The Importance of Technology in Events: From Virtualization to Sustainability

Next, we can demonstrate the importance of technology from several aspects. The COVID-19 pandemic has made virtual and hybrid events necessary. Technology has made it possible to hold events online, allowing participants to join from anywhere in the world. Holding meetings in this way can protect the health of each participant.

Economic savings can be reflected in measures such as event promotion and venue costs. For example, if an event is virtual, the cost of the venue can be zero. Time savings are also reflected in almost 80% of tasks or activities being automated, such as exhibitor registration, sending invitations and tickets, entrance management, and communication with colleagues and guests. Technology has made communication faster, easier, and more convenient. With various communication tools such as email, video conferencing, and instant messaging, event planners can communicate in real-time with their team members, clients, and stakeholders no matter where they are. (PR Newswire, 2014)

Technology also enhances the attendees' experience. Technology has completely changed the way attendees interact with events. Mobile event applications allow attendees to access event information, communicate with other attendees, and provide real-time feedback to event organizers. Technology also enables sustainability to be developed in the exhibition industry.

A study shows that transitioning from in-person to virtual conferencing can substantially reduce the carbon footprint by 94% and energy use by 90%. To maintain more than 50% of in-person participation, carefully selected hubs for hybrid conferences have the potential to slash carbon footprint and energy use by two-thirds. Furthermore, switching the dietary type of future conferences to plant-based diets and improving energy efficiencies of the information and communication technology sector can further reduce the carbon footprint of virtual conferences (Tao et al., 2021).