A corporate event can have a spectacular stage and a terrific keynote speaker, but if thousands of people spend the entire day sitting quietly and watching presentations like a couch potato binge-watching their favorite shows, there’s only so much engagement you’re going to get.

Today’s corporate events are asking audiences to participate, connect, compete, respond and, in some cases, even help shape what happens next. Behind that experience is an increasingly sophisticated digital toolkit. Registration platforms, event websites, mobile apps, live polling, networking tools, gamification and data are all working together before, during and after the event. The technology may not always be visible, but when it is thoughtfully integrated with event production, it can have a very visible effect on the attendee experience.

Long before attendees arrive at the venue, they are probably visiting the event website. For a corporate conference, annual meeting or national sales meeting, the website can provide much more than a registration form. It can introduce the event, build anticipation, explain the agenda, showcase speakers, provide travel information and give attendees a reason to look forward to being there. Check out my previous blog that discusses the importance of event websites, as well as this list of ten websites for some great examples!

Platforms such as Cvent and Bizzabo allow event teams to create branded event websites with registration, agendas, speaker information and other attendee resources built into the experience.

For corporate events, this is an important distinction. The website shouldn’t feel like a generic registration page that disappears once someone signs up. It can become the central information hub for the event, with content that evolves as the meeting gets closer and continues to be useful once attendees are onsite.

Registration platforms have also become much more sophisticated. Cvent and Bizzabo can collect attendee information, manage registration paths, communicate with different groups and provide data that helps planners understand who is coming and what they are interested in.

That information can actually influence production decisions. If registration data shows unusually high interest in a particular breakout session, for example, the event team may need a larger room, additional seating or a different technical setup.

The more an event team knows before the doors open, the fewer decisions have to be made blindly once the event is underway. Check out my recent blog about the registration experience here.

Printed agendas and giant signs still have their place, but attendees increasingly expect event information to be available on their phones. Cvent Attendee Hub and Swapcard can put schedules, speaker information, maps, session details, notifications and networking tools in one place.

That can be particularly valuable at a large corporate event where attendees may be moving between breakout rooms, general sessions, meals and exhibits throughout the day. Instead of wondering where they are supposed to be next, they can check their phones and find out.

The app can also become another communication channel for the production team, allowing important updates or schedule changes to reach attendees quickly.

Audience interaction is one of the biggest opportunities in the digital toolkit. Slido and Mentimeter, along with engagement features within Cvent Attendee Hub, allow audiences to participate through live polls, Q&A, quizzes and word clouds.

Imagine a national sales meeting where teams vote on the biggest challenge facing their customers, or a leadership meeting where employees submit questions during a presentation. A product launch can ask attendees to choose which feature they are most excited about, while a training session can use a quick quiz to see whether the audience actually absorbed the material.

The responses can also become part of the show itself. Poll results, questions and word clouds can appear on the main screens, giving the production team another source of live content and making the audience part of what everyone in the room is seeing.

Corporate events don’t have to take themselves completely seriously. A sales meeting can have a live quiz between regions, a conference can test attendees on what they just heard, an awards gala can incorporate audience voting, or an internal meeting can ask employees to submit memorable moments from the year and turn the responses into a visual display.

For events that want to get people out of their seats, a digitally driven scavenger hunt can take that idea even further. GooseChase lets event teams create custom missions that attendees complete from their phones, including photo, video, text and location-based challenges. Teams can earn points, track their progress and compete on a live leaderboard.

Imagine sending teams throughout a conference venue to find specific exhibits, photograph a piece of branding, answer questions about the company or complete a challenge with another attendee. It gets people moving, interacting and paying attention to the environment around them, while giving the event another layer of participation.

Networking is another area where event technology can make a difference. Platforms such as Swapcard can help attendees create profiles, identify relevant people and make connections based on shared interests or business needs.

For a corporate conference, that can be especially useful when hundreds or thousands of people are attending. Instead of leaving networking entirely to chance, attendees can use the technology to identify people they may actually want to meet.

For sales teams, partners and exhibitors, the digital record can also make those connections easier to follow up after everyone goes home.

Nobody attends a corporate event hoping to spend the first 20 minutes standing in a registration line. Digital check-in, QR codes and mobile registration can make the arrival process considerably faster while giving event teams real-time information about who has actually arrived.

Cvent’s Onsite Solutions, for example, connect registration and onsite check-in so planners can keep track of attendance as the event progresses.

That information can be useful beyond the registration desk. Knowing which sessions are filling up, how many people are onsite and when attendees are arriving can help the event team make better decisions throughout the day.

One of the biggest advantages of digital event tools is that they continue working after the audience leaves. Registration numbers, session attendance, polling responses, networking activity, surveys and other engagement data can help corporate event teams understand what worked and what attendees actually responded to.

That can make the next event smarter. If a breakout session consistently attracts a large audience, perhaps it deserves a bigger room next year. If a particular format receives little interaction, the team may rethink how that content is presented.

The goal isn’t to collect data simply because the technology makes it possible. The useful question is what that information can tell you about the attendee experience and how it can improve the next event.

One of the biggest advantages of digital event tools is that they continue working after the audience leaves. Registration numbers, session attendance, polling responses, networking activity, surveys and other engagement data can help corporate event teams understand what worked and what attendees actually responded to.

That can make the next event smarter. If a breakout session consistently attracts a large audience, perhaps it deserves a bigger room next year. If a particular format receives little interaction, the team may rethink how that content is presented.

The goal isn’t to collect data simply because the technology makes it possible. The useful question is what that information can tell you about the attendee experience and how it can improve the next event.

For all the impressive things digital platforms can do, they don’t replace the people producing the event. Software can collect registrations, display poll results and tell you who checked into a session. It can’t stand backstage and make sure the presenter is ready, the video rolls correctly, the graphics are on the right screen and the next lighting cue happens at the right moment.

That is where the digital toolkit and event production have to work together. The technology should support the experience, while experienced production teams make sure all of those digital pieces actually function in the real world.

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