Choosing the right event technology partner is one of the most important decisions a planner has to make when planning an event. The technology you select will determine the success of your event—from the attendee experience to the operational efficiency on your end. A good event tech partner would ensure that the event would run streamlined and would help you achieve your event goals, be it a small seminar, a large conference, or a hybrid event.
With the advancing technology today, we tend to ask thousands of questions before selecting our event tech partner for the success of an event. This even becomes difficult as most new and evolved event tech companies come on the scene almost monthly with their advanced features for managing events. The moment it becomes clearer that such a change is poised to affect the event industry, even more, is when taking into consideration that people will eventually create a much larger reliance on event registration systems, event access management, and apps for events.
In this blog, we’ll provide you with 20 essential questions to ask when hiring an event tech partner, ensuring you choose the right one that can support your event’s needs and elevate the overall experience for your attendees.
20 Important Questions To Ask Before You Hire Event Technology Partner
When hiring an event technology partner, it’s critical to ask the proper questions to ensure they understand your event goals and can provide the necessary assistance. Here are 20 key event tech questions to ask:
What Is Your Experience in the Event Industry?
It is important to determine the event technology partner’s experience before getting into specifics. The experience of your partner in the industry will give you an idea of their ability to understand your particular requirements. They should be conversant with large events or managing B2B conferences, or hybrid events. Event technology partners with vast experience in the industry will likely be able to offer valuable insights and capabilities that help smoothen the event processes.
Look for case studies and testimonials that showcase their successful involvement in managing events with similar characteristics as your own.
What Event Tech Solutions Do You Offer?
An ideal event technology partner should give you a complete catalog of services. Ask about the particular solutions that they offer, such as an event registration system, mobile apps for events, onsite event solutions, and event access management. The more inclusive the technology stack, the better equipped your event will be to run smoothly.
You’ll want a partner that offers end-to-end event tech solutions, from pre-event registration to post-event analytics.
How Customizable Are Your Solutions?
Every event is unique, and your event tech partner should ensure customizable features to fulfill the distinct needs of your event. Whether you want to customize the event registration system, customize the event app for events to match your branding, or adjust the onsite event solutions, make sure the platform is flexible.
Customization makes your event something that is specific to your brand and addresses all the logistical requirements.
Is Your Platform Scalable?
The events could vary, but the event technology partner should be scalable with it. Inquire whether their solutions could be for any event from a small workshop to a large conference. Moreover, if you’re going to hold multiple events, find out if the event registration system is capable of multiple events or if the event access management products have easy scalability.
Having scalable technology proves that your event growth and your technical solutions will not be a limiting factor.
What Are the Costs and Pricing Structures?
Knowing the price is perhaps most critical to judging and assessing the potential event tech partner. Request a complete, so that all types of costs are included: initial setup fees, recurring fees, and any add-ons such as premium onsite event solutions or custom features for your app events. You will also be able to have a bit of peace knowing the price structure will keep you from hidden fees.
Ask for additional charges for items such as extra attendees, bandwidth usage, or customization capabilities.
How User-Friendly Is Your Platform?
An event technology partner must provide an interface that is usable by both your team members as well as the participants who register or interface with the event. Ask to see what the event registration system looks like; inquire about the app for event experience; and how manageable the back end of your event will be to the team. Intuitive solutions lead to a much more hassle-free experience with less training time for staff.
A simple user experience will allow your staff to concentrate on producing great experiences rather than losing time buried in technology problems.
What Support and Training Do You Offer?
A good event technology partner will support before, during, and after an event. 24/7 support and what types of training resources should be part of the event technology providing company inquiry. If they can provide a self-service knowledge base, and have an open channel for live chats, or phone support, then your tech partner is all set to respond and be helpful. Check whether training is included when using the event registration system or app for events, or any onsite event solutions.
The right support will mean that you have just what your team needs to troubleshoot and manage all tech aspects of your event smoothly.
Can Your Platform Integrate with Other Tools?
Most likely, you are leveraging other platforms for your marketing, CRM, and other logistics tasks. Make sure your chosen event technology partner has solutions that are very easily integrated with the tools you’re already using. Optional customizations will make workflows easier, better system synchronization, and even more seamless event registration systems and event access management.
Good integration means consistent data across platforms, thereby cutting down on the manual workload for your team.
What Security Measures Are in Place?
Data security is the foremost consideration as it includes highly sensitive information related to an event registration system. The future partner should make inquiries about encryption, data protection policies, and regulations such as GDPR compliance. An event tech partner, then, should be the one that ensures the tightest possible conditions for the data protection of both attending persons and events.
Find an additional partner by having proactive elements to ensure their platform is secure and compliant with data privacy laws.
What Features Does Your Event Registration System Offer?
An event registration system is one of its pillars, and indeed the hard rocks in event technology stacks. So let the questions roll concerning important features like customized registration forms, group registration, payment processing, ticketing, and reporting. Early-bird options should be one of those things that come with the package in complementary options like discount codes and VIP packages.
Ensure that the event registration system is capable of meeting and adjusting for your individual ticketing and registration needs.
Do You Provide On-Site Solutions?
If you’re planning an in-person event, it is essential to have onsite event solutions such as mobile check-in apps, self-service kiosks, and badge printing services. Inquire about their onsite event solutions, particularly how they address check-ins, registration updates, and crowd management.
Efficient onsite solutions ensure your event starts smoothly and attendees are happy from the moment they arrive.
How Do You Handle Event Analytics and Reporting?
To understand the significance of an event, it is also important to consider real-time analytics and post-event reports. Inquire with potential event technology partners about the analytics they provide, from attendee tracking to engagement metrics, session data, and post-event surveys. It will help strengthen future events based on the learnings from those insights.
Data from event registration systems and event access management solutions provide a measurement of success as well as improvement for greater attendee engagement.
What Mobile Features Are Available for Attendees?
A great event technology partner will always include an app for events that further improve the participant experience. For instance, ask about the mobile event app for customizable agendas, real-time updates, interactive maps, live polling, and other networking opportunities. A great event app can engage the participants and make their experience more lively.
The right app for events can help manage attendee movement within the venue, provide immediate access to information, and open up pathways for networking.
Do You Support Hybrid and Virtual Events?
As hybrid and virtual events continue to flourish, it becomes paramount to have event tech providers that support these types of events. Whether there is a fully virtual conference or hybrid trade show, a great provider should offer virtual event solutions such as live streaming, breakout rooms, virtual booths, and networking tools.
A partner that backs both in-person and virtual event solutions will give flexible arrangements for future events, ensuring that all participants can enjoy being part of them.
How Do You Manage Event Ticketing?
Your event registration system must also be seamlessly integrated with any ticketing solutions. Ask about required ticket types, the possibility of tiered pricing (VIP, General Admission), and options for promotional codes. A reliable ticketing system will provide smooth entry and efficient check-in.
Integrate ticketing into the event access management system to cut stop gaps at the entrance of the event.
How Do You Manage Attendee Engagement?
One of the most important things about an event is the involvement of people in the activities happening during that event. This makes for a very unforgettable experience. Ask about features like live polls, Q&A sessions, gamification, or social media integration. Engagement tools can get your audience all excited and informed as well as allow them to connect, thus improving satisfaction overall.
Attending events provides a greater chance for attendees to return after having an amazing experience and to recommend your brand to potential patrons or audiences.
Can You Provide Custom Branding for My Event?
When you select an event tech partner, make certain that they provide the option to customize the feel and look of your platform according to your event’s brand. From the event registration system to the app for events, custom branding ensures that the technology of your event fits with your visual identity and marketing efforts.
Personalized branding reinforces professionalism for an event and provides similar experiences for your attendees.
What Is Your Disaster Recovery Plan?
Even though you could wish it never happened, sometimes, there can be tech failures. Ask your event tech partner about their disaster recovery including backup, redundancy in infrastructures, and emergency tech failure customers face when the event is live.
A solid disaster recovery plan makes organizers feel assured about the fact that their event will not be affected by any unforeseen issues.
Can You Provide Post-Event Support?
After the event, it is crucial to access post-event tools and support. Inquire about post-event reporting, data analysis, and attendee feedback tools from your partner. These will give insight into how successful the event was to make adjustments in future events.
The post-event analytics and feedback are critical for improving your process and ensuring even better events in the future.
What Is Your Onboarding Process?
The onboarding process should be easily understood and efficient. Ask your event tech partner about all the steps required to get started with their platform, such as implementation timelines, training sessions, and resource availability. Smooth onboarding sets you up for success.
Clear and effective onboarding will ensure that you are all set on the day of your event and have the confidence to use your event technology.
Conclusion
Selecting the correct event technology partner is a pivotal step in ensuring your event’s success. The element criteria for which you should be asking event tech questions are provided in this blog for evaluating the potential of location partners to ensure that their solutions align with your event goals. All types of events, such as corporate conferences, trade shows, or hybrid events require proper technology support from the chosen partner. This is how you will have the right tools for conducting an unbothered and engaging event for both you and your attendees.
