If there is one thing that all event organizers are in search of, it’s how to maximize time and money. Being organized is invaluable, but what are some ways to save budget – and the planet – that maybe you don’t generally consider when planning an event?
Increase your competitive advantage. Going green is the most cost-effective way to improve your brand experience, for both your employees (ease and convenience) and customers (engaging and customer-centric).
With minimal effort, you might get a big return on time, and on money. Here are some positive ways that sustainability can impact your paperless event, and how it can make a significant impact on other areas you may not have considered:
Printed Collateral
We all know that printing can cost a fortune, especially when you organize multiple events in one calendar year. That can hit your budget pretty hard. When you think of spending anywhere from one dollar to five dollars per piece of collateral, like a brochure, those costs can really add up. And is it even effective? Are visitors reading it? The true cost per reader is likely to be much higher. The cost of paper continues to rise, and its effectiveness has dwindled, particularly in the years since we all became glued to our mobile phones.
Transportation
While it normally contributes heavily to your printed collateral costs, it’s often a cost that most people don’t consider. Particularly when you have to ship back any remaining collateral to your office. That’s a lot of unnecessary costs you can save if you go paperless.
Metrics
It’s easier to measure engagement by a digital footprint than paper brochure. Make every digital document work for you by knowing who collected what, when and where. The ability to measure what is happening within your market gives you not only insight on what happened at your event but also how to learn from the information that you have collected and adapt accordingly.
Last minute edits
Digital content stored online in a Content Management System (CMS) allows you to track who received it, what edits have been made and to stay current on the most updated versions of your content.
Eliminate Stress
Shipping delays and printing errors cause enormous stress in a time-sensitive situation. Going paperless eliminates that issue and also printing thousands of pieces of erroneous material. Costly for you, and for the environment!
Planning and Sharing
Going digital saves not only the costs of the printing (who wants to lug all of that paper across the miles to the event space?) but the logistics of it, too. Proofing, approving, printing in other languages, making sure it gets to the destination on time, all eliminated by creating your content digitally. It’s so easy to share digital documents, and those you shared with can forward on, and so on and so on. The best part is, no additional costs are necessary!
Think Customer
Put yourself in the shoes of your visitors. Do you think it would be easy for them to haul around stacks of paper throughout the event or schlep it all back to their home office? Freeing them up with digital content lets them enjoy your event experience, network and make the most of their time with your brand.
Here are some easy ways to go green:
Smart Badges
NFC enabled smart badges allow visitors to collect information and interact with exhibitor booths and feature areas in a sustainable way, while also registering interest for exhibitors. With a 'low per visitor cost', smart badges are perfect for exhibitions and mass-traffic environments.
Poken Interactive USB device
Imagine a digital, interactive USB stick that streamlines the process of information collection by allowing people to collect what they are interested in by touch. Poken not only collects marketing information, but your contact information as well, and so acts as a vital networking tool in addition to content management.
Touchpoints
This device allows exhibitors and organizers a place to upload all of their information, making it easy for the visitor to collect and retain. They simply touch their Poken USB or mobile to the touchpoint to obtain the content. This also gives exhibitors and organizers insight on how their information was collected and what is happening in their industry.
Mobile Event Apps
A staple digital element in the modern event organizer’s portfolio, mobile event apps give attendees a multitude of digital information that increases engagement and extends the lifetime of the event.
The advantages to going green far outweigh the alternative. Think about how you can incorporate sustainability in your next event. Start with one new approach and build on it from there. Any step forward to a paperless event is a step in the right direction, for you, your budget, your brand and for the planet.