With Event Mobile Messaging, Every Seat is Front and Center
(Editor’s Note: Today’s post is by Ashley Spade, part of our “Consumer Viewpoint” guest post series about all things mobile)
Corporate events and conferences can be a great learning experience. They can be, but often they aren’t.
They can be huge, hard to navigate and poorly planned. Or, events and conferences can be a great source of information about an industry, an opportunity to network and a learning experience for everyone from executives to interns.
A company where I interned as an undergrad went the extra mile to help us get the most out of each conference. The company, overall, was great with human resource management, so I wasn’t surprised to find that they cared so much about making sure the conference was an enjoyable and informative experience. They listened to feedback about the previous conference, which I didn’t attend, but understood to be poorly organized and difficult to navigate. So, for the next industry event, the HR department hired a mobile event messaging service.
Staying Informed
The conference I went to was gigantic. There were easily thousands of people in attendance and I, being an intern, was intimidated. I knew I needed to glean all the information I could from this opportunity but felt overwhelmed by the thought.
The event messaging was a lifesaver.
I’d been to a few lectures, panel discussions and sporting events at school that used mobile messaging and Twitter to keep us informed. Even if I couldn’t physically be there, I was able to stay up-to-date with the happenings.
With mobile event messaging, or even Twitter updates, you’re able to still get the main points of a lecture, the responses of different panel members to the audience’s questions, or even a play-by-play from your favorite sports team.
It’s like being there without being there.
The conference I attended during my internship was big enough that I had no chance of making it to see even half of the speakers, discussions and panels. With the event messaging, I was able to plan out beforehand which speakers I wanted to listen to and make myself an itinerary. Then, I relied on mobile messaging to fill me in on what I was missing. If the schedule changed, I knew immediately. I got timely updates from other talks and intriguing questions and answer feeds.
Audience Interaction
Not only does mobile messaging keep everyone in the loop, but it can also inspire participation. At conferences where the entire event is covered by messaging and polls, audience response questions and surveys encourage conference-goers to get involved and keep everyone involved, even if they’re not in a particular session. There’s a definite feeling of community and connectivity, plus a few talking points during lunch.
Give Event Text Message Alerts a Try
If you feel overlooked, overwhelmed or generally uninformed at company or industry-wide conferences, you might talk to your HR department about hiring an event messaging service for the company. Even just keeping yourself and your co-workers involved can make a huge difference in the amount of information you’re able to retain.
Try attending a conference or event that’s covered by messaging or Twitter updates, whether by yourself, with co-workers or with the whole company. You’ll easily be able to tell the difference, feel more informed and more connected.
About the Author:
Ashley Spade is a law student in Chicago. When not pulling all-nighters at the library, she spends her time scouring thrift stores for vintage fashion treasures, reading case briefs while on the treadmill at the gym, and volunteering for local animal shelters. Follow the adventures of Ashley and her furry sidekick, Sir Winston Pugsalot the First, on twitter: @ashspade or check out her fashion blog: www.beltsandbangles.com
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