In this interview with TechBullion, Shoaib Aslam, Founder of EventsX, discusses the state of the events industry and its recovery after the pandemic, what virtual events have to offer, and aims for his company EventsX.
How is the events industry recovering after the pandemic?
The events industry is bouncing back after several years of people being stuck inside wondering what to do with themselves. The easing of social distancing restrictions has seen a strong appetite for people to ‘get back out there’ and that is a strong feeling throughout the events industry right now.
Not only have in-person events made a successful comeback, but virtual events have remained a popular option for people to get together and stay connected.
What lessons did the industry learn as a result of the pandemic?
Virtual events were already picking up traction prior to the pandemic, but with in-person events ceasing to exist during lockdowns, virtual events were forced to adapt and improve to fill the void. As a result, we have seen platforms develop slicker interfaces and processes to help the events process run smoothly.
There has also been a large development in the technology used for these events with the likes of speech recognition and artificial intelligence creating new and unique features for virtual events to engage participants.The pandemic also affirmed a general desire for people to interact with each other from the comfort of their own homes.
What are the main draws for virtual events as opposed to in-person?
What is clear is that there is a place for both in-person and virtual events, with each offering unique benefits. Therefore, people and companies will likely split their time between the two as they look to leverage these benefits.
But interestingly, with this appetite for both options, there will subsequently be a developing market for hybrid events in order to make the most of both worlds. The number of attendees at events will also likely rise with people keen not to take events for granted after the pandemic.
What sets EventsX apart in the events industry?
Where EventsX stands out is its technology and ease of use. As we’ve coded the platform from the ground up, each feature integrates seamlessly and that translates to a smooth experience for the user. For example, for our virtual events, we make use of AI for features like speech-to-text, sentiment analysis, and summarised reports, all of which integrate smoothly with the platform, allowing users to reap the benefits without any clunky screens or even downtime.
We also offer unrivalled marketing and promotion for our events, allowing organisers to oversee sponsorship and speaking opportunities, market their event and cultivate referral links all in one place in order to get the maximum outreach for each event. With other platforms this process is fragmented, even requiring third parties to conduct simple promotion.
As part of marking the events process easier for exhibitors and sponsors, EventsX offers payment management services to ensure that payments for sponsors, speakers, referrals and attendees are collated and managed efficiently, as part of the same services used to manage the entire event.
With attendance at the core of events, EventsX provides a registration portal for attendees, which is simple, fast and hassle-free for both attendees and event organisers – ultimately people want to enjoy the event itself, not get bogged down in the process of signing up!
What are your main aims for EventsX?
Over the coming years the aim is to grow EventsX to become the leading player in the virtual and hybrids events space off the back of our technology and expertise. Crucially, we understand what events managers are looking for and have tailored our platform to meet their exact needs.
We are very aware that these needs will evolve over time with the rise of hybrid events, and we are well equipped to lead the way in this area. We want to be the ‘go to’ events software provider for businesses.
