The busy fall conference, trade show and event season is about to be in full swing! We know event organizers are anxiously waiting to try new things and to see what their colleagues are up to with technology and beyond, looking at brand activation.
One big movement in the event space right now is part technology, part creative execution and part budget…of course!
We’re talking about a recipe for experiential brand activations, and it’s the future of all events. It’s sort of like a brand creating an interactive booth-like experience, outside of the walls of a convention center.
Events like SXSW set the bar when it comes to these types of installations and experiences. From the restaurant takeovers from big brands like Dell, Google, Fast Company and even Land-o-Lakes, to smaller pop-ups featuring up and coming brands. Downtown Austin is basically turned into one giant circus of brand activations for the weeks the annual festival takes over.
But other smaller profile industry events are doing cool things around brand activations too and pushing the envelope when it comes to integrating technology into these installations.
Here are the top 5 ways to integrate an experiential brand activation into your event app!
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Unlock Exclusive Content
A great way to spark downloads and engagement! Position some of your brand experience or sponsored content as exclusive and available only in the mobile app. Maybe that’s a secret pass code to a free drink at a pop-up or access to a prize or promotion for app users. Whatever the incentive, consider how you can incorporate your event app into your experiential brand activations.
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Use an Interactive Map to Highlight “Experiences”
Think outside the map! Consider adding pop-ups and brand activations into your interactive mapping system. This is a great way to add to your overall user experience and spark exhibitor participation in the event app. There is also an opportunity to generate sponsor dollars for “pin-drops” on your maps.
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Use In-App Alerts
Create FOMO! Fear-of-missing-out is a real thing and you should use your event app to create a sense of urgency to be a part of your brand activations. You can send out timed and geo-fenced alerts to event app users, to get them to take an action, like participating in an experience or exhibitor activation. This can also be an add-on sponsorship upsell to exhibitors that prioritize real-time engagement.
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Beacons
Beacons are small, physical devices that allow our programmers to configure special targeted alerts, 
through the event app. This is a perfect for experiential brand activations and event apps because you can segment out rooms, locations and more and send attendees specific alerts. Our beacons also do not interfere with each other. So you can have session room A send a specific alert and that will not interfere with a separate alert you’re sending for session room B, for example. From the exhibit hall to education session rooms, our beacons deliver location specific calls-to-action that can drive engagement at your experiences and also provide valuable analytics that can help shape future decisions.
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Behavioral Leads
This feature allows organizers to gather engagement data on the attendees that are most likely to take an action with exhibitors. It’s basically a predetermined scoring system that allows you to gauge attendee’s interests, in order to personalize your engagement. Get access to the attendees that interact with your booth listings, marketing materials, sponsorships and more! Make the most of your opportunity to showcase your exhibitors and drive qualified leads. Behavioral leads are accessible real-time and year-round through your Exhibitor Portal. This is a perfect use case for experiential brand activations and event apps.
From exclusive content to real-time engagement, your event app has the potential to extend your experiential brand activations, pre-event, during the event and post-event. Let us know how we can help you configure the best way to converge your event app with your experiential brand activations. Click here to contact us to learn more about our team and our event technology.
