In a poll conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2016, 78% of startups voted in favor of networking for entrepreneurial success.
One of the main reasons why startups and big brands participate in B2B events is to network with the right people.
Thanks to advancements in technology, business delegates, exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, and other event participants can use tech tools like apps to network at events. Here’s all you need to know about the 7 essential tech tools for networking in events.
1) Event apps with in-built one-to-one messaging
Many event apps like e2m.live have an in-built one-to-one messaging feature. Event attendees, speakers, business delegates, exhibitors, and sponsors can view each other’s profiles and engage in one-to-one conversations. They can also schedule meetings in 2 simple steps.
2) Meeting scheduler apps
Meetings are fruitful when participants get enough time to prepare for them. One way to get a little more time is to schedule meetings efficiently. At times, scheduling meetings can be unnecessarily complex and time-consuming affairs. Meeting scheduler apps can resolve this problem. With meeting scheduler apps, event participants can select dates and times of meetings, make their availability known to each other and ensure they don’t book a time slot for multiple times.
3) Tech tools for event gamification
Event organizers can enhance the number of footfalls at booths and give exhibitors more face time with attendees by using tech tools like mobile apps for event gamification. AR-based apps can add fun to event gamification. One way is to build games like Scavenger Hunt on apps. Some apps work like this, attendees find and scan QR codes to earn points, track their points on leaderboards, and on the way, visit exhibitor booths in order to find QR codes. Organizers can use AR to help attendees find QR codes. Event organizers can place QR codes in different locations (preferably at the most important exhibitor booths) and ensure that a maximum number of attendees visit the booths.
4) AI-enabled event apps
Event apps, powered by AI, analyze attendee data to gain insights on their interests and offer hyper-personalized suggestions like, whom to meet, which exhibitor booths to visit first or which sessions to attend etc. AI can help attendees to network with people who can help them meet their professional goals.
5) AI-enabled chatbots
AI-enabled chatbots can help event organizers to network with people during the pre-event phase, especially when, organizers have limited manpower. Event organizers can use AI-enabled chatbots to resolve people’s queries related to events. AI-enabled chatbots can analyze the history of past interactions, and hold personalized communications with people. Chatbots are powered by AI so that they can analyze people’s interests and modify conversations accordingly. Human agents can take charge of interactions at any time, especially when chatbots come across some untrained queries.
6) Business card scanners
Business card or visiting card scanners are not networking tools but scanners can help exhibitors collect data like contact details of leads so that the former can begin follow-up communications with the latter. Card scanners are integrated with databases hence, whatever data the card scanners collect from business/ visiting cards of booth visitors, are automatically imported to databases.
Card scanners seamlessly integrate with CRMs like Salesforce etc. and help sales executives analyze data collected from leads. With the help of insights gained from data analysis, sales executives can also tailor the follow-up communications with leads and enhance sales conversion rates.
7) AI-enabled follow-up email apps
Exhibitors can use AI-enabled follow-up email apps to effectively follow-up with leads and convert them to sales. Exhibitors can use follow-up app to create personalized emails so that attendees don’t feel that they’re in the receiving end of automatic email chains. AI knows when to stop and when to start the follow up again. Apps send the leads follow-up emails in a polite and consistent manner so that the leads do not get irritated or annoyed.
Those who’re planning to use networking apps at their next events can write to us. Tell us your plans and we’ll explain how event apps like e2m.live can help in networking at events. Also, grab a demo, free of cost.
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