Wearable technology refers to the use of smart electronic devices that can be worn. Most people are already familiar with this concept through their smartwatch but wearables can consist of everything from jewellery, to clothing and even tattoos.

There’s been an explosion in the popularity of wearables over the last few years. The global wearable tech market was valued at £52 billion in 2021[1]. And this number’s only set to increase over the coming years.

 

Examples of Wearable Technology

Wearable technology has the potential to be transformational for the events industry. By gaining access to real-time data, attendees can have a smoother, more interactive experience and organisers can gain valuable insights into their event.

Wearable technology can come in several different forms and is already being successfully used in many events.

  • RFID – RFID is a technology that can embed information within tags or labels, effectively creating a “smart badge” for your event. This has several applications like storing check-in details, contact information or for fast payment.
  • Beacons – Beacons are tiny wearable devices that transmit information. These are ideal for tracking movement throughout an event. This data can produce heatmaps, improve networking opportunities and help attendees navigate the event.
  • QR codes – QR codes have a big advantage over traditional badges as they can contain a lot more attendee information in one place. This can help with quickly exchanging details.
  • Mobile apps – It’s likely every event attendee will have a smartphone on them. This provides an opportunity for event organisers to offer many of the great benefits you would associate with wearables directly from an event app. Features like location tracking, interactive maps and networking.
  • Options for attaching the devices – There are a variety of options to integrate the technology above into different wearables. This includes smart wristbands, attaching beacons to lanyards, adding RFID or QR codes to badges and many more.

 

How can wearable technology be used for events?

This technology is quickly becoming integral to the event experience. There are several ways this technology can enhance an event.

Analytics and data

Wearable technology helps event organisers access vital information regarding their events. Heatmaps from attendee movement can inform the organiser of the most (or least) popular areas and sessions in the venue. It can also raise any issues of high traffic or long wait times. All these insights can go back into producing a more successful event.

Help demonstrate ROI

It’s notoriously difficult to calculate the return on investment for events when compared to other forms of marketing. Wearables can help bridge that gap. Event organisers can provide detailed feedback on exactly how many people visited a particular stand and for how long. Exhibitors can gain information on their visitors to ensure they are attracting high quality, relevant leads.

Exchanging information

Rather than having to swap business cards, attendee details can be exchanged with the tap of a smart badge or by scanning a QR code. This makes it much easier for people to quickly build connections.

Networking

Tracking user movement allows for some unique networking benefits. Attendees can immediately see when potential matches are nearby. This can be further enhanced by using gamification such as providing points for the number of connections made.

Checking in

Checking into an event can be vastly improved thanks to wearables. As ticket and registration information is saved to the cloud, people can gain quick access to the event. This is a great way of keeping queues to a minimum. Once inside, people can use their wristband or smart ticket to gain access to special parts of the event, like VIP areas. Using event technology to record each check in prevents fraudulent activity like ticket sharing.

Secure transactions

An attendee can save payment details to their wearable device. This makes it quick and easy to make purchases at the event.

Navigating the event

Event halls can be large and confusing places for an attendee. Showing people exactly where they are in the venue is a great way of helping them navigate the event. Their wearable tech can provide notifications when they are close to a stand that matches their interests.

After the event, the attendee can view their journey report and see exactly where they went and who they visited. This means they can follow up with relevant people and companies, even if they forget to exchange details at the time.

 

As you can see, wearable technology has numerous potential benefits to help improve an event.

Want to know if technology can improve your event? At ExpoBeacon, we specialise in providing smart technology to help event organisers put on a more successful event. Contact us to find out more.

 

 

[1] Wearable Technology Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product, GrandViewResearch, 2022 https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/wearable-technology-market