Technologies Corporates are using to Motivate Employees amid Social Distancing – 5 Awesome Features

Technologies Corporates are using to Motivate Employees amid Social Distancing – 5 Awesome Features

technologies, social distancing

Technologies and their Features

Leaders and HR teams manage employees to get the best out of them during this challenging period. Motivating employees is critical to the company’s success as we navigate these unprecedented times.

Smart technologies stimulate employees engagement. Engaged employees are likely to give their best in this challenging time. The technologies motivate and keep workers safe, enabling them to focus on their duties.

While a lack of technology itself may or may not cause a business to fall behind the competition, the perception that it can cause them to lose out on the best talent. That, in turn, can cause them to fall far behind competitors that can attract better talent.

Not only can smart tech help you attract better talent, it can help them be more productive and even create a safer work environment. Here are some ways to use smart tech to increase employee motivation.

Smart tech can create a more enriching experience for employees, better job satisfaction and even better health.

Here are five technologies that corporations use to motivate employees amid social distancing.

Increased Sharing and Collaboration

Cloud-based file storage and sharing tools can help employees as they work remotely. These solutions make it easier for workers to share and find documents, eliminating frustrations caused by poor record-keeping.

Employees can also leverage these tools to work remotely and collaborate in real-time. These tools enable users to edit, update, or view the same document from different locations.

Use Gamification

Employee training should generate adequate motivation to enable the workers to have an interest in the program. Interested employees invest the effort and time needed to learn.

Gamification makes practical, daily activities engaging. Use it to increase employee motivation and improve participation rates in employee training programs.

One excellent tool for this process is the webMOBI program. This user-friendly employee engagement app showcases the team and individual accomplishments. You can use it to improve audience participation and create engagement rules.

Increase Mobility

Organizations need to support employees’ remote work requirements. This support is critical as companies embrace remote work to meet the necessary social distancing requirements.

Companies provide employees with mobile workplace tools to enable them to work from anywhere. Employees enjoy this flexibility, and it makes them more productive.

Organizations use apps and devices to facilitate remote work. They may also use a virtual meeting app to keep their remote workforce connected and informed. For example, Zoom meetings have become the norm amid social distancing.

Use a Cloud-Based Phone System technologies To Improve Productivity and Communication

technologiesA cloud-based phone system enables employees to communicate effectively amid social distancing. This solution provides the essential communication system workers need, as it facilitates conference calls.

Train employees to use this program and develop the right policies and procedures to enjoy a cloud-based phone system. Workers should know your protocols, follow etiquette, and report issues early.

Get Real-Time Feedback

Giving employees real-time feedback can motivate them as they work remotely. Apps and programs can help companies with this process. Workers will not wait for extended periods for performance reviews.

Instant feedback helps them know where they are doing well, encouraging them to continue the excellent work.

Employees can also provide insights into the organization. They can offer suggestions to improve virtual event engagements, cooperation, and the resolution of disputes.

Employees will feel valued if management listens to them, motivating them to give their best to the company.

Having a motivated workforce is essential in this challenging period. Engaging your employees can motivate them to give their best to the company. Use these five technologies to stimulate employee engagement amid social distancing.

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Event Management in 21st Century

Event Management

Event Management can be defined as a process involving effective planning and coordinating an event (conferences, webinar, fests, concerts, etc.). Managing an event can be successful only when the below-listed factors are taken into consideration.

  • Budget
  • Schedule
  • Selection of Venue
  • Acquiring permits (if necessary/needed)
  • Arranging for speakers
  • Taking care of the decor
  • Managing the event security
  • Catering
  • Collaborate with the third party vendors
  • Backup/Emergency Plan

A successful managing of an event is not just dependent on the number of years a company has organized events. Past success alone does not guarantee success in present ventures as market dynamics evolve continuously necessitating different strategies to be adopted for success.

The essential tools that are needed for a successful event is,

1. Technology

We are in a digital era, and the recent trend in event management has noticed the use of mobile applications. Webmobi is an event app which has a range of uses,

  • Contains information about the event – Agenda, Speakers, and Venue Details,
  • Audience engagement through Q&A, live chats and instant messaging, their opinions and suggestions
  • Notify the attendees through push messages, alerts, live updates, etc,.
  • Participants can use the app to register, send an RSVP and know the details about the event.

2. Marketing

Making the world know about the event is important. Publicizing the event will help to garner more audience who might be genuinely interested in the event. There is a various way to market an event.

  • Social media plays an important role. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, can be used to sell an event. Email marketing can also be done by sending bulk emails to the existing customers.
  • The traditional style of marketing can also be used. News media, hoarding, pamphlets, TV/radio commercials, Can be used to market an event.
  • Companies can also speak about an event during a product launch or through promotional events.

3. Event site/Venue of the event

An event can be successful if the venue of the event is right. Monitoring all the aspects of the event venue is crucial. It is important to have a “Sustainable Event Management.”

  • The event has to be held in a responsible way and have a concern for the environment
  • The organizers have to instruct the suppliers and other third party vendors and suppliers to about sustainable development.

4. Live Updates

Keep the attendees updated about ongoing of the event. Through social media or the event management app.

  • Provide more information about the company, especially the facts that the attendees/audience aren’t aware.
  • Give speaker details as this will help the attendees know more about the person addressing the event.
  • Let the audience know the details of the food that is being served to them at the event.

Providing these necessary details will help in building a bond with the audience.

5. Opinions/Suggestions from Audience

After the completion of an event, ask the attendees to share their experience. This will help the companies to enhance their prospects. Even though the suggestion may sound “silly,” try and incorporate these ideas into the next event to garner some positive reviews.

The event manager or the event planner is under constant stress since as managing different aspects related to the event are not a simple task. With an availability of software application which runs on multiple platforms simplifies the event manager’s job.

Make your event a grand success!

 

5 Seamless Technologies Transforming Retail Business

Technology has been an area of intense focus in retail industries as a way to achieve both the goals of decreasing cost and increasing revenue. When technology integrates with retail business, the retail industry will be rich with data from human interaction and algorithmic computations. Here are some evidences that evince that technology is leading to the transmogrification of the Retail Industry.

  1. In-Store Touch Screen Kiosks

One of the most intriguing technologies independent retailers can use to ameliorate the shopping experience is an interactive kiosk that uses touch screen technology. It speeds up the service, provides better customer engagement and simplifies the entire shopping process. You need not go around and search for items, you can search it through the kiosks and get to know where the items are placed or the customer can directly place an order through the kiosk.

  1. Biometric Systems

Big stores, large scale businesses, banks and brands in general have a natural inclination towards implementing a high level unassailable security system. Biometrics provide options of inculcating security options such as fingerprint recognition, voice identification, iris scanning, face detection etc., and improves the customer experience concomitantly.

  1. Beacons

Beacon technology creates a nexus with the customers using Bluetooth Low Energy Technology. The proximity based marketing strategy that Beacons work on, is exemplary. Retailers use Beacons to provide more personalized, real-time messages, offers and promotions at the right time and the right location. A customer is bound to buy a product that he crosses by, when he receives an instant notification about the offers/ discounts on that product. Beacons send push notifications to the customers as soon as they cross the product. Beacons are said to multiply sales by 10 times in the coming years.

  1. Connection to Social Media

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest have transformed from mere photo sharing and chatting tools to Business Development and Marketing tools. Recently Twitter had experimented the ‘Buy’ button similar to ‘Like’ or ‘Tweet’ with a few groups of sellers. Retail Business have infinite space to expand on Social media apart from the store. A word in social media has the potential to spread like fire. Posts or Tweets regarding offers or discount on social media becomes more powerful.

  1. Robots in the Retail Business

While the number of staffs or labors in a store determines how many customers they can handle at a time efficiently, the current trends in the technology has led to the decline in the number of employees. Human labor is being replaced by robots. Selection of items, adding to the cart and more options that happen physically are performed by robots. The seamless technologies used in Retail Robots are stupefying the customers thereby giving them a new experience and converting them to a loyal customer of the product or store. Robots are able to provide multiple in-store services like Out of Stock detection, Over Stock detection, Promotion compliance, New or Discounted Product Compliance etc.

 

Sky is the limit when one tries to ponder upon the possibilities of implementing technology in retail business. The positive effects that it has on sales and customers is unbeatable.

13 best apps for event planners in 2022

13 best apps for event planners in 2022

Looking for the best apps for event planners? Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, these top picks will have everything you need to stay organized and on track. From event planning tools to social media management tools, these apps are essential for event planners.

The rise of hybrid event planning apps in 2022

In 2022, hybrid event planning apps will be the go-to choice for event planners. These apps allow users to manage both paper and digital event planning projects simultaneously, making them a more efficient and organized option than traditional methods. Additionally, these apps are customizable and can accommodate a variety of events.

Why event organizers should use event planning apps?

With event planning apps, you can keep your entire event organized and in one place. This is extremely beneficial for event planners because it means they can have a complete view of the event as it unfolds. There are many different types of event planning apps, but here are the major reasons why all event organizers should use them:

1) Communication: Event planning apps allow for easy communication between team members. This is crucial for accomplishing tasks efficiently and ensuring everyone is on the same page.

2) Event management: Event apps help keep track of all the details of an event so that you can easily check on progress. This is especially important when planning large events, as it allows you to monitor the progress of each part in relation to the whole and adjust accordingly.

3) Hybrid events: Event planning apps can be used to plan hybrid events, which is when an onsite event and a virtual event get combined into one. The hybrid events can include conferences, workshops, and competitions.

4) Cost-Effective: Mobile Event apps are extremely affordable. They can be used for any type of event and don’t require a large budget. This is especially helpful for smaller events, as it allows organizers to be more creative with their event ideas.

5) Attendee engagement: The mobile event apps allow users to listen to other members of the team and get their input on how to make the event better. This is a great way to meet new people and get feedback on your event. Mobile event apps can give attendees an amazing event experience.

6) Planning: Apps like Asana allow you to create checklists of tasks that need to be completed. This way, you can easily keep track of what needs to be done in the future and make sure you are not forgetting anything. It makes the event planning process easy, thereby, enhancing the event management process.

6 must-have features for any event planning software or app

There are a number of key features that an event planning software should have in order to be effective for the event planners. Below are six of the most important ones.

1. Event planning process: The ability to create a detailed event plan. An effective event planning app will allow you to create a detailed plan for your event, including specifying the date, time, location, and all other necessary details.

2. Selling tickets: This is a key feature for any event planning software and mobile event apps. The most effective event planning apps allow you for selling tickets online and offline, which greatly increases the number of people who are able to attend your events.

3. Team collaboration: The best apps for event planners will allow you to collaborate with your team members and share a single event plan. This will greatly increase the effectiveness of your event and make it more successful.

4. Interactive tools: An event management software should have tools such as live polls, live quizzes, word clouds, and live Q&A that allow you to interact with the attendees and make changes to the event at any time. These tools also make it easier for your guests to communicate with each other.

5. Invitations and RSVPs: The ability to create your own invitations and RSVPs. An event planning app should allow you to make your own custom invitations and RSVPs for your event, so that you can make it even more personal and unique from other people’s events.

6. Expense tracker: The event management software should have the ability to create a budget and track expenses. An event planning app should help you stay on budget by tracking your expenses as you go. This is especially helpful for larger events with more complicated budgets.

Best apps for event planners

There are more than 1 billion iPhone and Android users and the number of mobile apps on the App store is increasing exponentially every day. While there are several applications that provide event management services or are used exhaustively during events for providing an outstanding event experience.

Here are some of the applications that are quite popular in the event industry.

1. Boomset:

Boomset efficiently manages the event registration process for the event managers. As an event organizer, you will need to create a seamless check-in experience for your attendees. To help event planners with this, boomset scans QR codes and searches guest info to print badges on-site, customizes the guest list to match the look and feel of your event, and allows you to view and edit your attendee list with just a simple click.

Key features:

– Sell tickets and track check-ins for any corporate event.

– Cashless payment can improve the audience response.

– Event feedback and lead collection for future corporate events.

Benefits:

– The registration and event ticketing process is made easier.

– Enhance your audience response with innovative technology.

– Access valuable insights for improving the ROI of the event.

Drawbacks:

– Not budget-friendly.

– Need technical expertise to understand.

Pricing: Starts from $4,000

2. webMOBI:

webMOBI hybrid event platform presents a complete end-­to-­end events solution to organizers in one integrated system that includes a comprehensive CMS, mobile app, and event website with features like registration, selling tickets, networking, payment, live polling, and surveys, meeting planning services, interactive exhibitor floor map, and many other features to provide an amazing event experience. It comes with a free trial so that the event professionals can get explore all the features.

WebMOBI is a great app that also allows attendees to provide feedback via live polling and surveys expediently. It provides inimitable features like Rich Notifications, Pushes Notifications, and all the core entities that a conference would require. This is an ideal app for event managers.

Key Features:

– Event organizing is made easier with excellent event management tools.

– Easy event marketing through the event app platform.

– Automatic content moderation and push notifications.

– Leaderboard.

– Lead retrieval report for exhibitors and sponsors

– Integration with major video hosting platforms like Zoom for virtual events

Audience Engagement benefits

– Boosting audience engagement through live polls, word clouds, quizzes, and Q&A.

– Get real-time feedback and insights for future events.

Multistreaming to social media platforms

– Interactive presentations.

– Helpful customer service.

Pricing: Free trial available. The premium plan starts from $2000 per event and $999+ for each add-on event.

3. Dropbox:

So much information regarding your event may be available and accessible only to a few members of your team. To make the data ubiquitously reachable you need to store it in the cloud. This data may include anything and everything like a list of attendees, guest speakers’ information, items or resources required for the conduction of the event, and other statistics, numbers, images, or graphs.

Dropbox allows the event planners to upload, organize and share all of the documents digitally and even edit on the go.

Key features:

– Securely keep your files stored.

– Files are accessible from any device.

– Easily shareable with anyone.

– Manage and track all the file updates and efficiently collaborate with your team members.

Benefits:

– Easily access the files from anywhere.

– Recovery of deleted files.

– Enables offline review of online materials.

Drawbacks:

– Administrator cannot control the users syncing the files.

– Metadata search functionality is lacking.

Pricing: 30 days free trial available. Pricing plans start from $15 per user per month.

4. Social Reminders:

This is a simple and quick to-do list creator that syncs with the cloud and shares tasks with colleagues. It provides a good user interface and multiple views for working the way you wish to. You will be able to access all your tasks online, receive push notifications for new and updated tasks, assign tasks to users and integrate with Facebook to connect with the world.

Features:

– Powerful features in a simple interface.

– Simple and extended views.

– List is easily shareable on the social media platform.

Benefits:

– Sync with the cloud.

– Accessible customer service.

– Simple and easy-to-use project management software for event businesses.

Pricing: It’s completely free.

5. Simple Soiree:

Rated the iPhone’s Most Popular and Best Selling Party Planner App, the $1.99 Simple Soiree App lets you store every event detail from guests, speakers, and celebrities to venue and schedules, etc. It is a simple, elegant tool to keep every detail of your event structured and organized. It is perfect for event professionals. With a built-in to-do list, you can easily store, update and export all your lists to email for viewing or printing.

Features:

– Suitable for wedding planners and event businesses.

– Help in vendor selection.

– Unlimited calls and emails.

– Unlimited meetings with vendors.

Benefits:

– Track and manage RSVPs.

– Full guidance on creating a beautiful event.

– Helps in coordinating the travel and accommodations.

Drawbacks

– The app interface looks dated.

– Lack of features.

Pricing: Starts from $240

6. Eventbrite:

This is a great app that helps event planners to discover popular local events and find upcoming events and events that their friends are planning to attend. You can register for and get tickets for events through the app. You may also get special event recommendations through the contacts that you create using this app. As an organizer, you can view live sales and event attendance stats at any time.

Features:

– Discover upcoming events near you.

– Get personalized recommendations.

– Available in multiple languages.

– Good for event marketers.

Benefits:

– A time saver for small event marketers.

– Collect important guest details.

– Premium consulting and integration service.

Drawbacks:

– No free trial.

Pricing: Customizable

7. Bump:

Though this app doesn’t provide event management services explicitly, it is widely used during the event where attendees or friends can simply bump their phones together and this would exchange all essential contact details such as email, phone number, etc. This saves time and manual paperwork like jotting down the details etc. So when you bump into some of your friends at an event make sure you bump your phones too.

Features:

– Exploring the surroundings.

– Sharing your experiences with nearby people.

– Create new connections and new experiences.

Benefits:

– Chat with people from anywhere in the world.

– Send images and videos to anybody.

Drawbacks:

– No friending is required for sending images and videos which may hamper privacy.

Price: Free

8. Eventful:

Eventful is an event app platform that comprehensively furnishes event details of local events, concerts, and entertainment for all age members including adults, teens, and kids. It is a good tool for your event organizing. You can list your event on this app and see what is happening in and around your area.  The app allows you to search by location for your favorite venue, performer, or date of an event. It uses maps to show you what events are taking place around you.

Key features:

– Easy-to-use interface.

– Event managers get complete control over what they show to create a beautiful event.

–  Team collaboration through the distribution of work.

Benefits:

– Works great as an event management solution.

– Available on both the App Store and the Google play store.

– Event website is coming soon.

Drawbacks:

– No premium plans as of now.

Pricing: Free. Premium plan launching soon.

9. Cisco WebEx Meeting:

Event planners can schedule or begin or join a meeting virtually through the free Cisco WebEx meeting app. Stay in connection with important things, no matter where you are. This app allows you to join any conference from your iPhone, Apple iPad, and Apple Watch. The app enables content and video to be viewed simultaneously, voice-activated video switching, and unique host account capabilities such as Recording a meeting, Promoting/ Demote Panelists, muting/unmuting a participant, passing presenter capabilities to another participant, etc.

Key Features:

– Meet anywhere anytime virtually.

– High-quality video, integrated audio, and content sharing.

– Customizable video layout.

Benefits:

– Present or join in any webinar or meetings

– Record meetings for others.

– Instant translation of meetings into more than 100 languages.

Drawbacks:

–  Users have complained about the camera being turned off automatically.

– Difficulty in zooming the screen.

Price: Starts from $13.50 per month

10. HeyTell:

event planners applications

HeyTell is a cross-platform voice messenger & simple walkie-talkie that allows instant communication with colleagues and is available on the platforms such as Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 7 devices. With a superior audio quality (twice the frequency range of a cell phone call) it utilizes very less data that is equivalent to no more than sending a mail and is quicker than an SMS. To top it all, the app is free.

HeyTell can encourage internal communication between attendees during the event. It will literally keep the attendees ‘engaged’ over the phone during the event, exchanging ideas, thoughts, and opinions about the event. Groups can be created for a deeper discussion on event-related topics.
Moreover, HeyTell acts as the best tool for communicating with your organizing committee or the members to keep receiving and giving updates and to assign tasks continuously.

Key features:

– Supports voice messages.

– Data usage is extremely low

– Conversations can be saved easily and replayed or deleted in offline mode.

Benefits:

– High privacy.

– Friend, unfriend, and block in real-time when required.

– Superior quality of audio.

Drawbacks:

– Users may not get real-time notifications.

– Bug fixes are required.

11. 24me:

With the immense pressure shouldered by an event planner, 24me acts as a smart personal assistant with a calendar, built-in notes, and to-do lists by connecting to your personal life such as your utilities, service providers, banks, social networks, and more.

Its commendable calendar design, advanced to-do lists, speech-to-text convertible notes, etc., are some of the best features this app possesses. This is highly recommended for an event planner who needs work-life balance.

Key features:

– Easy syncing with all other mobile calendars

– Using voice the person can add event details, tasks, and notes.

– Emails can be turned into tasks.

Benefits:

– Smart reminder feature.

– Weather alert tool.

– Team collaboration available.

– One of the most easy-to-use event management tools.

Drawbacks:

– Default image cannot be changed.

– Too many notifications may lag your phone.

Pricing: Starts from $5.99

12. Super Planner:

As a professional event planner, you should have the Super planner app that has a variety of planning tools such as calculators for venue capacity (for 15 different seating configurations including banquet, classroom, theater, reception, conference, exhibit, etc.), staffing (like a number of waiters needed and registration desk staffs needed, etc.), catering (like a number of drinks required), staging, projection (for seating and space of audience). You get all the numbers that you must know to conduct your event through the Super Planner App.

13. Hootsuite:

Hootsuite helps the event planners to manage all their social networks efficaciously, enables scheduled messaging for future publishing, and enhances your social media activity skillfully. The social media monitoring tools present in this app allow you to identify your attendees’ likes and enjoins engagement continuously.

It also delineates analytical data to understand the trends in social media and its effectiveness for your event. Most importantly, it has an App Directory of around 80+ apps including YouTube, Instagram, etc., in the social media dashboard that can amplify your social media reach and productivity.

With the availability of indefinitely many mobile apps function as the event management solution. Event managers can give the best experience to the attendees thereby taking their event to the next level nearing the victory mark.

Key features:

– Excellent tool for event marketing.

– Direct access of image access.

– Good for collecting customer feedback.

Benefits:

–  Good for growing the social following.

– Amazing tool for keeping up with the latest social conversations and trends.

– Social analytics is possible.

Drawbacks:

– Custom URL shortener is expensive.

– Facebook insights are not available.

Pricing: Professional plans start from $65 per month.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many great apps for event planners. These apps can help the event planners with everything from organizing to promoting events. Whether you are a professional event planner or just planning a party for your friends, there is an app for you. So be sure to check out these great apps and see how they can help make your next event a success!

How to use LinkedIn to Professionally Publicize your Event

How to use LinkedIn to Professionally Publicize your Event

Among the various social media platforms, the one that has recognition for its level of professionalism is LinkedIn. When you post information regarding your event on LinkedIn, people are more likely to take it seriously and actually check it out. There are several ways through which you will be able to leverage LinkedIn for the promotion of your event.

1. Write posts about your event:

linkedin

  • Go to Profile> Your Posts> Choose the “Published” tab and Publish a post. Use a headline that makes up the theme of your event or you can create a post with the title of your event and give intricate descriptions about it so that all your followers will come to know about it.
  • Also LinkedIn asks for 3 hashtags that you can include in your post, for which you can type anything that is pertaining to the idea/ agenda of your event.

2. Individual Messages:

  • Send free messages to 1st This is one way through which you can directly communicate to your followers on LinkedIn.
  • If you have a group on LinkedIn you can avail the group messaging facility and save time from individual messages.
  • You can also avail in Mail which is the paid messaging service through which you can send messages to any LinkedIn user. To use this you should either be a premium member or buy the package.

3. Create a page for your organization and Showcase it:

  • You can start your own company page and send status updates from that page since you cannot link to common LinkedIn users through your company page. People could opt to follow your page if they find it interesting.
  • The company page that you created have some subsections called ‘Showcase Page’ which can have its very own followers. So you could create a showcase page for your event and have a separate bunch of followers thereby bringing your event under the limelight.

4. Notify Connections for Profile Updates:

linkedin-2

Make some profile updates that includes your event details or a job position like ‘Event Manager’ for ‘Your Event Name’ and give the link to your website or app or blog, so that your connections will come to know about it immediately.

5. Posts by your Event Key Note Speakers:

You can ask your event key note speaker to publish a post that describes your event and also includes the range of topics that he or she is going to cover during their discourse. The fans or followers of the speaker will not only get to know about your event but may also attend your event.

6. Choose to Advertise:

linkedin-3

Choose Business Services and click on Advertise. Through this you can set your own advertising budget and LinkedIn will fetch you customers by spreading the word about your organization or the event that your organization is planning to conduct.

For more information: https://www.linkedin.com/ad/accounts/

The key to success for LinkedIn based event promotion is based on the relevant posts you make and the response that LinkedIn’s massive audience base is bound to produce. There are more than 332 million people on LinkedIn, which means that you can reach a significant amount of people to propagate your event.