Wyzetalk, SA’s leading provider of social business software (SBS), has launched a Conference edition of its offering that combines the conversational approach of social media with collaboration principles, for better communication, logistics and knowledge sharing in a conference or business event context.
Wyzetalk Enterprise for Conferences is the fourth customisation of the platform, after Wyzetalk Enterprise for internal enterprise communities; Wyzetalk Workforce for mostly low-tech labour forces; Wyzetalk Central for external communities; and Wyzetalk Consumer for field worker applications.
Like the other versions, it lets the enterprise audience in question (conference-goers, speakers, organisers and sponsors) conduct topic-based conversations in secure, private communities, which are organised around the event rather than the business or a specific cause or programme.
Gys Kappers, the founder-CEO of Wyzetalk, says the latest edition is a compelling communication and collaboration solution that can be used before, during and after conferences to do what existing conference structures can’t – which is to fully engage participants and extract lasting value from sessions.
He explains that, by design, conferences are not very engaging, as they rely on attendees to attend and be in the right frame of mind to take in the learning. Presentations are usually limited to the audio-visual experience presented at the time, and networking is used as an escape. Post-event feedback forms may or may not be completed, and attendees take home only a fraction of what’s possible. Then there are the costs incurred by logistics, travel and taking people out of their day-to-day responsibilities.
By contrast, Wyzetalk’s social business software platform offers a completely different and enriched conferencing experience.
“By engaging speakers, attendees and interested parties, some of whom won’t be able to attend, you create a longer period of highly engaged learning. From the build-up to the conference to the event itself and the post-event feedback, Wyzetalk Enterprise for Conferences enables intensive, qualified collaboration, meaningful networking and lasting knowledge-sharing, for a greatly improved return on investment,” adds Kappers.
“Attendees can use the tool to ask questions and get feedback during the event,” he continues. “Speakers can share presentations and materials with conference-goers in any format, allowing them to engage with the topic for a longer period or indefinitely if they so choose. And as a post-conference evaluation tool it promotes longer, more effective learning. It also enables people who aren’t able to attend to participate and engage.”
In addition, Wyzetalk can be used to collaborate for enhanced networking and workshops, share logistics information, up-sell a captive audience, mine data shared by attendees, track content and contributors using the Wyzetalk #hashtag and @mentions standards (within a private community), you have the ability to create pools and separate discussions into focused Groups, and much more.
“Wyzetalk Enterprise for Conferences transforms the way enterprises engage conference audiences. It proves that SBS works as well in high-impact short-term events as in longer-lasting programmes or permanent institutions,” says Kappers
Since its inception in 2012, development of the Wyzetalk platform has been guided by Kappers’ vision, as outlined in his Executive MBA thesis, The Delay of Social Business Software Adoption in the Enterprise and its Effects.
The cloud-based platform is delivered within desktop browsers or as native apps on all leading feature- and smart mobile devices (Apple, Blackberry, Windows 8 and Android). It is designed to show a general newsfeed and facilitate conversations on a one-to-one, one-to-many, public group and private group basis.
A pioneer in South Africa, Wyzetalk has had success with clients including Protea Hotels, Deli Spices and Cash Crusaders, by bringing about radical change to their business practices, and Barloworld Logistics and others specifically with Wyzetalk Enterprise for Conferences, says Kappers.
“Opting to mobilise the collective brain power of the organisation and its stakeholders, these leading organisations use Wyzetalk to engage, collaborate, communicate and manage the data and intelligence emanating from such interactions. As a result, they have increased their productivity, improved responsiveness, streamlined operations and increased customer advocacy, and become high-performance collaborative organisations characterised by open innovation and accelerated growth,” concludes Kappers.
