If you're a professional organizer, you know you'll be judged from the moment guests arrive, and that they expect a certain level of attention. Nothing is more unpleasant than being called out on a detail when you've worked hard to make the event a success.
It's essential to get the welcome right and break the ice from the guest's very first steps. One of our features does this particularly well. Called the "smart message", it lets you send an SMS or email at key moments in the event's life (registration confirmation, guest arrival, or even some time after the guest arrives).
A few weeks ago, Google asked us to handle check-in for a training session of around a hundred people. They needed to communicate the venue's Wifi to participants. Rather than putting up signs in the room, we suggested sending the following SMS:
"Welcome **firstname**, feel free to use our free Wifi. Network: XXX, Password: YYY."
Picture this: arriving at the event, a hostess checks the participant in on the iPad in a flash, then an SMS notification goes off (and let's be honest, few people don't read a text the second it arrives). The first reaction is surprise. There's a good chance the participant wasn't expecting a welcome message and useful information so soon after arriving. It's also often a great way to spark a conversation with the organizer or whoever's nearby, turning the guest into an active participant in the event.
Every time this feature is used, the organizer hears comments like: "Nice touch with the SMS, events are really getting more modern this year!" You've just sparked curiosity and built a connection with your guests. Well done, you've scored a point.
In practice, this feature is priced at 99€ + 10 cents/sms. You can customize the sender name, the message content, and include guest-specific information (pulled from your initial Excel file, for example the table name).
Strengths:
- Over 80% of text messages are read within 10 seconds
- The 160-character SMS limit forces a simple, relevant message
- 60% of mobile phones are smartphones, letting you include a hyperlink in the SMS
- Compatible with international numbers at no extra cost
Operational constraints:
- You need the participant's phone number (you can collect it directly at the entrance on the iPad).
- Mobile network coverage available at the event venue.
