Conference & Meetings World Issue 106 | Page 15

Technology how technology can play its part in helping individuals come together and support their industries. “Our mission is to bring the business world together through AI-powered interactions and now more than ever, it is vital for technology to empower organisers and attendees to continue. “I’m incredibly proud of the Grip team for pulling together in such a short period of time. We look forward to continuing to offer this service, along with our already very well-established platform in the future.” Above: ITB Berlin, 2018 Photo by Christian Simple solutions ever before have event technology providers been forced to demonstrate their value to both their clients and the industry at large. Organisers which may not have had a comprehensive digital events strategy before have been forced to pivot from in-person to an online environment. EventsCase is one such provider which rolled out a new tool for organisers, which requires minimal changes to their existing technology infrastructure. Virtual Events by EventsCase uses a link-based system to broadcast high-quality video through a customised mobile app and website. The feature works by integrating with the organiser’s chosen video conferencing and webinar platform, using a Netflix-inspired interface to host their live content feeds. The same technology can be used to email, register and take payments from attendees, making it a good remedy to in-person events following the Covid-19 outbreak. H, Flickr in a professional way. “We have created a feature which leans on our existing technology stack to replicate the experience, engagement and value of a live event. Organisers could be up and running within hours, and the only difference is the way in which they present their content.” Live streams are activated by the user clicking a play button next to each session on the event’s agenda page. Attendees can use the same app to build new connections via EventsCase’s 1-2-1 networking feature, which has been enhanced through a new video chat option. Meanwhile, organisers can drive engagement by inviting their audience to complete surveys and polls on session-related content. As the need to justify ROI – and with the bottom line under increasing scrutiny from budget controllers – EventsCase also bolstered its in-app advertising features to create a wealth of avenues for monetisation. Jose Bort, CEO and Co-Founder of EventsCase, notes that his customers want quick and simple solutions, as many need to get content online very quickly. He comments: “We realise that many of our users want a quick and very simple way of hosting virtual events but without large-scale changes or any big investments. They had the video software and production team – the missing piece was the platform to stitch everything together ISSUE 106 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 15