The events industry is continuously affected by technological developments, whether this is through iterating on well-established processes or introducing completely new innovations, successful events find ways to bring the cutting edge into the fold. We want to explore some of the most exciting developments currently affecting the field, as well as share some ways that Fitwise has incorporated new technologies into our events. The Covid-19 pandemic saw events worldwide cancelled or adapted to a fully virtual format. With many countries relaxing restrictions, on-site events are once again a possibility.
However, for many organisations, virtual events remain a more attractive alternative as they can be run with fewer resources and allow individuals from around the globe to access the presentations. New eConferencing solutions, such as ‘OnAir’ and our own ‘Fitwise e-Conference’ platforms, not only allow for simple video presentations but are capable of a range of other features as well. These platforms are more sophisticated than previous offerings, incorporating live surveys, digital exhibitions, and speaker aids among other features. These features can also be incorporated into an event as part of a hybrid format. This could involve live streaming of an on-site event, pre-recorded speaker sessions, or an on-demand service to view sessions following the end of a conference. For more information about Fitwise’s own eConferencing and hybrid event solutions, visit here (including a demo of the platform itself).
Another advantage of virtual events is the added sustainability that they allow for. With on-site events, participant travel, hospitality, catering, and powering the event space all accounting for a large amount of carbon emissions. It is, of course, a trade-off whichever route you choose; there are advantages to on-site events that are near impossible to replicate in a virtual format.
We at Fitwise have long taken measures to increase the sustainability of our business practices, minimising travel and energy consumption among other policies, but with the resurgence of on-site events we have endeavoured to offer our clients a way to hold their on-site events in the most sustainable way possible. To that end we have developed the Carbon Offset Your Event Initiative.
This is a new service provided by Fitwise which allows conference organisers to offset the carbon emissions produced by holding an on-site event. When you carbon offset, you compensate for your emissions by funding equivalent carbon dioxide saving measures elsewhere in the world. This is done by purchasing carbon credits from schemes that work to reduce or absorb carbon emissions. The projects you fund may be initiatives that provide lower carbon alternatives, such as cookstoves to replace open fires; or they may be projects that protect or enhance natural resources that absorb carbon from the atmosphere, such as reforestation initiatives. We will also help you find solutions that can help reduce the carbon emissions of on-site actions.
We were delighted to host Fitwise’s first Carbon-Offset event with Infection 360, which took place at Edgbaston stadium in Birmingham on the 27th to 28th of September. In addition to the funding of carbon dioxide saving measures, the event featured a predominantly vegan catering menu and virtual delegate bags, measures which cut down on the emissions created by production of meat, paper, plastics and textiles. We also issued a questionnaire to our delegates following the event to find out how they travelled to and from the venue. This allows the event organisers to determine the emissions from the event and allow them to offset them accordingly.
Also on show at this event was our new delegate badging system. This hardware integrates directly with our events management software, allowing for on-site confirmation and printing of delegate badges. This functionality also allows unregistered individuals to register and gain access to the conference in just a few minutes, creating a much more streamlined and efficient process for our delegates and the Fitwise check-in team.
Some in the events space have started to push beyond the boundary of a two dimensional screen when delivering their virtual event, utilising virtual reality technologies to deliver a seamless off-site interactive event. While the primary selling point of virtual reality headsets to the consumer is video gaming, many other industries have begun to develop programs to aid in the deployment of their services.
The scope of these events is currently quite limited. Each delegate will need their own expensive (>£200) headset, in addition to creation and delivery of a virtual reality setting which can prove more expensive to develop for the organisers. Most of the events that feature this technology are focused on the virtual reality industry itself, such as Microsoft’s Hololens Summit, or smaller, more exclusive events for high-level employees of a limited number of organisations.
Still, seeing this technology in active use today when 10 years ago it had only just reached the consumer market is encouraging for future implementation. In another 10 years VR headsets could prove as accessible as common accessories like webcams. Rest assured that whatever developments the events space brings, Fitwise has its finger on the pulse, and we will always strive to meet the needs and wishes of our clients to the best of our abilities.