Didn’t make it to the Summer BNC Event Show this year? Don’t worry. Team Noodle have got your back! And your front. The whole lot.
We love offering event registration solutions at the BNC Event Show, and it was even more fun now that they’ve moved to the beautiful Central Hall in Westminster. We did some great networking, talked GDPR, learnt about some fantastic new venues and even tasted some edible bubbles. What more could an #EventProf want?
Here are the top 7 things we learnt at this year’s show (we were going to do 5, but there were just too many):
1. The BNC Event Show is a great place to network
Obvs. We met some top #EventProfs and have come away with some fantastic new contacts. It’s one of our favourite events on the calendar.
2. GDPR is a huge issue
We’ve been working on becoming GDPR ready ahead of the new regulations that will come in to place in May 2018. Noodle Live’s Chief Technical Officer, Glyn Roberts was invited to take part in a panel discussion hosted by Mike Piddock from Glisser. The room was packed and there were loads of really interesting questions about pitfalls and legal ramifications. The new regulations will impact everyone who stores data of any kind about clients and customers – in other words, all of us! It looks like GDPR is going to be a massive issue for #EventProfs over the next few months.
3. GDPR is an opportunity
No, really!
Feeling flustered by GDPR? Don’t panic! There are plenty of great solutions to help you make sure you are compliant. At Noodle Live, we’ve introduced a complete strategy to help #EventProfs gather fully compliant data that passes all the legal requirements, so our clients can rest assured that it’s all taken care of.
Phew, glad that’s sorted! Now, let’s look at the positives: GDPR could actually offer fantastic opportunities for #EventProfs. That was the message from Mike Piddock from Glisser:
“Consider this an opportunity,” said Mike. “Your clients will value the fact that you’re going to them and telling them you are in control of this and that you’re working out ways to make sure they stay data compliant. I guarantee that many of your clients will really value this. Use it as an opportunity to stand out and show that you care about this issue.”
4. Always check Wi-fi charges with the venue before signing a deal!
Fiona Paterson, Director of Event Operandi, hosted a seminar on finding the perfect venue. She offered some great tips of getting the best deals and mitigating risk. Fiona advised all #EventProfs to remember that both parties start out as equals – they want to sell and you want to buy, so feel confident in your negotiating power. Fiona had some particularly interesting advice when it came to securing Wi-fi at your venue:
“With technology increasingly driving events,” she said, “apps to engage attendees, beacons to track their movement and attendance, live streaming etc, Wi-fi is a must, but what about cost? In the UK we are accustomed to getting complimentary Wi-fi in our venues but be warned: it can be a revenue earner for some venues, especially overseas. Internet provision can add significant costs to your budget if not negotiated carefully. When creating the contract, push for complimentary Wi-fi across all meeting space, especially if there is no cost to the venue. Where Wi-fi provision is handles by a 3rd party service provider at additional cost (this is often the case un the US), get venue sales to help broker a deal with their provider, especially if you are booking repeat events. If the in-house AV provider managed internet provision you must consider negotiating an inclusive package, combining AV rental as well as personal provision.”
Need more help with wi-fi at your venue? Check out our wi-fi venue checklist and take the worry out of wi-fi.
5. Glisser’s audience engagement software is the bomb
We already knew that Glisser offered awesome software, but seeing it in action during the BNC Event Show seminars reminded us of how useful this tech can be. During our GDPR seminar we were able to field audience questions, generate a word cloud around the topics being discussed and run live polls. A great piece of event tech.
6. Networking is all about showing your personality
Matthew James from Left Field Productions took to the stage in the seminar room to share some fantastic networking tips. He told us not to be afraid of showing our personality – which made Team Noodle happy. He reassured us all that great networking was getting on someone’s radar in any way that felt authentic, not handing out business cards at a drinks party! So as it turns out, we’ve been doing a lot more networking than we thought we had.
7. Bubbles taste nice
Lick Me, I’m Delicious always entertain the crowds at the BNC Event Show with their unusual and imaginative food adventures. This summer we were treated to edible strawberry and cream bubbles blown out of a bubble volcano and nitro ice cream made right in front of our eyes.
We’ll see you all at the winter BNC Event Show! Or sooner? If you’d like to learn more about our event tech or event registration solutions or chat GDPR compliance, feel free to give us a call or stop by for a quick chat (look at us putting Matthew’s networking advice to good use already!)