Event Tech Check: New Tools for Donating Event Swag, Improving Speaker Audio, Gathering Attendee Data, and More
Event Tech Check: New Tools for Donating Event Swag, Improving Speaker Audio, Gathering Attendee Data, and More
NOWHERE describes itself as a “human-centric metaverse” that combines video, gaming, and social interaction. What sets it apart from other metaverse platforms is that there are no avatars—instead, real-time videos of users appear in a nonagon that’s floating through various customizable, virtual landscapes, creating a unique merging of traditional video chat with futuristic 3D elements. Scroll down to read more.
In Case You Missed It
Recently, BizBash chairman and founder David Adler discussed what the metaverse means for the future of trade shows and events' abilities to create community—plus, how organizers should shift their thinking to be a step ahead. Click here to check out his take on the digital future of events.
Event Technology We're Excited About This Month
To host a metaverse-based event that still feels accessible NOWHERE describes itself as a “human-centric metaverse” that combines video, gaming, and social interaction. What sets it apart from other metaverse platforms is that there are no avatars—instead, real-time videos of users appear in a nonagon that’s floating through various customizable, virtual landscapes, creating a unique merging of traditional video chat with futuristic 3D elements. Users can design their own digital worlds; build a following by hosting events; and make money by selling tickets, merchandise, NFTs, or memberships—all from the same platform. No downloads or headsets are needed, and the spaces can host thousands of attendees at once.
Other features include spatial audio, screen-sharing options, content streaming, and more. All spaces connect to each other through an interconnected space cleverly called “The Middle of NOWHERE,” and space owners can choose whether their worlds are invite-only or publicly discoverable.
Currently, each NOWHERE account can create one free 50-person space, with larger spaces available for a fee.
To easily reinvent or donate your unused event swag
Promotional products and corporate gifts distributor iPromo has developed a unique program to help organizations reuse, recycle, or donate unused swag. The new SwagCloud with EcoCloud solution resembles a custom-branded online company store, but with a simpler interface and a live inventory count. Through the easy-to-use management platform, customers to track inventory and coordinate shipping directly from iPromo warehouses around the world.
Automatically included in each SwagCloud account is EcoCloud, where iPromo can arrange a quick and convenient pick-up to have the gifts returned to its warehouse. The client then decides whether to reuse, recycle, or donate to a charity such as a public school or a children’s home, and iPromo will arrange all recycling and donations on the customer’s behalf. Fun fact: To celebrate the EcoCloud launch and further its commitment to sustainability, iPromo has partnered with Ecologi to plant 200 trees every time a client signs up for SwagCloud with EcoCloud in 2022.
To improve your speaker audio at virtual events
Multilingual meeting technology and services provider Interprefy has released a new solution that aims to rid events of audio issues stemming from bad microphones and hard-to-hear speech. Announced as an add-on to its event interpretation platform, Interprefy Clarifier applies the science of psychoacoustics to make crucial elements of speech more audible. Key parts of the sound are restored or boosted, ensuring words are simpler and quicker to decipher. Available for attendees and interpreters alike, Clarifier can be switched on or off by each user within their soft-console or user interface.
“The past two years have demonstrated to us all the value of flexibility and accessibility, but some speakers’ home or remote audio hardware is simply not up to scratch, while they themselves are not always trained in microphone technique and can find it hard to speak clearly and at a measured pace. Interprefy saw it as vital that we did something to redress the situation for interpreters so that they can work at their very best throughout events,” said Oddmund Braaten, CEO at Interprefy. “Clarifier is able to pick out the fleeting and fragile parts of speech—the sibilant, plosive, and transient components—and maximize their audibility."
To gather GDPR-compliant data from every guest
AnyRoad, a tech platform for data-driven experiential marketing, has unveiled FullView, a service that enables brands to collect GDPR-compliant, first-party data and feedback from every guest that attends an experiential activation or event, rather than just the primary booker. AnyRoad recently analyzed more than 2.5 million experiential data points from its customer base and found that, on average, there are just over three guests per booking—however, brands often only capture data from the guest who made the reservation, meaning that the remaining 66% of attendee data goes uncollected.
FullView streamlines the capture of guest information, allowing the primary booker to fill out data on additional guests and then share the booking directly with those guests, via any device, to add in further details and opt into communications. “Whether they're at a brewery tour, an experiential marketing activation, or an in-store class, guests of primary bookers are leaving experiences every day with a smile on their face and brands have no idea who they are. This is a huge missed opportunity," said Jonathan Yaffe, co-founder and CEO of AnyRoad. "With FullView, brands can now dramatically increase their first-party data and marketing opt-ins to build direct, lasting relationships with every guest—and ultimately increase their experiential ROI."
To simplify the ticketing process and cut down on fraud
Groovoo, an event ticketing platform meets social media app, recently launched several new digital features—including a new Groovoo digital wallet, the ability to issue tickets in the form of NFTs, live QR codes that are dynamic to help address ticketing fraud, and NFC readers. The company is now one of the world’s first ticketing platforms that issues tickets in the form of NFTs (non-fungible tokens), using blockchain technology to store transactions in a secure way via an immutable digital ledger (on Ethereum or Polygon). The NFT tickets are stored in the Groovoo digital wallet that eventgoers and organizers can quickly access via the mobile app.
Groovoo, which was co-founded by event producers, has also designed an event planning dashboard where organizers can plan out events, input all related expenses, and calculate financial results (total sales, profits, and payouts)—all within the Groovoo platform.
To assist couples with their wedding vows
In an unexpected take on technology, Provenance is a new platform that helps engaged couples and ceremony officiants write speeches for weddings. The service offers unique questions and creative prompts to guide couples and officiants based on their preferred cultural, ethnic, and religious traditions, along with speech writing support from MFA grads and other professionals. The platform also offers a library of resources that offer guidance on everything from transcending tradition to following modern etiquette, along with interfaith inclusion, adhering to legal requirements, and more.
The Latest Updates, Funding, and Merger News
Merged event-tech suppliers MeetingPlay, Aventri, and eventcore have officially rebranded under the new company name Stova—derived from “standing ovation”—which aims to consolidate the three major tech companies into a holistic event management solution. The all-in-one event technology solution partners with brands to bring their individual goals, ideas, and experiences to life with end-to-end technology and technology-enabled services, including a range of products and services both bespoke and off-the-shelf.
ChargeFUZE—which offers high-speed, on-the-go mobile charging, allowing users to charge their mobile devices while keeping their devices in their possession—has announced a number of new partnerships. The company is now the official partner of venues like Madison Square Garden in New York, Resorts World Las Vegas, ASM Global venues around the world, and Westfield shopping centers in the U.S.
