What Is a Social Audience Response System?
April 24, 2016
Audience response has been around for thousands of years. Remember the movie Gladiator? Thumbs up or thumbs down was the ancient audience response system (or ARS). Clapping or booing is another form of it.
Technology has done a great job taming ARS in recent years. Colleges and conferences often use clickers that attendees can interact with to give their opinion or answer to yes-no or multiple choice questions.
The problem is that conferences are by nature social environments. Audience response, then, would be social too. With all the fun social media tools now available, you'd think there would be a way to get your attendees interacting beyond multiple choice. Wouldn't it be exciting if they could ask the speaker questions, upvote others' questions, or comment on the content presented?
This is exactly what social audience response does.
So how does it work?
Well, it's simple. Just like social media, it requires your attendees to bring a device (you no longer have to over-order equipment) and a positive attitude. You simply need an app and some AV equipment (and a little patience to work with speakers on their questions if you're hands-on).
Once you're all set up, you give your attendees free-reign. They can log in to your app, attend your social audience sessions, and interact with each other and the speaker through live polling, commenting, and questions.
Traditional Audience Response vs. Social Audience Response
The best part is that each attendee creates a profile up front. This means -- if they opt in to share data -- they have a unique ID attached to their so they can interact with other attendees on a more personal basis. This also gives speakers unique data about their attendees and the results of their polls.
Beyond the session, the conversation can continue in the app. Attendees will be able to use it as a continuing education resource and speakers will have the opportunity to connect further with their audience.
This is truly the future of audience response.
Benefits of a Social Audience Response System
1. Social Audience Response Facilitates Engagement
Social audience response goes beyond interaction and gets attendees engaged. It gets them thinking and talking about the subject matter. It connects content and speakers to the audience. Best of all, it gives them a platform to share their own expertise in a collaborative environment.
2. Social Audience Response Gives Introverts a Voice
Even introverts attend conferences. The problem is that they often don't shine in live collaborative groups and workshops. Introverts often prefer to think deeply about a problem before sharing their thoughts. Giving them a social-media-like environment to do this empowers them to share their valuable insights.
3. Social Audience Response Is a Personalized Experience
Personalization is so important. If a speaker lectures to a group of people that are already experts in the subject matter, she may lose her audience very quickly. However, if she polls the audience, learns what their pain points are, and engages them in a conversation around those topics, she will succeed in creating a meaningful experience for those individuals. It's about respecting people's time and needs.
Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact
Add new comment