Event Tech: key features — Content Sharing
According to the Decision to Attend Study the primary drivers that influence event attendance are education and networking. More than 90% of respondents consider conventions and exhibitions important for staying abreast with their industry and over two thirds of them report that networking is among the primary reasons for attending.
In the age of social media it is easier than ever to share information: on average 500 million tweets are published daily; there are 500,000 Facebook “likes” every minute and more than 100 million people are using Instagram stories every day. And although the ‘Share function’ was invented just a decade ago, sharing content has obviously been around for a long time, long before the first tweet went live in March of 2006.
The technology that allows people to pass on information might have evolved over time, but the reasons behind people sharing content and telling stories remain the same.
So what makes creating stories and sharing them so appealing to humans?
While some might argue that the reasons behind people sharing information have purely a self-centered nature (e.g. defining ourselves to others or growing relationships), others state that humans being cooperative beings are not just driven by self-interest, but also tend to share information in order to create value and entertain others. Collaborative learning can be a good example of how content sharing in some cases can be extremely important and rewarding.
What kind of stories are more likely to deeply influence the listeners?
Aristotle was asking these questions a long time ago. According to his observations a persuasive speech was based on three pillars: ethos, pathos and logos, or, in other words, the information conveyed had to be credible and emotionally and logically appealing to the audience.
Whilst looking at the main reasons for why certain content becomes widely shared, Heath and colleagues demonstrated that the ideas that succeed in the social environment depend on the quality of information and the emotional component.
The messages that go viral must either be useful and practical or evoke an emotional reaction.
The success of popular urban legends and gossip was the subject of studies conducted by Jonah Berger and Katherine Milkman, who tried to determine the key characteristics of viral content. They examined 7 000 articles published online by the New York Times and came to the conclusion that the more positive and emotionally appealing the content is, the more likely it is to be shared. Similarly, articles written by famous authors also have more chances of being shared.
Events are a great place for exchanging knowledge and making ideas collide. As Greg Oates mentioned in his recent article great innovations can be born as a result of “fusion of a vast range of skills, beliefs and disciplines”. That’s why content sharing and exchange of ideas at events are the key components of the meeting success.
A successful meeting can mean different things to different people. For visitors it is keeping up to date with trends in their industry, meeting industry experts and building relationships with like-minded people. For speakers giving a speech at a conference could be a good opportunity to build a reputation and consequently become a thought leader in the industry. Sponsors might use live events as a tool to market their product to a target audience, gain new contacts and leads, raise brand recognition and perhaps most importantly — create an emotional commitment to the brand through personal experiences.
The quality of the content at live events is important, but so are the ways of sharing it. While sending a horse messenger or a pigeon to deliver important news might have been the option several centuries ago, nowadays implementation of event technology solutions is an essential way of communicating a message to those attending. An event app can help organisers and sponsors engage the attendees by encouraging content exchange and providing important messages in a timely manner. At the same time attendees and speakers can benefit from various app features that will boost collaborative learning and networking.
Attendees can share content via messaging, discussion boards and arranging 1-to-1 meetings.
Messaging can be a great tool for instantly connecting with other attendees and industry professionals. One-to-one meetings feature allows all those attending to easily get in touch and arrange a face-to-face meeting before, during and after the event. Attendees have the opportunity to start discussions with those around them and offer ideas using discussion boards.
Speakers can share files and presentations, use the Q&A feature, the Social Wall and share content in real time through live scribing.
Sharing files and slides before, during and after the presentation can help the audience to preview the upcoming materials, better understand the subject and have a summary of ideas after it is finished. Having all the materials in one place is convenient and saves you time.
Sponsors can use push notifications, the Social Wall, social media, discussions, file sharing and videos.
Push notifications are an excellent way for sponsors to share promotional materials with the attendees during or between sessions, after the event is over or just before it starts. Integration with social media and the possibility to share content on the Social Wall gives more visibility to the posts, increases social media following and gives more exposure to the brand or the product.
The organisers can facilitate content sharing via various app features such as live scribing, the Social Wall, discussion boards and file sharing making all those attending more engaged with the content presented on-site, boosting interaction and information exchange and keeping people up-to date with the latest news after the event is over.
Centuries of observations and various important research have demonstrated that logically structured and emotionally appealing content is highly valued by the audience. However, there are no doubts that a great presentation or a bright idea may pass unnoticed if not shared using the right tools. Event technology allows all those attending to share information before, during and after the event, making it easier for industry leaders, professionals and sponsors to exchange experiences and generate innovative ideas.
