#boomset features

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Feature Friday: Engaging Attendees + FiDi's Ballroom + Branded Clouds

Talk of the town over the last couple of weeks? Interaction and engagement at events. Through the use of name tags, activities, entertainers, speakers, and technology, there are so many ways to keep guests engaged and coming back for more.

The most popular pin this week!

This week's edition of Feature Friday is keeping this theme of interaction and engagement...Wait 'til you see this week's event detail! 

Featured Venue: Broad Street Ballroom

Historic charm meets the modern-day desire over on Broad Street in the Financial District. Constructed in 1928-29 as the headquarters of the Lee-Higginson Bank, the 120,000 square-foot space opened its thick bronze doors to reveal restored porcelain tiles, 30-foot mosaic pillars, and other amenities, including a state-of-the-art audio/visual system complete with a 22' x 22' roll-down projection screen.

The NYC landmark became a new venue for social events and affairs, accommodating up to 300 guests for a banquet seating, 500 for an auditorium seating, and an additional 50 in a cocktail setting. Corporate to film/TV clients and others in between have utilized the space to create some pretty impressive event memories.

Contact their event management team for further specs and take a virtual tour of the venue here.

Featured #Eventprofs: QuickTapSurvey

Besides #techsytalk being spectacular for their articles and events alone, they're an even greater resource for networking and building relationships in the events industry...and beyond! SO...thank you, friends!

There has been tons of talk in recent weeks about engaging the audience and listening to attendees (needs, wants, could be's and should be's, etc.), and that's where this special #eventtech comes in. 

QuickTapSurveys works via your smart device--that you're already using for your stellar registration platform--that allows you to create a survey online, download it, and use it to collect responses OFFLINE. Neat, huh? 

Afterwards, you can view the responses and collect and export the data online to analyze trends in real-time. It's really effective even at events that use kiosk mode, where you can opt for an interactive self-administered data collection kiosk. Hashtag ENGAGEMENT.

Check out all these brands that are using the platform:

Give it a test run and try demoing the service here.

Featured Event Detail: Smile Clouds--Cloud Branding

That's right you heard it here (and we heard it on G+...get there!): logo-shaped clouds. They exist and we can't wait to see more of 'em. The company is called Smile Clouds and it's the perfect detail to keep the engagement going at events. 

Weddings, exhibitions, live performances...you name it, you can create it in 50+ countries around the world. Made from safe and eco-friendly materials (We asked: water, foam liquid and helium), print various shapes of clouds--such as a logo, word, cartoon, animal etc.--and make the sky your advertising and entertainment space with one little machine.

Innovative and a fun DIY at events, we think it's pretty awesome. Contact Evans for further information and take a peek at the videos and images on their site here.

If you or someone you know would like to be a part of the Feature Friday series, please connect with us @Boomset.

If you've already been featured--NICE!--Share!

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Will Attend For Tech

Image via UberGizmo

A couple of years ago, it may have been something that many event professionals were only dabbling in, but any which way you slice it-- technology attracts. It's also great when there's more hands-on tech for attendees: when we're at registration, guests usually peer and sometimes pop over onto the other side of the table (or kiosk) to man the iPads and test out the Boomset Check-In system for themselves.

Tech events, tech news, #techsytalk (!), we can't get enough. Besides the smart tablet, Google Glass, and this awesome way to take a #selfie, here are a few gadgets that are sure to attract and engage attendees at your next event.

DRONES

Image via Unit9

Indoors or outdoors, things'll be looking up--and so will the guests. Drones are also added promotional material, especially if you can get a branded one like designer Fendi had for their catwalk. Not to mention you'll also get some pretty neat photos with an unique perspective to share with your networks. 

VIRTUAL VENDING MACHINES

Image via AdWeek

We love, LOVE these and they combine gamification with interaction + an added prize to boot! Coca-Cola won us over with their Valentine's Day campaign this year, and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau placed one of these gems in the middle of Times Square to promote summer fun in Miami a couple months ago.

Image via BizBash

Even Oreo jumped on the virtual prize bandwagon, customizing delicious cream-filled treats for guests at SXSW this year.

GREEN GADGETS: INTERACTIVE PROJECTORS

Developers keep perfecting the projected touch screens of today so much so that they are now interactive with projected images via a special stylus, like that of the TouchPico.

An infrared pen is used to press onto a surface creating an infrared signal that is read by a camera on the front of the projector. Perfect for Stop, Drop, & Learn sessions, or interactive informational hubspots dispersed throughout a venue. Keyword here is interaction. What does interaction do? It leads to engagement. We'd love to get our hands on one of these! 

For your unique and interactive registration needs, do check out all of the new features Boomset can provide for your next event.  

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Feature Friday: Astoria's Ballroom, #Eventprofs of Toronto + Summer Sorbet

In case you missed it...printers are going mobile! You can now inquire one of our team members over at Boomset about using the the Zebra QLn 420 at your next event. Why? 

- It's user-friendly

- It's cordless (it powers itself)

- And it connects via Bluetooth (which means you can use it in venues with poor WiFi coverage)

If you're thinking of doing something with custom pre-printed stock--you're in luck: this tech gem is compatible with those, too.

No onto some highlights, shall we?

Featured Venue: Melrose Ballroom

Imagine watching Boomset Check-In on a 40-foot video wall made out of 72 separate screens? Well, we can, anyway! Melrose Ballroom is your venue if you want to meet at the crossroads of sophistication and tech. It's amazing to watch the transformation from this...

...to this:

The perfect blank canvas in the heart of Astoria, Queens.

Citibank, our clients at New York University, and NBC are only a few of the list of those who have held events at the space. Melrose Ballroom even hosts large light entertainment shows and offers audio sourcing and management as a filming facility. Their catering services are on par, too:

Hope on the N or R train and head to Astoria to scope out the venue, and be sure to contact their events team here.

Featured #Eventprofs: Charcoal Events

And again, thanks to #ElevateNYC, we've been introduced to our latest Pinspiration hailing from Toronto. Instead of using the new Pinterest messaging, we only saw it fit to shine the spotlight on Charcoal Events. Galas, conferences, and product launches are only a small part of the one-of-a-kind experiences they create.

Head event prof and owner Denis Fournier has an eye for design: applying his knowledge of architecture and styling along with his attention to detail, he has over 10+ years of experience in the industry. We love how CE uses a pop of color to really make the event design stand out, down to the toothpicks:

Denis and his team put their clients at ease by taking charge and working towards creating a "smooth" experience. Get inspired and connect with Charcoal events here.

Featured Event Detail: Sorbet Wheel

Great images, @soukieg!

It might be the heat or our sweet tooth talking, but we love this just as much as the giant banana split. These were trending at the C2MTL Conference (#c2mtl) back in May, and talk about engagement:

Thanks, @alexecapi!

Those that scoop together, connect together: it's a fun way to get attendees talking and tasting, sharing toppings and tips. It allows them to become part of the experience...plus, it's delicious.

If you'd like to be featured on the Boomset Blog or collaborate on a post with us, connect with boomset on social media.

If you've been featured--!!!--Share on!

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Feature Friday: View Like A Rockefeller + Techies + Agua Fresca

You've heard about this news and all this, right? Well, we're going to jump right into our Feature Friday because it has been long enough, no? We're craving it--like one of these. (Eventbrite Melbourne knows what we're talking about!)

Featured Venue: 3 West Club, NYC

Just across from Rockefeller Center lies a historical venue filled with natural light, crystal chandeliers, marble fireplaces and an essence from the Age of Art Deco: this is the 3 West Club.

For meetings, nuptials and everything in between, 3 West Club offers six distinct spaces that are adaptable to the size of your event: a cocktail reception for 350 people, an intimate dinner for as little as 10 people, or perhaps utilize the 7,000 sq. ft. of meeting space for a conference for 200 guests. They even have 23 guest rooms on premise, including two spacious suites (one master and one junior) to accommodate out-of-town attendees and guest room blocks.

We got an exclusive tour of the venue during the #EPANYC Anniversary Extravaganza, except for the rooftop Solarium and outdoor terrace, complete with romantic views of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Le sigh. (Image via TripAdvisor)

Had to do a #throwback...Thanks for the image, @StephanieVoong!

See the space during the day to appreciate the natural lighting and take a tour to visualize the decor and lighting for the evening---after catching the sunset on the terrace, of course. Contact their team here for more info.

Featured #Eventprofs: Kristi Sanders of PYM

                              If you haven't heard about them, now is the perfect time to get to know them. Plan Your Meetings is our go-to for informational and inspirational posts, and the VP of creative/chief storyteller, Kristi Casey Sanders, is one of the most energetic and knowledgable event professionals we've ever had the pleasure to connect with.

Kristi comes from a journalist background and has covered meeting industry trends and destinations for over a decade. She's now part of the Society of American Travel Writers’ Eastern Chapter (cough, cough DMCs), and she definitely knows her stuff--not just about our industry, either...she's a techie, too! Check her out on the PYM Youtube Channel:

Rocking her Google Glass like a champ!

Plus, they'll be in NYC for "Sites & Bites" in August!

       We're looking forward to seeing them and all of the speakers and attendees at check-in come August. If you haven't already connected with them...you're welcome! ;)

Featured #EventDesign: Water Accents

Symbolic for motion, intuition and transformation (among other things), water is the perfect element to incorporate into an event. For tablescapes or additional event details, it pairs perfectly and can dramatically change by playing with lighting.

Water walls are an excellent backdrop for networking or photos, too.

This one was done for a tech event with Samsung in the Meatpacking District:

How would you add a little touch of nature to your next event?

If you or someone you know would like to be featured on our blog, please keep the connections coming @Boomset.

If you've already been featured--We salute you!--Keep it up and share on!

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The Best of Both Worlds: Microsoft and Apple

It has been a project-in-the-making that is finally making its big debut: 

Boomset event management is now on both OSx and Microsoft systems! 

Check it out in action!

"Should I use Mac on a Windows machine? Windows on my Mac? Where can I access the Internet on this thing?" There has been debate throughout the years about what operating system to use, and Mac & Windows are the two major players in the game.

Image via The Verge

It's all about preference, and by now we're sure you're comfortable with one or more systems. As both Windows and OSX are compatible for use within each other on most devices, you don't have to commit to one or the other, but it's definitely good to have the knowledge and basic skills for both. You never know when there will be a failure--in battery or device--or a mishap that requires you to utilize your Plan B (or C, D, E...tc.) to access your data.

Image via Computer Weekly

We've all been there. (Maybe not there, but...we can totally empathize!)

Do a basic search, ask the tech nerds friends in your life, or even any of these fine folk their opinion. Don't forget about our live demos where you can ask questions and How-Tos with the team!

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Put Your Best Feature Forward

Image via BuCultureShock.com

A freshly trimmed, lush green lawn is one of the best "features" about summer; you just want to kick off your shoes and feel its softness peaking out from under your toes. It's not just this event design talking, we think it's important to maintain a fresh look to better your brand--and sometimes, a whole new makeover.

  It seems like #PlannerTech (now known as Techsy Talk Live) isn't the only #eventprofs fun that's shaking things up with something new. The team over here at Boomset has skipped the name change, but added all sorts of goodies to better the interactive experience of our system. Here's what to look out for:

CHECK-IN WITH CONFIDENCE

                                       You may have noticed the new look on the blog, but have you seen the new layout on the webpage? It's now more user-friendly, informational and bears our brand-spankin' new logo that sums up the overall Boomset experience: Check In With CONFIDENCE. 

  ONE IS NOT THE LONELIEST NUMBER

Want to reduce your staff size? Perhaps give attendees a more self-guided experience? Then you're going to love our Kiosk Check In. Gadget-loving guests will arrive and effortlessly check in at registration at the swipe of a screen--name badge and all--saving you time and giving your event a sleek look. You'll be able to collect signatures and match guests with their photo while controlling entry access. It's designed for those like the 4th of July...INDEPENDENCE!

NANCY NETWORKER

Image via Techcrunch

Attendees tend to exchange and collect contact information as they meet others at an event. Our Lead Retrieval App allows guests to make these connections via a one-scan solution. Whether it's an RFID tag (so guests can tap their badges to gather info), or a scannable code, guests will be able to effortlessly share information at the event. You can even use the Hot Leads feature, where guests can highlight others with whom they would like to continue to build rapport. This function is also compatible with Eventbrite, making it even easier to scan any code from either platform. 

"WHICH WAY DID HE GO, GEORGE?"

                Image via NickDawson.Net

Larger events function better with more organization and coordination from the event management team. Direct your guests to the right session without colored stickers and piles of scattered papers. The system will know exactly which guest is--or is not--signed up for a specific closed-door session, allowing for easy tracking and 

control. You'll also be able to compile your session report data together, even if you decide to use multiple devices for check in and registration.

Did we mention all data will update in real time for guest list synchronization?

There are a ton of features to check out, so feel free to demo, and as always, we invite you to connect with us on all of our social networks @Boomset. You can also call our NY offices (SPOILER: Soon expanding to the West Coast!) with any question, comment, concern or simply a "Hey there!" by email or phone. 

Happy planning!