Thousands of conferences take place every year across the globe, and with so many to compete with, it can be hard to ensure that your event stands out from the crowd and is memorable enough to keep your attendees coming back year on year. Since our inception, we’ve seen many tactics being introduced to keep audience members engaged, such as real-time voting during talks, event-specific apps and quizzes and networking areas. 

It’s important to ensure that your conference not only runs smoothly but that every single attendee receives a great experience, and with this in mind, we’ve collated some of our top tips to help you keep your conference interactive and accessible for everyone… 

Cater to every requirement

Due to the developments in today’s society, we’re seeing a wider range of conditions and extra requirements being catered for when it comes to events. Hard of hearing, cognitive disabilities and even people with dietary requirements like gluten-free and vegan are starting to be more widely catered for. 

One way that this has transitioned into the conference space is through utilising simultaneous translation systems such as our flagship Diplomat system, which utilises dual interpreter units with a seamless network for high-quality audio without any interference. This allows all visitors access to the same information and allows them to experience the event in a language which they understand. 

Create a sense of exclusivity

With the technologies available to us advancing further every year, such as mobile apps and VR capabilities, it’s time to put them to use when it comes to conference planning. 

Create exclusivity and keep your attendees engaged with content that only they can get their hands on. Share secret talks with high profile speakers either via video or from an exclusive location, announced on your event app (which only your attendees can access with their booking reference). You could even use an event hashtag to help maintain the buzz, both throughout the talks and beyond…

Consider live streaming

Since today’s society requires us to be online at almost every point of the day, utilising technology to include attendees in the event via live streaming is an option that may have crossed your mind.

With software such as GoToMeeting and Skype and even our very own Audicast, it’s easier than ever to ensure that those who can not personally attend your event are still involved and receiving value from your speakers, as well as asking any of their questions via a real-time Q&A feed throughout the talks in order to be involved and engaged with the event.

Even platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn now offer a live streaming service, making it even easier to make your event accessible to all and allowing you to boost your overall reach and brand recognition on the platforms at the same time.

Don’t forget about your speakers

Of course you want to make sure that your event attendees have a great experience, however, you also need to ensure that your speakers have the same level of accessibility around your event. 

With interesting subjects being covered in panels and discussions, it’s important that each member is heard equally, utilising high-quality audio from your conference systems, a great one that we recommend is our delegate microphone system for an easy push to talk option. 

Another great addition to this would be our interactive Electronic Name Plates, allowing audience members to identify each panel member via name, job title, company and even working location, whilst the discussion is taking place, along with being easily recognised on a recorded or live version.

It’s so important to look at the whole picture when it comes to your event, make sure to cover all of the key aspects when it comes to enabling interactivity and accessibility to get the best result possible from the event itself. These things can have a huge impact on both your attendees and speakers and are crucial in creating the best possible experience.

We’d love to hear about some of the steps you’ve taken to make your events more accessible; let us know via our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn channels, and make sure you keep up to date with the latest news by clicking ‘follow’.  You can also stay up to date by signing up to our newsletter here.