Technology is becoming pervasive throughout our lives. As event professionals we see it at every event: the delegate glued to their smartphone or the iPad on their lap. It’s not just these devices though. Event planners are bombarded with technology ideas for enhancing their event, but how do you determine which will be effective for your event? We’ve created the “Tech Evaluation Matrix” to help clients identify the correct elements for them.

With much of today’s technology sold on the basis of its features, it’s easy to get carried along with the hype or to pick the latest ‘hot tech’. We take a different approach by looking at what a specific tech offers the client and their delegates.

The aim is to put business thinking front and centre when making decisions as to what to invest in. The outcome is a simple matrix that ranks the different technologies based on the audience and the desired levels of interactivity and delegate engagement. This lets planners gauge where each sits against the event objectives, venue and audience.

Interactivity at events is a big topic but decisions on implementing these tools need to be placed in the context of the event: how will interactivity work in the venue and the content. Smaller venues with breakout sessions allow for more interactive approaches. Conversely, bigger events to large, passive audiences require a completely different solution with high impact mechanics like 3D projection mapping have much more relevance.

The tech matrix is the starting point, with new tools, software and hardware incorporated into the matrix once their potential and relevance for the sector have been determined. For mclcreate the matrix is a simple yet effective method of helping refine the options worth considering, creating a framework that puts some science behind technology to better inform clients.