It’s no secret that people today want to be constantly entertained. They aimlessly scroll through social media when waiting in line at the grocery store. They can’t commute without listening to a podcast, singing along to their favorite playlist, or calling their friend during their route to work. They turn the television on the moment they get home, just to have something to watch, even if they aren’t really paying attention. This demand for constant entertainment is part of modern life, a reflection of technological advancements and a cultural shift toward immediate gratification.
When it comes to organizing a large-scale event, conference, or trade show, organizers and planners need to be aware that “dead time” can be perceived as lost time. Instead of interacting with the live demonstration or upcoming speaker, they’ll be attuned to their phones and other distractions. Here’s a look at the research behind what occurs during idle time, as well as tips for event organizers on how to transform dead time into engagement.
The Science Behind How Time is Perceived
You can get lost in a book and spend the entire afternoon forgetting about your devices when absorbed by the author’s narrative. But a cross-country airplane flight can drag on for hours if you forgot to download your favorite TV show onto your phone.
These two contrasting scenarios help explain the basic principles of time perception.
Time perception is a highly subjective brain-constructed experience. Think of it as an internal timer influenced by attention, emotion, memory, and even age. Time will either speed up or slow down based on what’s occurring around you. Research shows that time flies during engagement, when attention is absorbed by tasks, and the brain stops spending energy monitoring the time and spends more time on whatever is in front of you. On the other hand, idle or passive time seems to drag when there is less momentum or activity present.
How Event Planners Can Decrease Dead Time Through Digital Signage
When it comes to events, attendees have high expectations. They expect to show up and be instantly inspired and engaged. They want to enter the venue and hopefully forget about their inboxes filling up with emails or the incoming Slack messages. They want to leave feeling like the event was well worth their dedicated time and attention.
Thanks to technological advances, there are numerous ways for event planners to decrease dead time through digital signage. Here are a few solutions.
Real-Time Updates
No matter how much planning goes into the event, there will be moments of pause and reflection. From a longer-than-anticipated check-in line to a winding row of people trying to find their seats in an auditorium, there are bound to be periods of downtime. However, one way that digital signage can help decrease dead time is by providing real-time updates.
Modern venues can use coordinated event technology systems — as opposed to just screens — to provide live, real-time updates and announcements to attendees. This gives organizers the flexibility to update the schedule, such as switching a speaker to a different room due to higher demand. You can even provide estimated waiting times for certain activations. This keeps things moving (literally) and can also prevent unnecessary confusion and aimless wandering.
Interactive Engagement
Another way that digital signage can lessen dead time is by serving as an engaging distraction. Signage can serve as interactive engagement, filling in gaps between programming. Instead of attendees turning to their phones and devices during a session break, you can continue to engage them through social media walls or interactive polling. QR codes can be posted on the screens for attendees to share their instant thoughts or even connect with other attendees live.
These types of displays can turn passive attendees into active participants, which is essential for maximizing an event’s return on investment (ROI). In turn, it can also boost attendee satisfaction and lead to higher information retention and learning experience.
Content Scheduling
Streamlining the logistical aspects of an event is another way to eliminate any unnecessary downtime. Digital displays can replace registrants checking a printed agenda sheet throughout the day, checking off one session to the next, and counting down the minutes until the event’s conclusion. Automated content scheduling can be preprogrammed and posted to screens, ensuring consistent engagement without manual entry.
Modern displays can constantly connect live data sources to instantly update schedules, speaker profiles, and more. They can also be triggered by events, such as switching a lobby screen to say “session starting” when the room’s occupancy is filled. For attendees, this means more time tuning into what’s happening and less time staring at a printed agenda and wondering when and where the next session is beginning.
Dead Time is a Waste of Time
Digital displays are the answer to reducing idle time and increasing engagement. By providing real-time updates, interactive screens, and content scheduling, digital displays can shift attendee focus from boredom to interest. This can lead to an increase in overall attentiveness and engagement.
Attendees will walk away from the event feeling like the day flew by. They’ll spend less time distracted by what’s going on at work or what types of emails are in their inbox, and more time present and enjoying the event. Digital displays can also reduce any attendee’s anxiety levels by presenting them with informative updates and navigation cues. This enhanced experience can provide them with more relevant, personalized, and faster experiences without dead time.