It's been 18 months since many event profs first encountered Zoom. Back then, turning on the laptop camera and joining the call successfully was already considered a huge success. But as time went by, the standards for virtual event production started rising. Presenters and team members alike learned how to look better on camera. Event technology masters, such as our hosts, Will and Brandt, gave out advice on the best virtual speaker gear. As we're slowly stepping into the third year of the pandemic, we've all come to understand that looking your best on video calls matters ... Or did we? The Event Tech podcast duo thinks that there's still room for improvement. And so, they decided to go back to basics and revisit this good old topic. It doesn't just apply to event planners who are planning their next big event. If you ever need to hop on a call, you should give this episode a listen. You might feel called out, but remember, Will and Brandt are only trying to help and make the events industry a better place. Without further ado, let's talk tech!

Event Tech Podcast

Stepping Up The Game: Here‘s Why You Need To Look Better On Camera

What better way to learn more about the exciting world of event technology than listening to an awesome product spotlight episode of the Event Tech Podcast? Today, Will and Brandt bring two guests in to hear an unbiased review of Accelevents, an all-in-one hybrid and virtual event management platform. After all, in a world where there are more than 100 virtual event platforms, it's sometimes hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. Please welcome Jonathan Kazarian, the CEO and founder of Accelevents, and Stephanie Baiocchi, the director of membership & events at IMPACT. Not only do they talk about this particular event platform's solutions, but they also nerd out about data analytics, virtual audience engagement strategies, and the ROI of virtual events. Press play and join them!

Meet Accelevents, The All-In-One Event Management Platform!

It's Monday and there's no better way to kick off a week than with a brand new episode of Event Tech Podcast. These days, Will and Brandt are bringing in exciting guests to talk about the hottest trends in event technology. Last week, they talked about better brand management with Astute Review. This week, however, they are bringing in someone some of you might know as the host of Event Brew: Nick Borelli. Yep, that's right: we finally got ourselves a crossover episode! And what's on the menu? Nick, Will, and Brandt discuss Facebook's announcement that they're planning on becoming a metaverse company and Facebook Horizon, a virtual reality that is currently in the beta phase. And since this is the Event Tech Podcast, they elaborate on the implications this futuristic technology might have for event planners.

Facebook As A Metaverse Company: Implications For The Events Industry

Every once in a while, our hosts Will and Brandt love to bring guests to the Event Tech Podcast and have them talk about an exciting technology or software they've developed. In September 2020, for example, we had the opportunity to learn more about virtual engagement strategies with Sketch Effect. And today, the techie duo welcomes a very special guest who developed a brand management tool and mostly works with consulting firms and banks. However, brand compliance is an integral part of building long-lasting relationships with clients in all industries, the events industry included. James Hirchak is the president and co-founder of Astute Review, a company that helps companies ensure their brand compliance by offering two computer software solutions: a PowerPoint automation tool and a real-time brand monitoring tool. Will and Brandt brought him on the Event Tech Podcast to explain what these tools do and how they can be used by event professionals.

Consistency Is Key: Better Brand Management With Astute Review!

One of the hottest topics in the events industry nowadays is hybrid and virtual audience engagement. But as the Event Tech Podcast highlights today, you can't really talk about audience engagement without including audience response systems in the conversations. After all, the best way to learn what makes our beloved attendees tick is to simply ask them. Right? In this episode, Brandt welcomes back Kyle Kocinski, the Head Of Implementation at Endless Events, to fill Will's shoes. Some of you might know him already as he joined the show in the past when the tech nerds talked about virtual and hybrid event platforms. Today, they talk about the history of audience response systems, comment on the current state of audience engagement tools, and recommend some of their favorite tools to our listeners.

From Button Boxes To Chats: Audience Response Systems Through Time!

Brandt and Will are on a futuristic roll! In the last Event Tech Podcast episode, they talked about face recognition technology in events. And since nothing gets tech nerds riled up more than AI, they'll be talking about AI in event apps today. When talking about AI, we must be careful: all that glitters is not gold! Many event apps and tools claim they feature AI to lure techy people in, but in reality, they (only) feature predictive analytics or machine learning. So, which one is which and why does it matter? After this Event Tech Podcast episode, you'll know better than to jump on every AI-related hype train!

Your Event App Doesn't Have AI, It Has Predictive Analytics!

What's up, Event Tech Podcast listeners? Today's episode is perfect for all fans of Westworld and Blade Runner. Will and Brandt will talk about facial recognition at Disney Parks and events in general. Why Disney? They have always pushed the envelope in terms of what's possible in technology. First, they did the MagicBand and now, they're moving towards facial recognition. Inspired by the last episode with CrowdPass, Brandt also wanted to continue exploring the related topic of attendee tracking. This episode is futuristic, informative, and also a little bit creepy. Don't skip it, it's like listening to a Black Mirror episode - in a good way!

Facial Recognition: From Disney Parks To The Events Industry!

Just three months ago, event profs were wondering whether it was too soon to lift restrictions and go back to in-person events. While they were skeptical back then, we are glad to say that the era of post-COVID events is officially here! That being said, some safety concerns absolutely need to be addressed. Since this is the Event Tech Podcast, we are going to talk about how technology can ensure better safety at in-person events. One such technology is CrowdPass! What is CrowdPass, you might be wondering? You'll find out from Brandt's two very special guests! Some of you might know Lawrence Helfant as the co-founder of CrowdSync technology and Crowd Health. Half a year ago, he co-founded the CrowdPass software. It just might be a gamechanger in bringing in-person events faster and more efficiently! He is joined by Quinn Zsid, the marketing director of all three projects. Let's get to it, shall we?

Keeping It Safe: Better Post-COVID Events With CrowdPass!

The two hottest topics in the ever-evolving events industry right now are the long-awaited return to in-person events and hybrid events. But as our hosts Will and Brandt have said time and time again, it's not about going back to how things were pre-COVID. It's about embracing the lessons learned along the way and incorporating them into our new events. One of the questions that they get a lot concerns hybrid event staff, so they've decided to share their knowledge with the whole wide world. They cover all levels of staffing at hybrid events, beginning at basic customer support and tricks for higher audience engagement. Then, they move into discussing AV labor positions. Mics, cameras, graphics - they cover it all!

Everything You Need To Know About Hybrid Event Staff!

Today's an exciting day for the Event Tech Podcast! Our resident hosts, Will and Brandt, welcome a guest to talk about virtual and hybrid event platforms. Dear listeners, please welcome the knowledgeable Kyle Kocinski, the head of implementation at Endless Events! In one of the most resourceful conversations in the history of this podcast, Kyle talks about how event platforms have adapted since last year and where are they going next. From must-have features to pricing, he covers it all. After all, event platforms are key to planning the best hybrid or virtual event and are definitely here to stay.

The Wave Of The Future: Hybrid & Virtual Event Platforms With Kyle Kocinski!

In today's episode of Event Tech Podcast, Will Curran and Brant Krueger talk about one of the most exciting new technologies in the world, or shall we say universe: Starlink. Last year, Elon Musk's SpaceX launched the innovative broadband internet service for the first time and now, it's seeing some huge developments. It sent out a beta program which enables users to set up satellite internet for approximately $100/month. And what does this mean for events? In this episode, Will takes the wheel and brings Brandt up to speed about the project. Together, they embark on a journey of exploring the potential benefits of Starlink in events!

Starlink In Events: New Possibilities For Remote Venues

Event app platforms have been all the rage for quite some time now in the world of event tech, so it's only natural that investments in event platforms come next. Hopin, the 2019 London-based start-up, is considered a unicorn among event apps. In such a short span of time, it has managed to attract enormous investments. But should we care? Time and time again, Will and Brandt have proven to the Event Tech Podcast listeners that they are experts in all things tech. In this week's episode, however, they demonstrate that they also have a sharp eye for business. They take a closer look at the news about Hopin's staggering $5.65 billion valuation. Most readers take such news at face value and view the investment as a success, but Will and Brandt know what goes on behind the scenes. What exactly does this mean for Hopin and what does it say about other event platforms? Tune in and find out what the spicy duo has to say!

Why You Shouldn’t Care About Event Platforms Getting Investments

Remember the times when we could visit exhibitions and see countless of exhibition booths in person? The hosts of Event Tech Podcast, Brandt Krueger and Will Curran, certainly do. Back in the day, they flew all the way to IMEX Frankfurt to see what the exhibitors had to offer. This year, however, they had to content with visiting CES 2021 virtually. And while they missed out on trying out the year's newest innovations for themselves, they agree that there's still value for exhibitors in the virtual world. In this week's episode, Will and Brandt move away from pure tech talk and talk about virtual events for exhibitors. Unlike many would like to believe, the key to driving value in digital and virtual events is not necessarily cutting-edge technology. What is it, then? Tune in and find out for yourself!

Exhibitors In Virtual Events: What Can Drive Their Value?

A year ago, the events industry had no choice but to master the art of virtual events. As restrictions are slowly lifting and the worst is hopefully behind us, we can glimpse the future and the post-Covid events. Our hosts Will and Brandt are event industry experts, so believe them when they say that the next big industry standard is hybrid events. One of the greatest challenges the future poses are hybrid event interactions. How can we bridge the gap between the virtual and the in-person audience? The last thing we want is for the virtual guests to feel like flies on the wall or as if they were sitting at the kids' table, as Brandt cleverly put it. But we are getting ahead of ourselves - tune in and learn what else our lovely hosts have to say about hybrid audience engagement and interactions between the two audiences.

Hybrid Event Interactions Between Virtual & In-Person Attendees

Before the pandemic hit in 2020, the events industry was a well-oiled machine. Virtual and hybrid events were nowhere near as common. While every big event to already had its own event app, the event app design was something only a few businesses dealt with. Then came March 2020 and with it, huge changes. Event technology is no longer just one aspect of an event. It's the very heart of hybrid and virtual events! No wonder our hosts believe that it feels as if we've time-travelled all the way to 2030 in the last 10 months as far as technology goes. Today's Event Tech Podcast episode tackles it all: the changes in the world of event tech, hybrid events, awesome event app design advice for increased engagement, and speculations about the future. Will and Brandt are passionate techies, so they know it all!

The Future Is Now: The Case Of Event App Design

Event Tech Podcast is the premiere place for event profs to stay in the know about the latest and most innovative tech. Join us for a thought provoking journey on how tech can evolve our industry. Hosted by Brandt Krueger of Event Technology Consulting & Will Curran of Endless Events.

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Event Tech Podcast

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