Running Event Technology Abroad

Global reach with local costs

Corporate globalisation lets marketers add new and faraway venues to their event calendars. At the same time, pressure for accountability demands cost-efficient choices. Sending equipment and staff around the world is expensive, what with travel, overseas shipping, customs paperwork and exposure to exchange rates. Local suppliers are often the answer, provided they can deliver the same standard.

What to check in a local provider

When you hire technology in another region, you may need on-site technicians, computers, printers, badge stock and scanners. Ask for references from events of a similar size. Check that their readers can handle your badge type, and confirm in writing how data will be exported and how it will be protected under local law.

The radio question

NFC at 13.56 MHz works in the same way around the world, which is one reason it travels so well. UHF RFID is another matter: Europe, North America and parts of Asia use different bands, so tags and readers bought in one region may not work well in another. Mobile networks also differ, so test local connections for any device that uploads live.

Data across borders

Attendee data can come under different laws depending on where the event takes place and where the attendees live. If you bring European visitors' records to a show in another region, or the reverse, ask early how the transfer will be handled. Gaming trade shows, which have to deal with a patchwork of national rules on betting and casinos, are a good example of how much planning this can take.

Delivering the same experience everywhere

A visitor who attends your event in Barcelona and again in Singapore should see the same badge, the same scanner routine and the same follow-up. A written playbook, shared with each local partner and tested with a small rehearsal, is the most reliable way to achieve that.