Technology in events, with Adam Parry [Interview]
“Technology in events is no longer a separate entity. Its part and parcel of event business and design.”
Adam Parry is the editor-in-chief at Event Industry News, the first source of information about the events industry for thousands of event planners, organisers, PCOs, DMCs, tech companies and a whole ecosystem of professionals. He´s also a co-founder of the Event Tech Awards, a pioneering initiative of recognition to event professionals in the United Kingdom. Now, he unveils his visions on why technology in the events industry is a key thread, rather than a choice.
IE: Who is Adam Parry when he ́s not doing business or strategizing the next big idea? Can you recall what brought you to the event industry?
When not writing about events or attending them my main hobbies are spending time with my Labrador Buddy, Fitness also plays a big role in my downtime and I am also expecting my first baby in July so I am sure that will take all of my spare time up from there.
I first started working in the events industry on a publication called The Main Event Magazine. This publication focused on events such as festivals, agricultural shows, concerts and other outdoor events.
IE: With so many similar aspects, such as strategic planning, market research, schedule, budget, marketing and etc, can we say that an Event Planner ends up being the CEO of a complex project? And besides this business knowledge, what else is essential for the event professional?
Event organisers do have to wear many hats. I think personally what makes a great event planner is being able to clearly communicate the event plan to the different members of your team, contractors and venue operators.
Vision and forethought are key skills for any event organiser. Being able to understand the end goal and how each decision can impact other elements of the event build, design or attendees: most of that can only come through experience.
IE: You and your team often need to come up with relevant and updated info about complex topics. GDPR, for instance: it seems the industry still didn’t even absorb the meaning of it, let alone what to do with it. How do you deal with this pressure and responsibility?
The role of event industry news is to inform the industry but also to spark conversation around such topics such as GDPR. It takes time for us to understand, implement, review and iterate on the process as complex as data management and processing.
IE: Trade shows and corporate events are maybe the best opportunities for brands to relate themselves with tech trends such as VR, machine learning, AI, etc. And you ́re the Co-founder of Event Technology Awards, a pioneering initiative that recognizes this fundamental role of technology in the corporate events circuit. It’s quickly become the main prize in the industry. How do you see technology in events, shaping the present and future of the industry? What’s affected the most: the shiny bright side that is visible to the audience, or backstage issues such as management and logistics?
Technology in events is, and will be more so, a key thread and pillar of how events are organised; how attendees interact with events; and how we wow and amaze those attendees, as well as how we engage with our community post-event.
Technology, in my opinion, is no longer a separate entity: it’s part and parcel of event business and design.
IE: Who’s is Adam Parry when he is strategizing the next big idea? And what would this idea be at the moment?
I am quite, contemplating and keeping those ideas a secret 🙂
Visit Event Industry News to check the latest projects Adam Parry and his team are working at the moment. You can also find him on LinkedIn.
Don´t forget to check these other valuable tips on events mastery:
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