OSAP Observations: Smarter Events: Choosing Technology That Solves the Right Problems

In episode 24, host Jarrod A. Clabaugh, CAE, welcomes Kim Harwood, president of Results at Hand Software, to discuss how technology can help associations streamline events, engage attendees and make the most of limited staff resources. Kim shares how her early career in telecommunications and mobile applications eventually led to the development of an event platform that grew from a mobile app into a suite of tools supporting registration, speaker management, attendee engagement, lead retrieval, continuing education tracking, event reporting and on-site badge printing. The conversation explores the value of automation, why badge printing continues to be a priority for event professionals and how AI could reshape both event planning and the attendee experience. Kim also discusses the importance of integrations and strong communication between associations and their technology partners, emphasizing that organizations should start by clearly defining the problem they need to solve and choose technology providers that can become long-term partners rather than simply vendors. 

This episode is sponsored by Shores & Islands Ohio. OSAP Observations is produced by Association Briefings.