It’s no secret that most students attend higher education institutions in pursuit of knowledge that will help them earn a higher income. But academics are only one aspect of the college experience. Campus life also encompasses everything that happens outside of the classroom, including successful university event programs. It allows students to pursue their passions outside of learning and become part of a community that will shape their futures. But students don’t always know how to get involved and find their fit.
A successful university event schedule is a universal engagement technique that helps students find their fit and build a sense of belonging at their school. However, when attendance is low and many students skip events and extracurriculars entirely, you may wonder what you’re doing wrong. In many cases, what seems like low engagement can be chalked up to low awareness. Without the right tools, getting the word out about campus events can be challenging.
Luckily, modern technology can offer up effective solutions. University event tech tools can help hosts build awareness about upcoming events and give students a central hub to seek out ways to get involved. Learning about different tools and how students interact with them will empower you to transform your campus events into memorable experiences that will enrich students’ lives and boost admissions in the future.
Why Event Tech Matters More than Ever in Higher Ed
Today’s students live in a digital world that enables them to follow their interests at the touch of a button. Not surprisingly, they expect to find similar digital-first experiences on campus. When events compete for attention or, even worse, lack visibility, students miss out on opportunities to participate. The absence of an event tech stack can even make it hard for prospective students to learn about your school’s active campus life and how they will fit in.
Outdated event planning tools also have a negative impact on staff and administrative departments tasked with handling event requirements. Disconnected tools increase the workload and frequently lead to scheduling errors and disputes, reducing the likelihood of hosting a successful university event.
Event tech offers a way to meet students where they are, improving engagement and increasing event attendance. When you choose integrated tools that work seamlessly together in a digital environment, event planning, promotion, and ticketing become easier. Students can automatically access information about all campus events and get reminders to maintain engagement.
What Is a Campus Event Tech Stack?
A campus event tech stack is a connected set of tools used to plan, promote, and run successful university event programs. It’s designed to be an integrated solution that simplifies all the requirements of large events to avoid the issues that commonly arise. In most cases, an effective campus event tech stack will combine scheduling, discovery, logistics, promotion, and analytics for a streamlined process that reduces manual requirements and naturally improves engagement.
Top Tech Tools to Transform Your Campus Events
The ideal tech stack to handle all the details of a successful university event utilizes a range of software components to present a digital-first experience to streamline planning and promotion for live events on campus. Various features work to:
- Provide accessible information
- Handle details like booking and ticketing
- Maintain engagement with ongoing communication
- Measure success
The top university event tech tools include:
Digital Campus Events Calendar
Student event calendar software acts as a central hub for all campus events, simplifying event discovery for your student community. When you choose a comprehensive calendar like Localist Events, you can access a range of features to increase awareness, build engagement, and improve events over time. Your branded calendar promotes school pride while aggregating events into a single interactive calendar that provides a centralized experience for visitors.
Built-in SEO improves awareness, and built-in event promotion (including landing pages, newsletters, and reminder messages) increases engagement leading up to the event. Localist even handles ticketing and registration, reducing manual work for admin teams.
Room Reservation Software
Finding the right space for events can be easy with room reservation software that streamlines the scheduling process to prevent double bookings and reduce redundant work (like duplicate data entry) in disjointed systems. Room reservation software that integrates with your event calendar allows staff to request spaces online for their events and immediately sync approved events directly with the calendar.
Interactive Campus Maps
On large college campuses, wayfinding issues can significantly reduce event attendance. Interactive campus maps provide real-time and accessible turn-by-turn mobile directions to help attendees find event locations from anywhere on campus. The best virtual campus maps support accessibility and ADA requirements. For example, they should offer filters to specify wheelchair accessible pathways and labels to highlight accessible and inclusive resources. Interactive maps are handy for engaging new students and encouraging campus visitors to join.
Event Registration and Check-In Tools
Manual event registration and check-in processes are time-consuming and error-prone. Digital event registration tools offer a secure and compliant ticketing tool for paid and free events. If you have Localist Events, this is a feature within the platform. Localist eliminates the need for a third-party site with a register that includes paid, free, and donation-based tickets. Students can RSVP in advance and use QR codes or mobile apps for check-in, and the app automatically collects data on who attended and when.
Communication Tools
Ongoing communication is vital to maintaining engagement and reporting any changes that arise. Automated communication tools enable you to send automatic email or text reminders about upcoming events. You can also notify attendees about changes, cancellations, or weather updates. This will reduce no-shows and confusion to promote a successful university event. If you have Localist, communication tools are another included feature to enhance your calendar’s effectiveness.
Feedback and Analytics Tools
Measuring success is crucial to learning how you can hold more successful university events. If you have Localist Events, event performance metrics are a convenient built-in feature. Users can view trending events, registrations, social activity, admin activity, attendee geography, and more. Then you can use the data to inform future planning. You can even send follow-up surveys after the event and track attendance, engagement, and satisfaction.
Social Media Integrations
When your events calendar is integrated with your social media accounts, you can share events automatically to sites like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Using hashtags that include school branding and unique event names can encourage user-generated content. This can enhance engagement across the student body. Track which platforms drive the most interest and concentrate communications on those platforms for broader promotion.
How These Tools Work Together to Create Better Events
One of the main benefits of a comprehensive campus event tech stack is having integrated tools that work together to meet the full spectrum of student needs. When tools work together seamlessly, friction is reduced and attendance naturally increases.
Here’s how it works:
- A student finds an event via Localist and RSVPs on the platform.
- The student gets a reminder when the event date nears.
- They can use the map to navigate unfamiliar areas on campus.
- Each attendee checks in at the door.
The entire experience is unified, improving outcomes for both staff and students.
Frequently Asked Questions About Campus Event Tech
What’s the most important event planning tool for higher ed?
An integrated event tech stack offers the most effective solution for meeting all student needs for every successful university event. A centralized virtual event calendar is at the center of these tools. When you choose Localist Events, you get many of the top event tech tools as included features that naturally integrate with your campus events calendar.
Can room reservation tools sync with my calendar system?
When you choose a room reservation tool that is compatible with your calendar system, the tools can be synced to improve convenience. For example, Concept3D’s Room Reservation software works seamlessly with Localist Events. Once reservations are approved, events are either automatically added to Localist or sent to the Localist events manager for approval.
How can I help students find and attend more events?
Digital promotion is the best way to help students find and attend more events. Over 99% of college students own a smartphone, and over 60% say that mobile technologies enhance campus communication. A digital campus event calendar that integrates with social media platforms is a great way to help students find and attend more events. When these efforts are combined with communication tools that automate reminders and interactive campus maps, you can reduce no-shows and confusion.
Final Thoughts on Choosing the Right Event Tech
Planning and launching any successful university event depends heavily on attraction and attendance. Many of today’s college students are digital natives who turn to their smartphones for information about the world around them. To meet their expectations, you need university tech tools that integrate easily and reduce friction. By seeking out platforms built specifically for higher education, you can create branded experiences that build school pride and help students build a community. The right campus event tech stack goes beyond student engagement to reduce administrative burdens, making events easier to plan and more impactful.
Want to See These Tools in Action?
Colleges across the country are turning to digital university event tech tools to streamline event planning, promotion, and management. When Texas A&M Galveston chose Localist Events to eliminate cumbersome event planning issues, they saw immediate campus impact with seamless platform integration to support efficient planning and promotion. Through the user-friendly mobile interface, students can easily browse upcoming activities and favorite events.
Successful university event planning begins with the right tools. At Concept3D, we’re committed to helping college campuses highlight everything that makes their campus unique and appealing. Our student event calendar software centralizes your school’s events into a single, fully-branded calendar. This simplifies event discovery so that you can boost attendance at every event. Ready to see how it works? Request a demo or contact us today to learn more about our virtual solutions to bring your campus to life.