New project management software to help events professionals


A new software programme has been developed which aims to make project management more accessible and affordable, and simple to use for event organisers. WeTrack, founded and devel- oped by 2012 London Olympics veterans Clive Davies and Peter Ward, can produce visually stun- ning dashboards to help report- ing and support team meetings. To address limitations with


traditional software programmes, tasks can be accessed, edited and updated by laptop, tablet or mobile 24/7 from anywhere in the world and risks ranked, managed and monitored. Tim Dent, WeTrack partner in


Nokia’s small cells were deployed at the Flow


Festival in Helsinki in August


Scotland, says: “From my own experience working as a project manager on major events - web- based software such as WeTrack can be an indispensable tool to manage tasks, risks and issues. Without adopting this kind of tech, it can be a hugely time consuming using traditional methods such as spreadsheets to ensure you have an accurate overview of the project with the constant worry a key task won’t be picked up and will fall through the cracks.”


opportunity for network operators,” said Imran Khan Durrani, an ac- count manager for Nokia in the UK. “It allows them to provide tempo- rary 4G coverage in underserved areas or to quickly expand capacity at large events.” Nokia’s small cells were deployed


at the Flow Festival in Helsinki in August. Flow is an annual urban music, food, and art festival held in the historic industrial complex of Suvilahti. Tis year’s event, featured an array of musicians, artists, and technology innovations, attracted a record 75,000 visitors over three days. At Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium


in June, football fans were able to share pictures and videos on a broadband service provided by Telefónica based on Nokia’s tech- nology which increases capacity and connection speeds and reduces interference, improving users’ bat- tery life.


The WeTrack programme is a new project management tool The development of the


product may indeed be timely. In a recent survey of the 35 top trends in event management, areas of focus were around social media, ‘experiential marketing’, pop-up events, big data, new tech, event streaming and an increase in immersive experiences. Project management, an important facet of successful event management, barely warranted a mention. “Project management may


be ‘less sexy’ than creative concepts, communications and marketing,” Dent added. “But without the fundamentals in place to make sure milestones are achieved and risks man-


aged, the very essence of the event – the high quality, memo- rable experience, not to mention reputation and credibility could be compromised.” He said despite the undoubted


benefits of a strong process, misunderstandings or confusion can mean project management is sometimes perceived as ‘getting in the way’ or just too complex, which results in a general lack of confi- dence that it adds any real value. Unlike more generic software solutions - such as Microsoft Project - WeTrack has been designed by events people, who have built features to suit the way event managers work.


Royal Highland Show embraces tech to engage online audience


By Nicola Stow Smartphones were the most popular device for accessing the Royal Highland Show’s website for the first time this year. Figures released by the show’s


organisers reveal 42 per cent of of viewers opted to tune-in on the go – 17 per cent more than last year. Data showed 20 per cent of RHS fans accessed the website on a tablet, while 38 per cent used desktops. During the four–day event in


June, the website averaged over 100,000 hits per day, 48.8 per cent of which were made on a smartphone. The RHS also increased its social media from the previous


year’s activity by 17 per cent on Facebook and 22 per cent on Twitter. A trial on Snapchat also generated 500 views per post. Organisers are now exploring


ways to ensure that the show’s digital footprint is truly smart- phone and tablet compatible, making it even easier to access RHS web content and improve the visitor online experience. Show manager David Jackson


said: “As organisers of a growing, major event we are always explor- ing how we can be better. This includes how accessible we are online. We work closely with with our digital team to ensure that our digital footprint is truly smart- phone and tablet compatible,


making it even easier to access RHS web content and improve the visitor experience online.” A staggering 188,810 enthu-


siasts flocked to the annual four-day festival, which takes place at Ingliston on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Around 7,000 livestock were


on display with over £225,000 of prize money and 280 trophies worth £2 million awarded. Food showcase Scotland’s Larder Live featured over 120 exhibitors. The Show’s revamped 13th


Avenue Arcade, which featured an array of luxury retailers and a new Prosecco bar was also a huge hit, with an estimated £8million spent on shopping.


EVENTSBASE | MARCH 2016 | 43


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