Event technology is constantly evolving and new innovations are arriving on the scene almost daily.  What experiential technologies should you expect to see more often in the coming year?

Virtual Reality

Sure, virtual reality isn’t exactly new, but with entries like Oculus Rift, VR, and especially 4D VR is poised to take a giant leap forward.  What could be better than a virtual experience at a real experiential event?  At this year’s SXSW festival in Austin, VR has been a major focus promoting everything from movies to consumer packaged goods, including a Toyota 4D experience that where consumers sat in the cockpit of a car with an Oculus Rift headset.  At the Sundance Film Festival shoe brand Merrell used Oculus Rift to simulate a somewhat dangerous 4D nature hike, complete with fake suspension bridge. Creative marketers will continue to push the envelope of this hot innovation.

Gamification

Who doesn’t love games?! The most surefire way to draw in crowds, increase attention or engage consumers is to use games and prizes. If you attended the Chicago Auto Show this year you surely must have noticed how big Gamification has gotten, as evidenced by the multitude of sit-in style driving games. Games like this can pit multiple consumers against each other to race on the big screen and offer excitement and big prizes to the winners.  If you need a more scalable and nimble Gamification solution, look for iPad based games to engage consumers, like QuickPrize from eshots.

3D Printing

With cost still keeping 3D printers out of most homes, they can still be a shiny object to draw consumer attention at your events.  Because 3D printers can seemingly create anything, they can draw a wide range of people.  At more exclusive events brands can use 3D printing to design and create custom giveaways or at higher volume events you can have an army of 3D printers turning out product samples for the masses. With lowering costs and more user friendly interfaces you should expect to see more 3D printing at experiential events.

Drones

Drones are catching a lot of press lately with some positive and some negative.  There is no denying though that drones are a hot topic in technology and consumers are transfixed every time one quietly hums by overhead.  Drones can engage consumers in many ways, from dropping gifts and promotional materials down to waiting fans, to shooting live aerial video footage to broadcast on large video boards.

Leveraging Social Media

There are few technologies evolving faster than social media. Social sharing continues to push the envelope as brands find new and exciting ways to reach their consumers (and their networks).  Green screen photo activations, experiential games and location-based mobile games are all areas where consumers are more than willing to share your branded content with their peers.  Live Share, Facebook Publisher and Twitter Connect from eshots are great way to leverage your social media activity at events, visit our website for more information.

To find out more about how eshots technology can help you drive higher ROI from your events, visit our website or call 312-253-1500.