Event Tech News: Bizzabo Certification, Notified Benchmarking Report and ETA Call for Submissions

December 29, 2022

The event tech landscape continues to evolve as the industry approaches a new year. From security and trust certification to a virtual event and webinar benchmarking report to the opening of award submissions, check out the latest happenings with Bizzabo, Notified and the Event Tech Awards.

Bizzabo

Bizzabo, the Event Experience Operating System (OS), has achieved Service Organization Control (SOC) 2® Type 2 compliance, which recognizes the company as a secure, trusted industry leader. The accomplishment demonstrates Bizzabo’s ongoing commitment to information security and signals that its comprehensive open platform is among the industry's most secure event management technology. 

“SOC 2 compliance is a milestone validating Bizzabo as a trusted partner for our customers and their data assets,” said Boaz Katz, chief data officer and cofounder of Bizzabo. “Customers already depend on our platform for an unmatched event experience, and now they can be assured our Event Experience OS is highly secure as well.”

The validation of Bizzabo’s event data security practices is a testament to its entire organization’s dedication to security and data management, according to Katz.

“Maturing our information security posture is continuous, and we’re committed to maintaining these standards as we move forward,” he said.

SOC 2® Type 2 compliance is an industry standard among third-party service organizations that deal with client data. Set by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), successful fulfillment of these standards asserts that an organization’s internal systems and controls effectively meet audit standards continuously while ensuring the protection of existing and potential customers’ assets. 

Bizzabo’s SOC 2 examinations were conducted by PwC during the audit period of Jan. 1 to June 30, 2022. 

Notified

Event communications cloud provider Notified unveiled its 2022 Benchmark Report for Webinars and Virtual Events, which analyzed customer data from the company’s leading technology.

Utilizing a subset of customer webinars and virtual events taking place between June 2021 and June 2022, the report provides data-driven insights and best practices alongside real-world examples, and ideas from industry experts. The annual report is intended to help event planners and marketers design impactful experiences optimized to meet and exceed attendee expectations.

“With the widespread adoption of event technology over the past several years, some norms and best practices around conducting webinars and virtual events have been persistent and some new trends have started to emerge,” said Dan Lotzof, chief revenue officer of Notified. “As we analyzed this year’s data, the two core themes that stood out are agility and optimization—as marketers and event planners continue to evaluate their strategies and budgets for 2022 and beyond, they’re seeking ways to keep audiences highly engaged through meaningful experiences and formats.”

Topics covered in depth in the report include:

  • Registration and attendance data
     
  • Content and engagement data
     
  • Most popular days to host a webinar or virtual event
     
  • Emerging viewing trends, including video usage
     
  • Best practices and practical tips for event planning and executions, based on these emerging trends
     

Following are highlights from the 2022 report.

Webinars:

• Wednesday and Thursday are the most popular days to host a webinar.

• 77% of webinars include video compared to just 61% in 2019.

• Live attendance for webinars is up approximately 66% in the last two years.

Virtual Events:

  • 78% of events are less than three days long.
     
  • Tuesday and Wednesday are the most popular days to run a virtual event.
     
  • 20 is the average number of speakers per event compared to just 6 in 2019.
     
  • The addition of gamification to virtual events increases attendee engagement. Approximately 112 million minutes were spent playing in-event games during the study period.
     

Event Technology Awards

Event Technology Awards (ETA) opened submissions for its new people-focused offshoot, ETA–The People, which took place for the first time this year.

ETA–The People celebrates the individuals and teams who bring tech to the table, helping to foster solutions, better practices and new ways around traditional problems. Seventeen awards are included for both suppliers and organizations, from Best Start-Up Founder to Outstanding Contribution.

There can never be too much attention on event technology, according to Adam Parry, co-founder of brand at ETA.

“It’s behind the revolution in data capture, sound distribution, LED screen design—everything—and the individuals and teams behind the tech deserve much recognition,” Perry said. “That was our motivation in launching ETA–The People this year, and it’s first turn met with fantastic response. We’re delighted to link the awards with Event Tech Live Vegas next spring.”

A full list of judges will be unveiled shortly.

The deadline to submit entries for ETA–The People is Feb. 10, 2023. See the list of categories here. Finalists will be announced on Feb. 23, 2023.

The awards ceremony will take place in Las Vegas immediately following Event Tech Live, Las Vegas, which is set for April 26-27, 2023, at The Expo at World Market Center, Meanwhile, Event Tech Live, London is set for Nov. 15-16, 2023, at ExCeL, London. Each annual event is dedicated to bringing global event professionals together to experience and discuss the latest advances in event tech, champion thought leadership and engage its community year-round.  

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.