Posts Categorized: Onsite

kchopson

Outdoor Event Risks

Posted by & filed under Event Design, Event Rebels Blog, Meetings, Onsite, Travel, What's New.

Need to make your event virtual? See how our Virtual Conference software with Direct Zoom Integration can make your pivot easier! As summer approaches, we are all getting ready to spend a lot of time in the great outdoors. If you live on the East Coast (as EventRebels does!) or cooler regions of the country, you know that we need to take in all the fresh air we can! So we look forward to the time of parks, hiking trails, ball games and outdoor weddings and events. For the planner, staging an outdoor event is a thrilling experience, but can... Read more »

kchopson

How to Use an Event Check-In App Helps Simplify Onsite Registration

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Meetings Technology, Mobile Event Apps, Onsite, What's New.

Conference organizers have numerous occasions to make strong impressions on attendees. From an A-list keynote speaker, to a great online registration system, your guests take notice and draw conclusions about your event. Yet, there’s one process that often gets overlooked: Check-ins. Day-of registration and the check-in process offer organizers a chance to start a conference or tradeshow off on the right foot. Guests feel welcomed, their first impression isn’t a bad one, and they have more time for exploring and interacting. Want to create a faster, more efficient check-in process for your event? You might consider an event registration app.... Read more »

kchopson

Seven Ways to Protect the Privacy of your Event Attendees

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, GDPR and Privacy, Internet Security, Meetings Technology, Online Registration - Keys to Success, Onsite, What's New.

GDPR phone

Privacy is a top of mind concern for many organizations these days. High profile data breaches, the new European GDPR law, and the upcoming California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) has made it imperative that all organizations protect the data of their customers. Securing and protecting the customers’ privacy is not just the job of the IT department – it requires the effort of all employees with access to the organization’s data. Meeting planning departments are no exception to making privacy a top priority. As we mentioned in Why Would Hackers Attack Your Conference? there are many reasons why planners can... Read more »

kchopson

17 Reasons why a Lead Retrieval App is Better for Your Show

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Meetings Technology, Mobile Event Apps, Onsite, Resources Lead Retrieval, Trade Show.

Lead Retrieval App

You have probably heard frequent complaints from your exhibitors about how expensive it is to rent lead retrieval units for your show. In contrast to inexpensive and easy-to-use lead retrieval apps, the old fashioned way of doing lead retrieval is cumbersome for many reasons: The lead retrieval units are expensive! Some of the reasons for these high costs are described below. Buying the old-fashioned units is typically done in an old-fashioned way, such as faxing or emailing a form with a credit card. By the way, this is also a violation of good credit card security practices. The hardware is... Read more »

kchopson

What do your Attendees Think?

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Meetings Technology, Mobile Event Apps, Onsite, Resources Trade Show, Speakers, Surveys, Trade Show, What's New.

Exhibitor Management Software

Have you ever been frustrated by the difficulty of getting accurate feedback from your conference attendees? Surveys, of course, are still the most popular and robust way to see how your attendees think about your show, but they can suffer from poor response rates. Fortunately, the rise of social media and mobile technologies give you more options than ever to capture the pulse of your attendees. Here are some options you may want to consider:Better Surveys. Despite its problems, surveys are still the best way to get feedback. There are many ways for you to improve surveys. The first big... Read more »

kchopson

How New Twitter Changes Can Help Your Event Marketing

Posted by & filed under Event Marketing, Event Rebels Blog, Onsite, Social Media, What's New.

Twitter

Of all the social media channels, Twitter is one that is best suited for reporting live happenings and news-worthy items. In fact, breaking television newscasts often consist of journalists reading the Twitter feed on their phone. Because of this ability of Twitter to function as a news feed, the social media product has become a channel of choice for events. Many meetings now feature live social media posts, often tied to the event’s mobile app and social wall. Besides being a key part of the onsite portion of an event, Twitter is now a major part of the pre-marketing of... Read more »

kchopson

How to Save Tons of Time with Automated Surveys and CEUs

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Meetings Technology, Onsite, Surveys, What's New.

Continuing Education

After working very hard to put on a great conference, the nail in the coffin for the planners’ exhaustion is often the issuing and collation of meeting related surveys and CEUs. If the work is performed using paper and/or spreadsheets, the resulting toil is usually a mountain of tedious and error-prone management of forms. The work is labor and time-intensive and, consequently, unnecessarily expensive. The good news is there are some great technology tools for automating much of these processes. These tools tend to specialize in a particular purpose but can work in harmony with the right selection of products.... Read more »

kchopson

Create a Superior Event Badge

Posted by & filed under Event Apps, Event Rebels Blog, Online Registration - Keys to Success, Onsite, QR Codes, What's New.

Do you want to get your event off to a fast start with a great badge? When set up properly, badges can convey a lot of information in a relatively small amount of space. They can be crucial for networking and gaining access to sessions and events. Take care to create badges that work; review our list of tips and tricks for crafting the perfect conference badge below. Names should be printed in a large, sans-serif font, with first and last names on separate lines. Attendees should be able to glance at a badge and immediately locate the name. Make... Read more »

kchopson

Hashtags: A Cornerstone of Your Event’s Brand

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Onsite, Social Media, What's New.

The ubiquitous hashtag (#hashtag) has quickly evolved from a curiosity to being an integral part of modern communication. The tag has worked its way into many marketing efforts and actually has become part of many brands. For the world of events, the hashtag has evolved past simple branding to being part of the general discussion that surrounds the interaction of attendees, speakers, exhibitors and others. Why Hashtags are so Important For a few years, hashtags were generally considered to be the domain of Twitter. This product, in particular, has become a great tool for events both in promotion and in... Read more »

kchopson

Mobile Savings: Time, Money, & The Environment

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Meetings Technology, Mobile Event Apps, Onsite, What's New.

The primary reason mobile apps are hot right now are simply the ease of use. The phone is almost always in your hand, so all you need to do is look at it and touch! But mobile apps for events are event hotter because they are wins for everybody – the attendee, the exhibitors and the show organizers. The only losers may be the printing companies. Why are mobile apps for events such big wins? It’s simple – they save time and money, while saving the environment, all at the same time. Here is a look at three types of... Read more »

kchopson

Mobile App Lead Retrieval is Better for Your Show

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Meetings Technology, Mobile Event Apps, Onsite, Resources Lead Retrieval, Trade Show, What's New.

Lead Retrieval Tradeshow App

You have probably heard frequent complaints from your exhibitors about how expensive it is to rent lead retrieval units for your show. The old fashioned way of doing lead retrieval is cumbersome for many reasons: The lead retrieval units are expensive! Some of the reasons for these high costs are described below. Buying the old-fashioned units is typically done in an old-fashioned way, such as faxing or emailing a form with a credit card. By the way, this is also a violation of good credit card security practices. The hardware is proprietary, so it is difficult to explain what the... Read more »

kchopson

Video: Using QR Codes to Improve Your Meeting

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Meetings Technology, Mobile Event Apps, Onsite, QR Codes, What's New.

Earlier this week, EventRebels President K.C. Hopson spoke to the award-winning Georgia Peach Chapter of SGMP on how to improve your meeting with QR codes. Here is a recording of the popular presentation. Learn about the basics of QR codes, how to create great ones, and the many ways you can use them for your event.  

kchopson

How to Use Apps to Simplify Onsite Registration

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Mobile Event Apps, Onsite, What's New.

Mobile apps for attendees are hot, but did you know that apps can help you, the planner, with onsite registration? While a great web-based onsite registration system can take care of most of your check-in issues, mobile onsite apps can address even more needs, including some unusual situations. These apps should work well on both Apple and Android devices, from smartphones to tablets. Here are some features a first-rate mobile app for onsite registration should have: List of attendees with at least basic contact information. Even better, you should be able to easily view what each attendee purchased as well... Read more »

kchopson

Why Would Hackers Attack Your Conference?

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Internet Security, Onsite, What's New.

Hackers targeting big companies have become part of the regular news cycle. As of last year corporations such as Sony, Target and Staples have become victims of breaches involving personal information and credit cards. Even more recently, the data of 18 million current, prospective or former employees of the U.S. Government was successfully compromised in one of the biggest and most spectacular cyber attacks in history. While it might be comforting to think that hackers would only go after big name organizations, it would be wrong to think that conferences are exempt from cyber attacks. Just recently the Linux Australia... Read more »

Tech Tuesday: Online Event Staffing Solution – Werkly

Posted by & filed under Event Design, Event Networking, Event Rebels Blog, Meetings Technology, Onsite.

Event Rebels Tech Tuesday

Why isn’t there an easy way to staff your events using your network of friends, family, and peers? Well, it turns out, there is. Werkly was launched in December 2014 in New Orleans and is currently utilizing partnerships with event and catering companies to hire workers. Werkly operates completely online as a marketplace to hire local workers. As a worker you can sign up for the site and post your specific set of skills, focusing on events, concerts, and hospitality. You can post your availability and accept jobs as they come. “I have been a freelancer working in production since I... Read more »

kchopson

Conventional Wisdom: The Importance of Welcoming Your Guests

Posted by & filed under Event Design, Event Networking, Event Rebels Blog, Onsite.

It was turning out to be the business trip from hell, until the conference planners did one very special thing. My last minute decision to attend a conference in Chicago seemed like a sound idea. However, as a seasoned traveler I knew scheduling a business trip on short notice can be fraught with challenges. Nevertheless, the conference was the perfect opportunity to meet with colleagues working on a similar project in a non-competing market. It was one of those rare chances to speak freely with peers and exchange good advice. My traveling troubles began with securing air transportation (two plane... Read more »

kchopson

A Better Way to Manage Conference Certifications

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Meetings Technology, Mobile Event Apps, Onsite, Surveys, What's New.

Event Rebels Tech Tuesday

Have you seen this way of tracking CEUs at a conference before? The first step is to print out sign in sheets, possibly pre-populated with attendee names. The next step is throughout the conference placing the sheets in the appropriate rooms before the workshop and then picking them up after each session. After the show the show organizers get to back to the office and collate the signatures with the registration, membership, and CEU systems. This should only take a few days if you are lucky. Finally, you have to pull this data together and somehow get the certificates to... Read more »

kchopson

Tech Tuesday: How to Simplify the Management of Your Exhibitor Staff

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Onsite, Resources Trade Show, Trade Show, What's New.

Standing in Line

It still happens at too many trade shows – long lines at the exhibitor check-in area. In most cases the person waiting is an exhibitor who is registering onsite. In other situations the exhibitor has pre-registered but the badge cannot be found. Additional frustration can be caused if each booth has a limit on the staff allowed. You may have to manually cross-reference how many staffers a company has registered and if that additional staffer is allowed entry. If you do not have cross-referencing in place you may find out after the show that companies have frequently gone over their... Read more »

kchopson

Mobile Monday: Mobile Credit Card Processing With PayPal Here

Posted by & filed under Credit Cards, Event Rebels Blog, Mobile Event Apps, Online Registration - Keys to Success, Onsite, What's New.

Event Rebels Mobile Monday

We wrote recently about how some apps that are using the camera of your smartphone to process credit cards. Of course, these are in addition to well-known apps such as Square which uses a device attachment to turn your phone into a cash register. E-commerce giant PayPal has also introduced a number of mobile solutions. One of these products, PayPal Here, uses a device like Square to process credit cards. Getting started with PayPal Here is easy. Just log into your PayPal account and fill out a short application. You will then be sent a text with a link to... Read more »

Mobile Monday: Oscar Upgrades Tech, Doubles Down on Engagement

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Meetings Technology, Onsite, Social Media.

Event Rebels Mobile Monday

A lot of tech upgrades were made to the 3,400-seat Dolby Theatre to pull off the 87th Annual Academy Awards yesterday in Hollywood, CA. Miles of fiber-optic cables were rolled out, a 4G LTE cell tower added, and motors, seats, and a screen were removed from the theater, all in anticipation for the big night. For the first time ever, technology helped stars and their fans connect through social media during the show. This year, the Oscar green room, designed by Architectural Digest with the help of eventual Best Actress winner Julianne Moore, had Samsung tablets and a “GIF mirror” to let... Read more »

Mobile Monday: The Battle For Wearables Begins and What That Means For Events

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Meetings Technology, Mobile Event Apps, Onsite.

Event Rebels Mobile Monday

In a battle over who can make consumers keep their phones in their pockets and wear their phones on their face and wrists instead, there seems to be only one true winner, the consumer. As producers of face-to-face human interaction, event planners have a unique opportunity to utilize wearables in a way that may not be used daily. We have a responsibility of being ahead of the trends and looking for ways to incorporate new tech into our events. Google glass has found more of a home in business than the consumer sector, but you shouldn’t expect the same results... Read more »

kchopson

When You Should NOT Use Facebook for RSVPs

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Onsite, Social Media, What's New.

Thumbs down

Talk about a total fiasco! What looked like an exciting record opening party for a popular artist resulted in scores of angry people and certainly a black eye for the event planner. The event seemed simple enough. It was to be held in a popular restaurant that could accommodate about eighty people. Since the event was free, the planner simply wanted a list of people attending. She even announced the event on Facebook, which would seem to guarantee that they could easily sell out the event. This is where the problems began. The planner wanted people to bring tickets in... Read more »

kchopson

Rant: Bring Enough Badge Stock!

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Onsite, What's New.

Zebra GX430t printer

I’ve seen it happen too many times. Concerns about wastage and “costs” leads planners to not bring enough badge stock to their conference. This happens particularly frequently when “six-up” (six badges to a page) stock is used and there are a lot of badge name reprints or single badges (usually for exhibitors.) By not bringing enough stock, planners risk creating a very embarrassing situation where the stock runs out and the badges have to be printed on normal printed paper and then cut out by scissors to fit inside the holder! Needless to say, for something with a budget as... Read more »

kchopson

How to Detect Counterfeit Money at the Onsite Registration Desk

Posted by & filed under Event Rebels Blog, Event Scams, Onsite, What's New.

If you work onsite registration at a conference, you may find yourself occasionally in the position of accepting cash. You probably have already taken steps to make sure onsite registration payments go smoothly such as having a cash box, a good online registration system with a strong onsite module, and a procedure for transferring cash and checks to the office manager, possibly including a safe for overnight holding. One thing that may not have occurred to you is a process for identifying counterfeit money. Retailers often have procedures to check large cash denominations because this is what they do every... Read more »