Partners

Who does what in event technology, and how to work out which firms you actually need.

No single company delivers a modern event by itself. Understanding who supplies what makes it easier to ask for the right thing and to know who to call when something fails. Here is how the pieces usually fit together.

Registration platforms and integrators

These firms handle the online form, payments and attendee database. A good badge system should work with whichever platform an organiser has already committed to, and many organisers have strong reasons to stay with the one they know. Ask how the two systems exchange data, how often, and what happens to a change made at the last minute.

Technology suppliers

Behind every badge reader are chip makers, handset makers, mobile carriers, printer manufacturers and suppliers of card stock. Most of this equipment is widely available from market-leading manufacturers. You rarely deal with these firms directly, but it is worth knowing which printers and readers your vendor relies on, since the replacement parts, the ribbons and the local support all depend on them.

Agencies

An agency and a data company are two sides of the same coin. One offers strategy, creative work, production and analysis. The other offers registration, credentials and data collection. Often the agency hires the technology company, so that the client receives one bundle. That is convenient, but do ask who owns the data at the end, and how you will get it back.

Specialist venues

Venues have become part of the technology picture as well. Convention centres and casino resorts often have exclusive suppliers for internet and power, which can limit your choices and affect your budget. Our resort logistics checklist goes through the questions to ask.

A short test for any partner

• Can they show the system running at a show of your size?
• What happens if the network goes down?
• Who will be on site, and who answers the phone at 6 a.m.?
• In what format, and how soon after the show, will you get your data?