Event technology news and innovation
Explore the latest event technology news and understand what it means for your team. We cover new tools, documented product updates and buying decisions across the event industry, from registration and ticketing to networking, streaming and analytics. Start with the news, then use our explainers and guides to check whether a feature solves your actual problem.
Lead story
Menti Form separates event feedback from the live presentation
17 October 2026
Mentimeter’s documented September addition brings branching forms and asynchronous responses alongside its live polling product.
Read articleEvent technology trends and developments
Stay up to date with event technology developments, with a practical question in mind. Does an update improve the attendee experience, reduce a manual task or introduce a new dependency? We distinguish an announced capability from a documented feature and from something genuinely tested. A launch is not proof that a tool will work with your existing systems, permissions or event data.
Event platforms connect AI assistants to operational data
17 October 2026
Swoogo and Ticket Tailor document connectors that can change event records, not just summarise them. That changes the buying questions.
Read articlepretix updates kiosk check-in alongside its September release
17 October 2026
A redesigned pretixSCAN kiosk mode and a device last-seen indicator put the focus on what happens at the entrance.
Read articleWhich event tech trends matter?
Judge innovation against the work it changes. A feature that can automate a routine email is different from one that can alter a booking or publish attendee information. Event planners need to know which actions require approval, which system keeps the authoritative record and who handles a failure. Coverage of AI trends should make those distinctions clear, not treat every new release as an essential upgrade.
Separate a trend from a buying requirement
Current trends can be a useful prompt to review your setup, but they are not a specification. Start with the problem, the people affected and the result you want to measure. Then ask whether a process change would solve it before buying another tool. The right tech for a small team may be different from the technology solutions needed across a large programme. Evidence of a successful deployment elsewhere should lead to questions about context, not an automatic recommendation.
Event technology innovations explained
See where a product fits in an event workflow and where its responsibility ends. A streaming application, mobile app or polling tool may solve one job without replacing the rest of your setup. Check the relevant plan, version, integration and availability before treating a feature list as a complete solution. Our product coverage is sourced research unless the article explicitly describes hands-on testing.
What to check before adding Slido to a session
17 October 2026
Polling and Q&A can create useful participation, but the session plan still needs moderation, access and a clear next action.
Read articleWhere OBS Studio fits in an event streaming setup
17 October 2026
OBS assembles and sends the programme. It does not replace registration, an audience platform or the people running the show.
Read articleAI-driven innovation in event management
Artificial intelligence can summarise feedback, assist with content and act on connected systems, but these are different jobs with different risks. Before enabling an AI-driven feature, ask what information it can read, what it can change and how a person can review or undo the result. AI recommendations need checking against the actual programme and audience. Our AI coverage examines permissions and evidence rather than assuming that automation improves every workflow.
Choose technology for the event format
Trade shows, conferences and a virtual event do not have identical needs. An exhibitor may need lead capture and a clear consent record; a remote delegate may need reliable streaming and captions. Virtual event tech should be assessed from the remote audience perspective, not just the control desk. For an in-person event space, check network availability, equipment layout and the support team as well as the software.
Directory
Tools for event planning
Choose the job first. Registration and ticketing tools handle entry; event apps support schedules and networking; audience participation tools collect questions and feedback; AV and streaming tools help deliver the programme. A virtual event needs a different access and support plan from an in-person exhibition. Search the directory by task, then follow the product record for its sources and limitations.
Browse vendorsCheck technology against real event needs
Ask vendors to demonstrate the difficult parts as well as the standard journey. Can staff recover from a failed check-in, correct a ticket or help someone who cannot use the mobile app? Can you test an integration without changing live records? For a hybrid or virtual event, check captions, access controls and the remote audience journey. These checks are more useful than a generic promise to transform event planning.
Connect event operations without duplicating data
Map where each piece of information belongs before connecting digital tools. Registration, a mobile app, a CRM and a reporting platform may all hold different versions of a person or booking. Ask how updates and cancellations move between them. Check what happens when a connection fails and whether staff can see the problem. A smooth demonstration is not proof of a seamless production workflow.
Event planning and execution guides
Build a shortlist around the event experience you need to deliver. An attendee should be able to register, find the right session and take part without unnecessary steps. For the planner, reliable permissions, exports, accessibility and support matter as much as the demo. Our guides help event professionals compare these requirements before choosing event management software or committing to an integration. The same requirement should guide event planning and event execution, so include the people who will operate the tech tools on the day in your evaluation.
Choosing event registration software
17 October 2026
Write the registration journey first, then ask vendors to demonstrate it with the exceptions included.
Read articleComparing lead retrieval and badge scanning
17 October 2026
A readable badge is not a qualified lead. Compare the data, permission and follow-up journey behind the scan.
Read articleQuestions to ask about event app integrations
17 October 2026
Move beyond the logo wall and prove that updates, failures and permissions work for your event.
Read articleMeasure the attendee experience
Decide what you want to learn before adding analytics tools. Registration totals, session participation and qualified follow-up answer different questions. Real-time information may help an event team respond during the day, while a post-event report can support a later ROI review. Check how the platform defines each metric, handles missing data and exports the underlying records. More data is not automatically better insight.
Check accessibility and audience engagement
A tool intended to enhance attendee experiences should work for the people attending. Test the user experience on the devices and assistive technology they use. Check keyboard access, readable contrast, captions and the route for someone who cannot install an app. Gamification, immersive features and networking prompts are optional approaches, not substitutes for a clear programme. Evaluate them against your audience and purpose rather than adding them because competitors do.
Make the demonstration match your workflow
Ask the supplier to show a realistic journey rather than a prepared presentation. Include a changed registration, a cancelled booking, a late arrival and a failed data transfer. If the aim is to streamline check-ins, measure the work staff still have to do when a badge cannot be read. Test how the system recovers and whether the correction reaches every connected tool. Record the outcome so you can compare vendors on the same basis.
Vendor listings
Submit a free vendor profile or request a correction to a product record. We keep vendor and product facts in a canonical listing rather than copying them into competing profiles. Paid placement, where offered, is labelled and does not buy a recommendation. Product claims remain attributed to their source; a listing is not evidence that we have tested the tool.
Research for informed decisions
Our reporting follows the evolution of event technology through sources that readers can inspect. We identify documented capabilities and limitations, including where the available evidence stops. Vendor language about advancement or the future of event planning is not a test result. Use the articles to make informed decisions and ask better questions, not as a guarantee that any platform will suit your event.