Technology

When software provider Compuware made the choice to take its global user conference virtual in 2010 due to budget and travel cuts, attendance for the show doubled, bringing in new attendees from India, Mauritius, Mexico and Sri Lanka. This May, the company did it all over again on a platform that reached more than 30 countries spanning three different time zones. Now that’s global.

Tasked with rolling out new retirement and annuities product features to thousands of financial advisors nationwide, MetLife insurance this spring made a virtual event for the first time a significant part of the push to connect with internal advisors, as well as third party advisors from banks and brokerage companies.

Whether you’re planning an event for 500 employees or a concert for 5,000, the right event registration system can help the process go more smoothly. But checking people in is just one of the many cool tools and capabilities found in today’s registration platforms. From streamlining ticket sales via mobile devices and tracking behavioral data, to facilitating networking and social media engagement among attendees, event reg is no longer just an offshoot of a boring backend database. Here’s a look at five registration technologies that are breaking new ground.

EM brings you tips and tricks from pros and experts who’ve been eating social media marketing for breakfast. So eat up, and check us out on Twitter @eventmarketer and facebook.com/eventmarketer for more.

Most event marketers who weathered the recession will tell you, there are no sacred cows anymore. Even the industry’s oldest legacy shows and events are being reevaluated. And that’s nowhere more evident than in the world of customer and user conferences where brands ranging from high-tech to heavy equipment are realizing that it’s more cost efficient to either streamline multiple annual events that reach the same audience into one, or combine similar audiences at the same event and share expenses.