Leverage Technology to Enhance Your Events and Meetings

The days of shuffling papers and handouts at your meeting may be coming to an end. If you’re in the tech industry or wish to be seen as cutting-edge, this especially applies to you. Get new technology working for you at your next event, and make a great—and modern—impression on your attendees.

Event Planning Apps and Software

As you’re beginning to plan your schedule and organize your event, try using an event app. Not only do these apps help you keep track of attendees, keep your materials in one place (like the ever-changing schedule and speaker lineup), but they also offer attendee-facing functionality. Your guests can access the most up-to-date schedule, see presentation decks, and even arrange private networking meetings with fellow attendees. Try Pathable, Whova, or EventsXD for help.

Seating Charts & Floor Plans

Many of the above services will do these for you, but it’s worth calling out that you can ditch the post-its and whiteboard maps you’ve been using to plan your seating or floor plan. This can be one of the most daunting parts of event planning, so check out Social Tables or other sites that will help you stop dreading the map.

Create Your Own Event App

There are several available options for creating your own app for your event. It’s a chance to provide attendees with everything they’ll need before, during, and after the event, while making sure their materials are up-to-date, shareable, and paperless. Plus, many services will turn your event app into a webpage as well.

Social Media

Prep for your event by leveraging Social Media on as many platforms as you can. Create a hashtag for the event and begin running social posts and social ads that lead to your event page. #AmazingConference2017

Internet Access

Your presenters and your attendees will expect wi-fi service that is fast and secure. We recommend using the network at River’s Edge Convention Center to avoid any problems.

Take Advantage of Mobile Devices in the Audience

In the past, guests have been asked to turn off mobile devices during presentations. But it’s important to remember that there may be benefits to guests taking photos, videos, posting to social media (using your hashtag of course), live streaming, and more. Don’t be afraid to encourage guests to post, tweet, and even text key take-aways out to colleagues.

Ask Your Audience

One fantastic way to make use of all those devices is through real-time audience engagement. Although you may still want to hear from audience members and answer their questions while looking in their eye, there may be moments when an audience poll or vote could add another dimension to your presentation. Audience Response Systems (ARS) like Turning Technologies, Join Speaker, or mQlicker can help keep your guests interested and involved right from their seats.

PowerPoint Alternatives

We hate to say it, but it’s time to look beyond PowerPoint for your presentations. Make a more modern impression, and share your impressive presentation with your audience. Here are a few suggestion lists of PowerPoint alternatives.


We look forward to helping you plan your next St. Cloud event at the River’s Edge Convention Center. Whether you’ve got paper handouts or the latest custom app, we’ll help make your event shine.

5 Questions to Ask Before Planning a Company Conference

Imagine you’ve been given the task of booking your company’s next big meeting and you’re not sure where to start. You can’t go over budget, you need a location that is convenient for everyone attending, but you still want to wow and impress. Event planning can be tricky, but with a few pointed questions, you can set up your next business conference with ease.

What is the Agenda for the Meeting?

Knowing the agenda ahead of time is critical. Booking a holiday party, for example, will differ from a corporate conference. Understanding the goals your company wants to accomplish in their next get-together is important and knowing the task at hand will allow you to make a list of resources you’ll need to get started.

What is the Allotted Budget for the Meeting?

Before you get carried away with your list of event materials, it’s important to know your budget. If you want to save money on your next event, a little creativity can go a long way. One example of event planning thriftiness is to use paperless invites.

Which Amenities Will We Need for the Meeting?

To get a list started, think about the meeting’s agenda and talking points. Will you have a speaker? Will there be multiple speakers? Is there ample parking available? What kind of technology will you need? While you probably have a good picture in mind, this may save you from overlooking a key part of what you need for a company gathering.

How Should I Promote My Event?

If your event is a company-wide get-together, sticking with email should be completely safe. If the budget and theme allows, a mailed invitation could spice things up. But what if your company is promoting an expo or trade show? You’ll need to meticulously plan a marketing strategy to attract the right attendees.

• Use social media
• Try your hand at email marketing
• Contact previous customers
• Create incentives for customers to help promote your event
• Place flyers in key locations

Do I Need a Contingency Plan for My Event?

If your event doesn’t go as planned, relax. In event planning, an important thing to remember is that leaving an option for things to go wrong increases its likelihood of happening, so a good plan B is a must-have. Visit mindtools.com for ideas on creating the perfect contingency plan.

You’ve made your list, checked it twice, and have a few extra tricks up your sleeve. If you’ve asked yourself these key questions and prepared in advance, your organization’s conference should go off without a hitch. Be sure to subscribe for more tips on event planning and view the available rooms at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center for your next company meeting.

The River’s Edge Convention Center Has A New Website!

Planning your wedding, coordinating your next businesses meeting or figuring out how you’re going to spend your next night out in St. Cloud became a whole lot easier with the launch of the River’s Edge Convention Center’s new website! The new website was built with you in mind -- the people who plan and attend events in St. Cloud’s 180,000 square foot premier destination. The website is clean, easy to navigate and all the resources you need are readily available.

The main tabs across the top of the screen direct you to the pages you need when you’re planning an event at River’s Edge Convention Center. Click on the tab you need (Weddings/Socials, Conferences, Meetings, Entertainment, Consumer/Trade Shows) and you’ll be directed to all the information and resources needed to make your event a success. You’ll have access to our building layouts, catering information, internet service, room prices and more.

Not planning an event but are looking for something fun to do in the area? Scroll down our home page for our calendar of events, parking information and directions, or you can even sign up to receive notifications about River’s Edge Convention Center news and happenings. We want your experience at our facility to be the absolute best it can be, and we are very excited to provide you with all the resources you need to make that happen. You can also stay updated about events by getting social with us; click on the social media icons on the left side of the homepage.

We look forward to seeing you at the River’s Edge Convention Center! What do you like best about our new website? Your feedback is important to us! Let us know in the comments below:

Make Your Event A Success At River's Edge

Guest Blog: DAYTA Marketing

When looking for a home for DAYTA U St. Cloud 2015, all of us at DAYTA Marketing knew we needed to go BIG. After the past couple years, our one-day social media marketing seminar for local business owners and marketers has risen dramatically in popularity, and we expected attendance to double or triple. When looking for a venue, we wanted a space that could fit everyone attending and we also needed the right equipment and technology. We went to River’s Edge Convention Center and found everything we were looking for!

The staff at River's Edge worked with us on planning the event from the time we booked until the last box was packed up at the end of the day. Their assistance made everything less stressful and made the days and weeks leading up to the big day go more smoothly. Our Director of Marketing, Ellie Backes, was able to do walkthroughs and the Convention Center's team provided great insights and tips for room layouts.

“They made themselves available the day of and checked in consistently throughout the day,” said Ellie. “I've had events where our event coordinator is nowhere to be found the day of. This definitely gave us peace of mind that if anything came up we'd have support to get it handled.”

The night before DAYTA U, we were able to go to River’s Edge Convention Center and start setting up some of our supplies and to get a feel for the rooms. We realized we needed to make some last-minute adjustments to the room layouts, and the convention center staff was there to help in an instant. We were incredibly impressed with the staff’s responsiveness and customer service.

The morning of our event we had some late registrations, which wasn’t a problem. The staff was there to add some chairs to rooms to accommodate our new students. They also helped us make extra copies of print materials. Our attendees gave us feedback about how smoothly the whole day went and how impressed they were.

During the day of a big event, small things can really create a big dent, but we had peace of mind the whole day. River’s Edge Convention Center truly is the premier destination for the best events in Central Minnesota!

Key Benefits of Off-site Meetings

When planning a meeting, there are many factors to think about. We look into a time that is available for everyone involved, the agenda and (if we’re lucky) perhaps plan for a sweet treat, but often the location itself gets overlooked. There are many reasons why the location can sometimes be as important a factor as all other considerations. Choosing an off-site location such as St. Cloud River's Edge Convention Center can maximize meeting time and efficiency in many different ways.

Distance from the Desk
Leaving the office helps individuals step away and stop thinking about outside duties. It takes away the possibilities of being distracted when client comes in or sending unrelated emails during a meeting. A new location helps co-workers compartmentalize their time and focus on current topics, which allows for more quality participation.

Spark Creativity
Getting away from day-to-day operations can help open space for new and innovative ideas- people think out of the box when thrown into a new situation. Utilizing a different space may also allow a greater amount of people to gather from various locations and meet with new individuals for an outside perspective. Mentoring relationships bloom during these kinds of meetings.

Enhance Presentation Opportunity
A new location can give presenters more opportunity for the use of equipment that may not be supported in the office, which makes for a more effective presentation. The speaker can be better equipped to engage the audience with a larger screen or more easily manipulated tools. The more engaging a presentation is, the more the team will likely remember and take new skills to the office with them.

Boost Team Morale- There is something invigorating about breaking habit. With co-workers, it can be a great way to infuse a team building opportunity. An off-site meeting allows the opportunity for face-to-face interaction, which is too often lost in the use of technology. Being present allows one to view the body language and other social cues that otherwise are missed. Even the opportunity to eat a meal together affords co-workers to have more relaxed time with one another to build a relationship and understanding beyond usual business. Also, an off-site meeting makes teams feel like there was more care taken in preparing for the meeting,  making the team members feel more valued. Boosting the team’s feeling of importance can translate into more commitment and loyalty.

A meeting’s location is a large factor in its ability maximize the time co-workers have with one another.  An off-site meeting at River’s Edge Convention Center may re-energize and bring passion back to those you work with. Plan your next event at an off-site location, and see the difference it makes in your team.

Bring Your Business to River's Edge Convention Center

It’s true the River’s Edge Convention Center is where many of the area’s largest events are held -- but, did you know you can rent out meeting spaces for businesses and small socials, too? 

The River’s Edge now has space to make your event more productive and enjoyable. Along with offering comfortable accommodations for all types of businesses and organizations, we also provide equipment rentals, catering and other services. The Convention Center was built with all kinds of events and meetings in consideration and we have flexible space configurations.

After you book the space you will need for your meeting or event, we will assist with the rest. The convenience of the River’s Edge doesn’t stop at our central location and state-of-the-art facility. We also can provide you with event coordination, specialized seating arrangements, audio/visual setup and standby services.

We have a variety of rooms that are ideal for company meetings or all-day conferences. The spaces feature 10-foot ceilings with full setup and takedown of tables, chairs, stage and basic sound system. The capacity of our board rooms are 5-20 people. Need a little more space? Other rooms and our suites can accommodate between 45-500 people. Rooms within suites can be combined or divided to suit your specific needs.

No matter the event or the occasion, River’s Edge Convention Center can help make it a success with our space. Contact us today and we can help you start planning!