Tech News: Interprefy, Shepard, StreamAlive and More Launch New Solutions, Merge Digital Capabilities

June 11, 2024

With summer right around the corner, event technology companies in the U.S. and abroad are forming partnerships and releasing new and updated solutions ­– some with the help of AI – to enhance event experiences for attendees, exhibitors and show organizers alike.

Inteprefy Launches AI-Powered Live Translation Solution 

In its quest to break down language barriers between international meetings attendees, multilingual meeting technology and services provider Interprefy unveiled Interprefy Now, a new mobile application that harnesses the power of AI to provide instant live translation in audio and text captions for small-to medium-sized face-to-face meetings.

Using just a smartphone without any pre-planning or technical setup of specialist equipment, meeting attendees can join multilingual conversations and listen and speak in their preferred language, by simply using their mobile microphone, earpiece or headset while real-time captions are displayed on their phone screens.

Interprefy

Interprefy Now is powered by Interprefy AI, a first-of-its-kind advanced automated live speech translation solution for meetings and events that Interprefy launched in April 2023, according to Interprefy officials.

“Interprefy AI can provide language access where the support from professional interpreters is considered impractical or unaffordable,” explained Oddmund Braaten, CEO of Interprefy. “Simultaneous interpretation is still a premium service, but Interprefy AI can help make language access available for a wide range of organizations and events with smaller budgets.”  

Braaten added that since its initial launch, Interprefy AI has been used in thousands of meetings and events by global organizations of all shapes, sizes and sectors, including finance, legal, pharma and NGOs, to cost-effectively bridge language gaps in a range of events.  

The solution is now available in 80 language combinations and can be used for in-person audiences and on major online meeting platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom and ON24.  

Watch a demonstration video of Interprefy Now here. 

Shepard Enhances Its Solutions Network with Snöball

Nationwide event production company Shepard announced a collaboration with event marketing and audience growth solution Snöball to amplify the reach of its event marketing clients. By integrating Snöball into its Solutions Network, Shepard’s extensive suite of event services, the company aims to help its clients grow their event audiences.

Snoball

Using social media to extend event reach engagement and attendance growth, Snöball enables event organizers to create customized content for social media platforms, such as graphics, videos and messages. Event participants — including attendees, speakers, exhibitors and sponsors — are then encouraged to share this content with their social networks to generate excitement, increase awareness and attract more attendees.

The platform also provides analytics to track social media campaign performance, allowing organizers to assess the effectiveness of their marketing efforts, as well as refine and optimize their strategies for future events. 

“We are very excited about our new relationship with Snöball,” said Cory Smith, Shepard vice president of strategic services. “By integrating Snöball into our Solutions Network, we aim to bolster attendance growth — a crucial need for many of our clients and one of the key capabilities Snöball brings to the table.”

He added, “This integration will not only facilitate the creation of user-generated content but also extend impact beyond the event, enhance attendee engagement and elevate brand awareness.”

 

StreamAlive Unveils GenAI Capabilities 

Live audience engagement platform StreamAlive has added GenAI capabilities to its platform to help live streamers and presenters enrich their sessions by better understanding and connecting with their audiences. Focused on better listening and audience engagement, the AI-based audience engagement platform provides users with creative, thought-provoking and relevant questions to boost active participation for online, in-person and hybrid events across a variety of audiences.

StreamAlive
After entering the topic of a live session, StreamAlive's AI generates questions to ask your audience and pairs them with relevant audience interactions (polls, word clouds, spinner wheels, etc.).

Presenters and creators simply input their presentation topic and audience type into the platform, and the AI generates and recommends a list of polls and open-ended questions that can be used as prompts and conversation-starters to elicit audience responses and participation. Audience interactions are then captured and visualized in StreamAlive’s existing suite of visual interactions, such as Wonder Words and Talking Tiles.

While GenAI can help presenters and live streamers generate slide decks and content for their presentations, what’s been missing is GenAI content that helps presenters better understand and connect with their audiences on a personal level, according to Lux Narayan, CEO of StreamAlive. 

“Today, there are all kinds of GenAI-powered presentation makers that people can use to instantly build or enhance decks, including the images and text needed to speak to their audience,” Narayan said. “While these tools are great, we decided to flip the script and enable presenters to use GenAI to listen to others by tackling one of the most challenging parts of creating a presentation – ideating relevant and interesting questions to ask your audience, and then visually acknowledging their responses.”

StreamAlive works seamlessly with popular presentation and streaming platforms, including YouTube Live, Twitch, Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.

eShow and Popshap Forge Partnership to Optimize Event Management

Interactive touchscreen solutions provider Popshap teamed up with event management software leader eShow to enhance event experiences by seamlessly integrating eShow’s event management solutions with Popshap’s onsite interfaces.

 Popshap

Through this merge, show organizers now have access to premium digital hardware, such as express registration kiosks, comprehensive wayfinding systems, dynamic session schedules, speaker information displays, digital sponsorships and immersive video wall integrations alongside a robust suite of event management solutions to help deliver more engaging event experiences that maximize ROI for all participants, according to eShow and Popshap officials.

“This partnership with Popshap marks a significant step towards the future of event technology, enabling seamless integration of our products into onsite interfaces,” said Raju Patel, CEO and founder of eShow. “It reflects our commitment to advancing solutions that enhance registrant engagement without adding any extra workload for our clients.” 

Popshap CEO Eitan Magid also expressed excitement about the partnership and its potential to transform event experiences for all participants.

“Through this partnership with eShow we’re excited to embark on a journey dedicated to enhancing the event experience for both exhibitors and attendees alike,” Magid said. “By amplifying technology resources and options, we aim to elevate ROI for all involved, fostering enhanced engagement and lead generation opportunities. Together, we’re revolutionizing the show experience, empowering participants with the tools they need to succeed.”

Have some event technology news to share? Reach out to lisa.savas@informa.com and danica.tormohlen@informa.com.

 

Don’t miss any event-related news: Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter HERE, listen to our latest podcast HERE and engage with us on LinkedIn!

Add new comment

Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.    Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.    Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.   The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.    MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.     MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.