Solutions
Smartec Business Solutions is one of few companies that specialise in maximising automation through the events lifecycle, as well as across multiple meetings and events. It looks for integration between systems at every opportunity to reduce the dependency on spreadsheets, and the potential breach of data protection regulations they can leave when they contain personal data.
In addition, it can plan, implement and support Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) programs for corporate events teams, agencies, or travel management companies. Smartec is totally independent and impartial and can work with a client’s preferred SMM platform, or provide consultancy to recommend a platform that best suits the client.
All solutions have business intelligence, data analytics and data protection principles inbuilt, either in line with client objectives or with legal requirements.
Managed Event Technology Services
Event technology is becoming more diverse and complex daily, with a plethora of tools / systems / platforms on the market. Managing all these systems is a specialised skill, but the burden falls on event planners.
Smartec offers a fully managed event technology service for its clients. This means Smartec will work with the events team and manage all the 'technical' aspects of an event, leaving planners free to focus on their core competency. Managed services can include:
- Create a custom event web site and marketing strategy
- Create different registration processes for different delegate types
- Mange the hotel and flight needs of delegates
- Setup ticketing and take secure online payments
- Manage onsite check-ins, badging and delegate management
- Configure and use a mobile app at the event, including features such as polling, live Q&A, etc
- Send out post-event surveys and carry out reporting and ROI analysis
- Etc
Smartec can help organisations in the following ways:
Smartec can help organisations by managing their event technology needs throughout the lifecycle of an event
- Start by understanding the objectives and details of the event
- Recommend a technology platform if one is not in place or license one directly
- Work alongside the event team or the end client to create the event website and registration processes for each delegate type
- Configure and integrate an event app and badging solutions, as required
- Conduct post event feedback and data analysis
For more information, call Smartec on +44 (0)1784 289974 or email info@smartecbs.com
A strategic meetings management program (SMMP) for both corporations and agencies is a key component in bringing efficiency to an organisation by driving compliance, promoting common processes and centralising data management. It is a company-wide initiative which requires the buy-in of stakeholders at all levels, from senior management through to PAs who organise events on behalf of their manager or team.
Simply licensing an SMMP technology platform is the start of the process - the challenge is the change management and subsequent business process engineering that is required to implement the platform. An SMMP program requires stakeholders throughout the enterprise to be trained and informed on the new processes they are required to follow. This will drive compliance, which in turn will reduce costs through standardisation. Programs can be local, regional or global, but the greatest benefit (and challenge) is to have standardisation of data and processes across the enterprise.
Smartec can help organisations in the following ways:
- Plan an SMM program by firstly analysing the organisations' processes, policies, business mix and total event-related spend
- Recommend an SMM technology platform, if there is none in place
- Implement a full SMM program by engaging with key stakeholders, and rolling out common processes and technology platform to all users
- Support an SMM program, as continued review and improvement are critical to the ongoing success of SMM. This means ongoing tracking of policy compliance, system usage and industry best practice
A full SMM program will allow clients to gain visibility of all event spend, be it for themselves (agency) or their clients.
For more information, click here or call Smartec on +44 (0)1784 289974 or email info@smartecbs.com
Most modern event technology systems are built on 'open standards', which allows them to integrate with other systems. This helps with automation during the events lifecycle, and can help drive compliance and reduce costs.
Examples include:
- A CRM system integrated with an event management or onsite live polling system to create a single view of an event attendee
- An event app integrated with the onsite lead capture tools
- The single sign on (SSO) between different systems, so you are not required to login to each system separately
Smartec can work with clients to:
- Carry out a business process review to see if technology is being used optimally, both for live events and for meetings management
- Look at the technology systems in place to see if they are being fully utilised - most businesses are not familiar with all the features of the system they use
- Propose and carry out integration between systems. Apart from the clear efficiency benefits, this also generally leads to increased compliance as personal data is securely transferred between systems
- Provide a single view of the attendee by combining their event activity with their onsite engagement, leading to powerful metrics
For more information, click here or call Smartec on +44 (0)1784 289974 or email info@smartecbs.com
Event Analytics, ROE, ROI
Events generate large volumes of data, including the following:
- Invitation, attendee and participant data
- Attendee engagement data, including questions and polls
- Social media engagement data, including likes, retweets and mentions
- Attendee demographics, including location and job role
- Event marketing data, including open rates, click-throughs and unsubscribes
- Financial data, such as the total cost of the event and its profit and loss account
Having large volumes of data is one thing, but turning the data into actionable insights is another. These insights may lead analytics that can influence future events, resource planning, product development, etc.
Smartec can work with clients to:
- Ensure organisations process all data in accordance with data protection regulations, such as GDPR
- Collate data from multiple sources
- Create reports to meet the organisations' business objects
- Analyse the data to create insights for future strategic decision making
- Implement a real-time data analytics strategy that can drive both tactical and strategic decisions
For more information, call Smartec on +44 (0)1784 289974 or email info@smartecbs.com
Thanks to the GDPR (the EU General Data Protection Regulation) and CCPA (California Consumer Protection Act), organisations are thinking much more about the personal data they hold, and how they process it. The meetings and events industry is heavily impacted by these regulations, due to the large volumes of personal data processed, such as invitee lists, registrant lists, rooming lists, A&D reports, attendee engagement data, etc.
Becoming compliant with these regulations (and more) is not an option - it is mandatory in order to avoid large fines and other sanctions. Compliance tends to be a journey, rather than a single act, as it requires significant change management to implement successfully.
Smartec can help organisations in the following ways:
Smartec can help organisations with their data protection journey by taking a phased approach:
- Start off with an audit of all existing processes, policies, contracts and assets within the organisation
- Carry out a detailed data mapping and ‘gap analysis’ of all processes. There is no easy way of doing this – it will often require input from different departments or division heads
- A report will summarise the current position of the organisation, and present a plan to become compliant with recommendations for priority areas
- Going forward, Smartec can offer an outsourced DPO service or act as a UK Representative for international organisations
For more information, click here, or call Smartec on +44 (0)1784 289974 or email info@smartecbs.com