Anyone that's ever been involved, even in a small part, in the hosting, planning, coordinating or executing of an event will agree that events are tough. There are so many balls to juggle, so many moving parts, and it's usually the one seemingly insignificant thing to which we paid too little attention that turns around and kicks our butts on event day!
At IN Events Caribbean, our mission is to promote the use of digital technology to ease and simplify the event burden for organizers and planners. This should be easy work for us, right? After all, everything is going digital: from the way we shop and read our news, to the way we socialize and search for our (soul) mates. We all see the value of digital. So, if we have these tough cookies called events, and we know that going digital makes things easier, then it probably makes sense for us to incorporate digital elements into our events, right?
But interestingly enough, there is a general reluctance among Caribbean event organizers to going digital. And the ones that have braved this new path usually only partially implement digital elements, choosing to work them side by side with their existing manual processes. Let me give you a common example:
A client is interested in using our services for digital registration and access control. So, we tell the client:
“Let us set up a registration website for you. This way, you can manage your guest lists and RSVPs before the event, which will lead into streamlined entrance verification and accreditation upon arrival at your event. It will all be handled securely and efficiently, your guests will be spared from lines and paper lists, and your organizers can benefit from accurate and real time insights.”
Sounds exciting, right? However, we see time and time again where clients insist: "That sounds really great, but you know what, let us handle the registration part with our manual forms and we'll send you an Excel sheet to upload later on." Or, "we'd like you to handle the access control for our general patrons, but we'll keep our paper lists for the VIP, vendor and artiste entrances." Or even, "we have already gone digital actually! We use spanking new laptops with the latest version of Microsoft Excel to manage our stuff!"
So what is the reason for this? Off the bat, you may think that it has to be a monetary issue. These events probably just don't have the budget to implement all of this “fanciness.” While financial constraints would undoubtedly play a part, especially for smaller events, our experience has shown that in most cases it goes much deeper than that. Budgets are allocated based on the perception or expectation of commensurate value. In other words, most times the money is there, but the value of the digital implementations is underestimated or miscalculated.
Here are the 3 real reasons we've found that explain this general reluctance to go fully digital:
1. Don’t Understand the technology:
"This sounds complicated. I’ll consider it next time around”
Planners and organizers have a host of event elements of which they need to keep track, and executives and decision makers are perpetually busy. Who has the time or mind space to wrap their brain around some new event technology, especially when their event has been successfully executed without it in the past? This is made worse as key decision makers may be unwilling to admit that they are having a hard time grasping the functionality or requirements of the digital solution.
In other cases, planners may appreciate the potential of incorporating the technology, but may fear that their attendees will not be willing or able to adopt the new digital implementations. Will there be buy-in? Will they complain? Too much attendee confusion runs the risk of delays, negative feedback and damage to the event brand. To avoid the hassle and potential reputational risk, many end up opting out of going digital, giving some spurious reason for their decision.
Shameless Plug #1
IN Events’ software and user interfaces are intentionally developed to feel intuitive and natural. We create programs that combine the look and functionality of familiar technology (your phone, tablet, apps). This means that both back-end and front-end operations can be executed with minimal instruction, although we do also provide staff and support throughout the process. In general, when a digital service is developed with such a specific focus on user experience and ease, the end-users, i.e. organizers and attendees, are much more open and welcoming to the new technology.
2. Don’t trust the technology:
"Once bitten, twice shy”
Event organizers will gladly recount their horrendous experiences with improperly implemented technology at their events, and the wounds run deep. A major part of the challenge is that many Caribbean technology providers simply repackage software they discover internationally and attempt to apply it wholesale. There is little consideration for, or ability to configure to the specific event context. This naturally results in poor or limited execution, and these negative experiences leave organizers with the firm belief that the technology is the problem, making it difficult for them to trust any new technology moving forward.
To add to this, because most organizers work on behalf of event stakeholders (e.g. a secretariat on behalf of their membership, employees on behalf of their Board/ Management, or planners on behalf of their clients), the inherent pressure to have a flawless event results in organizers opting for the safest route and forgoing any new technology altogether. After all, if it ain’t broke, why fix it, right?
Shameless Plug #2:
Over our 5-year existence we have invested heavily in the stability of our systems towards optimizing performance and virtually eliminating any potential system downtime. In addition, our hard-earned field experience has enabled us to anticipate, plan for and guide our clients through what would otherwise have been unforeseen challenges. Finally, we pride ourselves in the ability to customize our software deployments to the unique needs of each event, knowing fully well that no two events are exactly alike.
3. Increased accountability and Transparency:
“With great technology comes great accountability.”
Digital integrations inevitably result in greater levels of transparency as everything is now easily tracked and reported on. Unfortunately, this breeds terror in the hearts of some, as any underhanded dealings are exposed. For instance, there is little room for organizers to slip their friends into the event when attendance is tracked digitally, or to distribute additional tokens and meals when user-specific technology is required to access to these items. Even when everything is aboveboard, event organizers may worry that this level of tracking may create tension among event staff and/or attendees.
Additionally, digital technology is only as useful as the data it is fed, which means that all stakeholders are forced to execute on their deliverables in a timely and efficient manner. For instance, completed attendee databases must be delivered on time to allow for effective access control; exhibitors must submit their e-brochures upfront to configure digital lead retrieval systems. Sloppy planning and ineffective processes can therefore no longer be hidden or disregarded, and such visibility in accountability can result in unwanted contention.
Shameless plug #3:
The reality is that humans by nature are self-serving, but our digital solutions serve the event first, so there may be a clash of goals at times. However, as long as there are no issues with authority or expense, the technology can be developed to allow for flexibility and override so as to improve accuracy and precision, but still allocate for “lagniappe” knowing that events are not a perfect science. In the end, event organizers will be able to empower their stakeholders in their responsibilities while retaining control of their event.
In conclusion:
The reluctance to go digital can be summarized as organizers simply not being able to visualize what a ‘better’ version of their event could look like. They therefore resign themselves to coming out on event day to power through the stress and chaos, and honestly don't see what they do as inefficient, but rather just the norm.
It is our hope that we can help organizers gain the confidence to explore how they can innovate and integrate new event technology with their own design input.
The results of using digital technology are substantial, especially in events, and especially with IN Events…
