Live events are back and as brands step out to engage with prospects and customers in real life, we’re witnessing a massive shift towards supplementing previously-proven event models with technology-based engagement tools.
Live events are back and as brands step out to engage with prospects and customers in real life, we’re witnessing a massive shift towards supplementing previously-proven event models with technology-based engagement tools.
And when we talk about engagement, we’re not only talking about heightening the experience for attendees but also improving the training experience for the volunteers, contractors, and staff members that are putting on the show.
A great example of this is a recent project that Livetech executed for AARP, in which they were tasked with educating voters at a state fair about Alaska’s ranked choice voting system.
For the past 10 years, Livetech has been developing and refining pop-up event models that have helped brands engage hundreds of thousands of individuals across the country. These traditional pop-ups are designed to attract event attendees with appealing visuals, informative content, and gamified interaction - all while collecting volumes of consumer data and contact information for lead generation purposes.
So why mess with a good thing? Well… the past two years, while extraordinarily challenging, also prompted unforeseen innovation in the event technology space. And by doing so, has added to the arsenal of tools and tricks that are now available to make executing experiential events that much more compelling.
We’ve all seen the baseline live-event model, featuring the typical 20-something brand ambassadors, a handful of flyers and some cheap swag. Compelling? Not really and unfortunately it’s an all-too-common scene at live events around the United States.
First, we’re not just handing out swag in exchange for an email address. We’re trying to educate participants on any number of topics (in this case, ranked choice voting). That requires friendly, engaging, and knowledgeable staffers to be on the front lines of the event experience.
Secondly, the experience for attendees must be worthy of their attention and considered time well spent. That requires multimedia educational components and tactile gamification that lead to participants’ willingness to put forth relevant demographic and psychographic information.
Thirdly, the time and expense of an in-person event should always be reconciled with the ability of a brand’s presence to capture the highest possible volume of engagement data. Without relevant data, brands are simply flying blind and likely spending good money after bad.
Livetech’s approach to educating voters in Alaska about using a ranked choice voting system to fill out ballots in upcoming elections included a visually compelling pop-up presence, featuring two large tents, a myriad of brightly branded signage, a spin wheel to win immediate prizes, future promise of a grand prize, and tablet-based (Apple iPad) education and data collection tools.
While that is already elevated well above the typical baseline, the experience was made truly successful through the use of train-the-trainer modules, specifically designed to educate the event staff on key themes and strategies to improve participant throughput and experience.
In addition, explainer videos were produced to work onsite (and online) as a lead-in to the gamified, ranked choice voting example in which participants were asked to rank their favorite fair foods. This was executed through the use of a custom software package designed for onsite and future use in other educational programs related to the same topic.
Upon experience completion, relevant demographic data was captured on each participant, immediate prizes were awarded, participants were entered into a grand prize drawing, and a results email was sent to the participant’s email address so that they could view a reminder, educational video and the ranked choice voting results.
In the end, the launch event was a huge success with over 200% more participants engaged than expected, a 50% open rate (compared to a 3-5% typical open rate) on the final results email, a list of actionable learnings to use in improving future events, and hundreds of Alaskan voters gaining a better understanding of how to participate in their upcoming elections.
