Tech-Fest12 Roundtable: beyond keypads – what next for audience engagement technology
During Tech-Fest we ran several round table discussions. We didn’t schedule any of the session but instead we had attendees nominating and then facilitating the sessions.
The only structure we gave was that the facilitator, in this case Chris Finch from Technology4Events, had to provide us with the collected wisdom from the discussion. He had a packed table for two 25min sessions. And here are the wise words from over 30 attendees.
I especially like the Top Tips; they are very wise words indeed!
Top Tips:
1. Use the right technology for the specific event – if a show of hands is most appropriate that’s fine
2. Make sure the presenter is well briefed on the technology that is being used so they know what to expect and can tailor their presentation to maximise the opportunities offered by the tech
3. If you are running straw polls or having interactive Q&A sessions make sure the outputs are captured for use in blogs and marketing post event
4. The modern delegate expects to have their voice heard – make sure that if you use audience participation the presenter reacts to it
Things we like:
1. Audience participation technology improves delegate retention of information and that helps drive a better ROI for clients
2. Use of technology for question submission helps ensure even the shyest audience member can have their say
3. The advent of social media means people expect to be able to participate and modern technology such as MiThoughts helps meet this need
4. Audience voting and electronic feedback helps quickly measure key metrics to demonstrate ROI
Things we hate:
1. Technology can be a distraction if used inappropriately
2. Some audience participation solutions can be labour intensive
3. Audience participation is often the first thing removed by a client when the budget gets tight
4. Many solutions are restrictive because they only allow voting and not free text
