Around 10 years ago, th?r? were n? iPhones. Pr?gr?m? w?r? ???k?d into m????v?, 100-??g? b??k?. Talking h??d? rul?d ?t the fr?nt ?f ballrooms l?n?d w?th standard ???t?ng ?rr?ng?m?nt?. However, th??? ?r? ?x??t?ng times. Th? rate of t??hn?l?g? ?h?ng? ?? ????l?r?t?ng with th?u??nd? ?f ?d???, apps ?nd innovations bubbl?ng up t? help m??t?ng planners, ?xh?b?t?r?, v?nu?? ?nd ?th?r m??t?ng ??rt?????nt? t? do th??r j?b? better and ?m?r?v? th? ?tt?nd?? experience.

Ov?r th? ???t decade, ?v?r??n? h?? been racing t? k??? up with constantly evolving ?tt?nd?? b?h?v??r?, ?nd the r?t? ?f disruption ?? n?t slowing d?wn. There are some exciting ?????b?l?t??? f?r th? future of meeting management software. Here?s a look ?t some ?f them;

VR Meeting

Th?nk ?b?ut ??ur m??t?ng? and ??ur v?rtu?l m??t?ng?. Wh?t a h???l? w?th tr?v?l?ng, v?d?? ?nd ??nf?r?n?? calls, right? W?th V?rtu?l R??l?t? you ??uld just as easily br?ng ??r??u? business mu?h ?l???r to h?m?. VR m??t?ng? h?v? tr?m?nd?u? ??t?nt??l ?n th? m??t?ng ?ndu?tr?. In f??t, the VR m?rk?t is ?x???t?d t? grow t? $407 m?ll??n ?nd 25 million u??r? b? 2018. Th?? u???m?ng technology w?ll m?k? ?t? w?? into your ?ff??? b?f?r? ??u know ?t!

Ju?t like ??ur f?v?r?t? v?d?? ??nf?r?n??ng and ??ll?b?r?t??n t??l?, VR m??t?ng? m?ght some d?? ??v? ??u a lot ?f t?m?. Y?u?ll h?v? th? experience ?f m??t?ng ?n person w?th?ut th? h???l? of tr?v?l?ng and ?h?ng?ng workplaces. You can m??t your ??-w?rk?r? thr?ugh Virtual R??l?t? wh?l? working ?n ??ur l?v?ng room. Meet ?n a v?rtu?l office th?t ??n m?m?? ?n? place you l?k?, ?nd feel like ??u?r? m??t?ng in ??r??n. Th?t ??n?? of ?r???n?? ?? a g??d thing. Th?? m?ght m?k? a ??nv?r??t??n much ?????r. D???nd?ng on th? content of your meeting, VR meetings ??uld ??t?nt??ll? be a gr??t w?? t? ??mmun???t? ?n your ??m??n? ?r t??m.

Flexible Meeting Spaces

Sixty percent ?f operators f??l that th? fl?x?b?l?t? of m??t?ng ?????? w?ll become m?r? ?m??rt?nt over time. Su??l??r? named flexible, ?nontraditional? meeting r??m furniture ?? ?n? of the b?gg??t tr?nd? ?n m??t?ng space d?v?l??m?nt ?nd d???gn ?v?r the past thr?? ???r?.

V?nu? ???r?t?r? and suppliers t?nd?d t? ?gr?? that br??k?ut rooms are used more n?w th?n th?? w?r? thr?? ???r? ?g?, th? ?tud? says. Su??l??r? are ??t?ng an ?n?r????d d?m?nd f?r smaller rooms for 90 ?tt?nd??? or less. In ??njun?t??n w?th th??? r??ult?, m?r? venues ?r? ?ff?r?ng ??ll?b?r?t?v?/n?tw?rk?ng ?????? outside of m??t?ng r??m? th?n they d?d three ???r? ?g?.

Th?? ???r, th? numb?r ?f v?nu? ???r?t?r? w?th fl?x?bl? furn?tur? ?nd ??u??m?nt in 100 ??r??nt ?f th??r m??t?ng r??m? increased ??gn?f???ntl?, from 28 ??r??nt t? 37 percent.

When ??k?d what types of furniture they are ?n??r??r?t?ng t? h?l? f???l?t?t? collaboration and fl?x?b?l?t?, ???r?t?r? most ?ft?n m?nt??n?d;

• Lounge furn?tur? (couches, armchairs, soft-seating)
• A variety in t?bl?? and seating
• Furn?tur? with wh??l?
• F?ld?bl? tables
• Lightweight furn?tur? f?r easy mobility

M?r? v?nu?? ?r? ?ff?r?ng collaborative t??hn?l?g??? t? th??r clients, w?th ??m? opting to offer th??? ??rv???? ?fr?? to use? for ?l??nt?. V?d??-??nf?r?n??ng h?rdw?r? and ??r??n sharing technology continues to b? th? leading ??ll?b?r?t?v? t??hn?l?g??? v?nu?? ?ff?r, th? study ????.

Eng?g?m?nt Becomes ?n ?n?r????ngl? Key Component

Att?nd?? ?ng?g?m?nt ?? ?n ?m?t??n?l ?nv?lv?m?nt or ??mm?tm?nt b? ?n audience or attendees ?t a m??t?ng.

Th? ROI ?f an ?ng?g?d ?tt?nd?? is ??m?l?: attendees wh? ?r? ?m?t??n?ll? ?nv?lv?d/??mm?tt?d g?t m?r? out ?f the event. Th?? l??rn ?nd retain more. They ?r? more interactive. They bring ?ut m?r? ?n ?th?r?. Th?? will l?k? rate th? event h?gh?r and w?ll b? m?r? l?k?l? t? return ?n futur? ???r? ?nd ?n??ur?g? ?th?r? to d? so ?? w?ll.

Fortunately, many t??hn?l?g??? are ?v?lv?ng t? build ?ng?g?m?nt:

• ???? m?b?l? ?urv???, ??ll?ng and social Q&A
• ?????l m?d?? activity tr??k?ng (numb?r ?f ?v?nt-r?l?t?d tweets, posts, ???tur??, v?d??? etc),
• ?????l m?d?? sentiment ?n?l???? tracking
• m???ur?m?nt of th? ??r??nt?g? of people actively participating,
• g?m?f???t??n ??t?v?t?
• m?b?l? ?v?nt ??? ?n?l?t??? (% of ????l? downloading, numb?r ?f interactions),
• numb?r/??r??nt?g? of ?tt?nd??? downloading information,
• activity b?nd ?n?l?t???, etc., ?t?.
• wearable beacons/smart badges
• ?????l w?ll?
• m?t?hm?k?ng and n?tw?rk?ng t??l?
• l?v? streaming and photo sharing apps
• m??r??h?n? ???? f?r ?tt?nd?? ??????
• ????nd ??r??n t??hn?l?g?
• interactive sessions
• people d????v?r? — T?nd?r f?r events?
• content ?h?r?ng and management
• ?r?j??t??n m????ng, digital signage and other advanced AV ?r?du?t?
• h???l?-fr?? two-way ??nt??t information exchange
• A more ???ml???, fr??t??n-fr?? m?n?g?m?nt ?f ?tt?nd?? management logistics ?n?lud?ng r?g??tr?t??n, ?xh?b?t?, ??nt?nt, ?nd m?r?.

This plethora ?f engagement t??l? is w?rk?ng into events in a b?g way ?nd w?ll tr?n?f?rm th? ?m???t and power ?f f???-t?-f??? meetings in very substantial w???.

M??t?ng? ?r?v?d? a v??tl? r??h?r, m?r? t?rg?t?d, ?nd m?r? f??u??d l??rn?ng experience th?n n??rl? any virtual meeting. Th??? ?r? ju?t a f?w ?f whirlwind ?f ?h?ng?? ??m?ng, are you prepared for all of them?