kale, Cabbage, Broccoli, Fennel, Spinach, Romaine, Lemon, Ginger, Apple
7:00pm #7 Detox Salad – Chicory, Spinach, Lacinto Kale, Carrot, Cucumber, Celery, Radish, Apple, Quinoa, Flax, Chia, Hemp Seed, Acai-Lemon Dressing (Champagne Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Acai, Ginger, Shallots, Cayenne, Maple Syrup, Olive Oil) I did this one for lunch and did the soup for dinner.

I absolutely loved this cleanse and hope you give it a try. The juices are all great and the soup and salad are delish! My faves? The Winter Orange soup and the Nutmilk are insanely good, and the salad is enormous and yummy! Happy CAN CAN’ing and be sure to follow them for inspiration and updates on Facebook, Twitter , Pinterest, Instagram, or Youtube!

What do you think of the CAN CAN Ra-Ra Cleanse? Would you try it? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!

Startup Monday: Attendify

The great thing about attending events is the ability to meet all kinds of people. However, sometimes networking isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Some have the ability to dive right in and come out with five new clients and a new gym buddy. For the rest of us, we end up with some awkward and monotonous small talk! Luckily, one of San Francisco’s newest start ups, Attendify may be able to help with that.

Attendify is the newest private social network for event planners and attendees. Users can create their own profiles and then manage their accounts. This app is also great because people can express their personal objectives, which makes it easier to connect with other people with similar goals. It can also be used to replace printed brochures at events, because it allows the user to upload schedules, speaker times, and maps!

A big bonus of Attendify is the way it combines social media tools and a management control panel. Users are able to see a live timeline, just like on Twitter, where people can post their status and pictures. They can also message one another to keep a conversation going. Event planners can monitor these messages by moderating the content and sending push notifications. If you want to learn more about Attendify, be sure to check out their video!

Let us know what you think about this app. Would you try it?! Leave us a a comment below or on Facebook & Twitter!