January 8, 2025

Driving Event Innovation: How BEIA Transformed Content Engagement with AI

In today’s knowledge-driven business events landscape, content capture and engagement directly impact event ROI and organizational value. Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA), New Zealand’s national association for the business events industry, recognized this opportunity to revolutionize their content strategy while strengthening their position as an industry innovator.

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Strategic Imperative

BEIA’s annual conference, a cornerstone event bringing together 170 industry leaders in New Plymouth, faced a critical challenge. “Previously, content capture relied entirely on delegate note-taking,” explains Christopher Peak, highlighting a significant gap in content value capture and distribution. This traditional approach limited both immediate engagement and long-term content monetization opportunities.

From Challenge to Opportunity

When Peak first proposed implementing Snapsight, the AV team were initially apprehensive about learning a new system in such a short space of time. Rather than letting this derail the initiative, Peak took a hands-on approach. “I did a quick test at home with my laptop in front of a TV show,” he explains. “It took about 15 minutes to really get to grips with it.” This simple experiment proved transformative – during the event, a single volunteer managed the entire system efficiently, demonstrating how perceived technical barriers often overshadow actual implementation complexity.

Implementation in Action

The team developed a comprehensive deployment strategy ensuring seamless access for all delegates. “We had QR codes on the screens at the entrances to the venue,” Peak explains. “During the breaks, we had the QR code on the screen, and the MC did a piece at the start of each day explaining how it all worked.” Integration extended beyond digital displays – information sheets on tables and direct links in the conference app provided multiple touchpoints for engagement.

Creating Business Impact

The streamlined implementation opened doors to unexpectedly broad business benefits. Beyond the immediate operational efficiency of automated content capture, BEIA discovered new opportunities for value creation. “We don’t have the business case for recording all our sessions,” Peak notes, “but Snapsight gives us another way to showcase what people have missed.” The impact was evident on the conference floor. As Peak observed, there was specific feedback about how delegates could remain present during sessions instead of focusing on note-taking. This shift from manual note-taking to automated content capture transformed how participants experienced the event, enabling more engaged participation. This enhanced engagement extended beyond the conference days. BEIA found itself with a valuable content repository that opened new possibilities for member engagement and event promotion. Peak saw potential in using this captured content “as a promotional tool for attendance in future years,” while also providing ongoing value to their broader membership base.

Enhancing Real-Time Engagement and Insight Capture

Innovation Leadership

BEIA’s successful implementation has particular significance in the New Zealand market, and by successfully deploying Snapsight, BEIA not only solved immediate operational challenges but also positioned themselves as technology innovators in the regional events space.

Future-Ready Events

Looking ahead, BEIA’s investment has laid the foundation for continued innovation. “Being able to use it year on year would be really beneficial,” Peak reflects, highlighting how this single implementation has evolved into a cornerstone of BEIA’s future event strategy. In an industry where content value and engagement are increasingly critical to success, BEIA’s experience demonstrates how strategic technology adoption can transform both immediate operations and long-term business potential.

Peak’s conclusion is straightforward yet powerful: “I would 100% recommend it. It was great. I think it’s a great addition.” This endorsement, backed by tangible results and clear strategic benefits, underscores BEIA’s successful journey from traditional content capture to AI-powered innovation.