Tablets

Organizers and exhibitors will continue to integrate tablets into the marketing, sales, and operations workflows of their events. As a result, more applications will become available for the popular device. Although the Apple iPad (with its iOS operating system) is the most widely used, other devices using the Android operating system will begin to make headway and capture market share.

Intelligent events

“Data” and “analytics” will be the watchwords of 2012 as platform developers further refine the concept of intelligent events—a holistic approach to analyzing all of the data from surveys, mobile event guides, social media, attendee behavior (RFID), and registration to understand the interests and preferences of attendees.

Mobile

Smartphones will become even more integral to the attendee experience in the next year as adoption in the event environment increases and developers refine their offerings.  Applications, data, and capabilities formerly offered by multiple (non-mobile) vendors will be available on mobile phones. The number of location-aware mobile applications will also increase in the next year.

Visual Reporting & Analytics

Intelligent reports—data extracted from multiple sources during the course of the event—will become more visual and more available in real time so that planners can make changes to the event as it unfolds. Post-conference planning will become easier in the next twelve months with standardized decision-making tools.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

RFID will become even more affordable in the coming year as prices continue to drop and entry-level offerings such as Tap ‘N Go become more widely available. The increased adoption of RFID technology (particularly in the corporate meeting setting), driven by the need to understand attendee interests and likelihood to purchase, will drive costs down across the board in b-to-b exhibitions, conferences, and meetings.

Internet Connectivity

Conversations about the Internet connections—cost and availability—inside convention centers will continue to heat up as demand for the services increases and prices have failed to drop. . Third-party vendors offering 4G cellular connectivity to individual exhibitors and organizers will expand the range of options for event planners and participants when facility services are too expensive.

As the nation and the meetings industry emerge from the economic downturn, the innovation of the last three years will come to fruition. The tech trends to watch in 2012 are those that have been in the early adoption stages for some time and are now ready for widespread use driving the costs for planners down and the value and utility for exhibitors and attendees up.

 Rich data and analytics flow naturally in and around trade shows and conferences. Show organizers view booth sales activity and session evaluations on tablets. Conference managers use RFID to track attendee behavior and preferences. Attendees tweet and post about the event on social networking platforms. Imagine a “world” where all of the data was captured and synthesized into user-friendly reports. It’s possible within the framework of an intelligent event. Here’s a more in-depth look at some of the ways to capture valuable business intelligence.

Using tablets to monitor booth sales

This past year, trade show organizers began using iPads as mobile booth space allocation tools. Rather than scheduling times for exhibitors to come to the sales office during the show, the organizer brings the sales office to the exhibitor via an online, real-time platform served up on a tablet. The practice has resulted in more at-show sales. It can also be used as part of an intelligent show strategy: organizers can view the pace at which sales are progressing, compare booth sales in the current year to the previous year, extrapolate the satisfaction levels of current exhibitors (happy exhibitors re-sign first), and see patterns emerge around new show features.

Using tablets to analyze lead activity across the show floor

Show organizers can also access platforms, via tablets or online, which allow them to view the number of leads being generated by individual exhibitors in real time. The reports can reveal which exhibitors are having the most or least success  (the latter with a greater likelihood not to return in subsequent years without intervention). Lead statistics provide show organizers with more bargaining power when negotiating future contracts and opportunities with exhibitors.

Deploying RFID to capture attendee behavior

Conference managers who utilize either enterprise RFID (overhead at session entrances) or a Tap ‘N Go system will soon learn how effective their programming and content is. When attendance numbers are compared with attendee session evaluations, a picture surfaces about the popularity and value of the speaker and the content—metrics that help in decision-making for the following year.

Using social media monitoring platforms to gauge sentiment and usage

The social media channels in and around the show are being filled (by users) with content that reflects the opinions and thoughts of exhibitors, attendees, and sponsors. By using social media monitoring tools that analyze the volume and content of the conversations, event organizers can learn more about the behaviors and preferences of their customers.

Trade show and conferences organizers have an unprecedented opportunity to learn from the rich business intelligence that is available through technology. They can understand how the event is perceived, gauge which programming is effective, obtain decision-making support, and develop data for sales to exhibitors and sponsors. Intelligent events are successful events.

Using Smartphone apps to replace or at least diminish the number of printed show directories and conference agendas. It would be difficult to eliminate all printed directories at first—some attendees still prefer print—however, in the not-too-distant future, mobile devices will be increasingly used to take the place of printed booklets.

Offering Session Surveys for conference sessions. The phrase, “please pass your surveys to the aisle so we can collect and tabulate the results,” is nearly a thing of the past. Free apps for Smartphones and tablets make voting and Q & A sessions incredibly easy and green. Making presenters aware of the apps and how to use them helps reduce paper waste.

Using Tradeshow surveys for attendee feedback. In the past, on-site surveys were performed using paper and clipboards. Not any more. Today, survey takers roam the trade show floor with iPads or other tablet devices and record responses with a pad and finger instead of paper and pen.

Offering QR codes for maps and session info. As Quick Response (QR) codes become more popular inside the trade show booth, event organizers can make use of them outside the booth. In locations where it doesn’t make sense to place an expensive kiosk, a QR code can be a paperless way to deliver floor plans, session descriptions and speaker bios.

Making Digital tote bags for e-brochures available to exhibitors and attendees. Some new technology for trade shows streamlines the delivery of electronic exhibitor brochures to attendees. By making the technology available, exhibitors will be encouraged to forgo printing paper handouts.

Selecting show dailies that utilize digital formats. Outside the industry, magazines are making a big push toward content that can be read on iPads, Kindles or other mobile devices. Taking paper out of the equation may lower the cost of the publications as well as decrease the flow of paper waste through the event.

Reducing environmental impact is at the top of the list of objectives for more and more event organizers. Looking closely at how vendors and products address the “green” issue will help bring planners closer to their goals.

Tap-N-Go

The Tap-N-Go system requires attendees to tap their badges (containing an embedded RFID tag) on a stand-alone reader that registers attendance for a conference session or special event. Tap-N-Go eliminates the need for room monitors or session proctors. It is a simple and inexpensive way to verify attendance for continuing education credits.

When to use Tap-N-Go:

• On a tight Budget—Tap-N-Go is less expensive than the enterprise solution
• Tracking Continuing Education Credits may be a requirement
• Access control is optional
• Real-time reporting (vs. post-session reporting and analytics) isn’t critical
• Direct engagement with a sponsor’s brand (logo and messaging on Tap-N-Go kiosk) is of interest

Enterprise RFID

RFID readers are mounted above the entrance to a conference session room to collect attendance data that is transmitted by attendee badges when visitors enter. Attendees are not required to interact with equipment or individuals, yet session attendance and the amount of time attendees remain in the room is recorded.  Data is displayed in reports and dashboards for near real-time or post-event analysis.

When to use Enterprise RFID:

• Event manager wants a non-intrusive solution that requires no action on the attendees part
• Tracking large entrances such as an exhibit hall entrance
• Attendee duration in the room is of interest
• Budget permits a more comprehensive attendance tracking solution
• Near real-time reporting is important to the event manager
• Volume of attendees is high

Successful conference organizers measure every aspect of their event including attendee interest. New RFID solutions make measurement less expensive and more functional.

And, could you imagine working on a computer today without a graphical user interface, mouse, or track pad?  What about how we listen to and purchase music?  Apple revolutionized these innovations.

Here are the top 7 things I have learned from Steve Jobs in my tribute to him:

1.  Less is more.

• Steve worked relentlessly to create an intuitive user experience for the products Apple produced.  Ease of use won out over everything else.
• Describing these products in as few words as possible to capture their essence was equally challenging.  Steve was a marketing genius. Who could forget the first iPod product description?  Instead of some technical description of all the features, it simply stated, “1,000 songs in your pocket.”

Simple is hard.  Less is more.

2.  Build Great Products that connect with people.

Never before has there been a company that has connected with users more on an emotional level than Apple. It is simply amazing. Steve did not believe in releasing a product before it was ready.  Apple is one of the few companies focused on the long term.  They strive to build the very best products in the industry.

Corporate America, in general, is focused on quarterly earnings.  Getting a product to market is more important than getting it right.  For Apple, it was just the opposite.  I hope to bring this same sense of “lets build great products that inspire” to the event industry and Alliance Tech.

3.  Be Passionate about your work.

Steve Jobs was often referred to as a perfectionist.  He worked long hours and loved what he was doing.  In his Stanford commencement speech (link below), he talks about finding your inner voice and listening to it.  If you are not doing something you enjoy and are passionate about, consider changing professions.  I love what I do here at Alliance Tech.  I look forward to getting out of bed and getting to work every day.

4.  Never fear failure.

Apple, the company he created, fired Steve Jobs in the 1990s.  It was one of the most public embarrassments in business at the time.  Yet, he didn’t sit on the sidelines.  He did not retire or become a venture capitalist.  He followed his passion.  His following venture, Next, was far from a hit or success either.  He quickly burned through the fortune he earned at Apple and in a last effort to save Next he converted the company into a software business that Apple later purchased back.  Eventually he was appointed interim CEO and created the “Think Different” campaign we are all familiar with today.  Steve never feared failure.  He had the courage to follow his heart and the wisdom to learn from his past.

5.  Brand is everything.

Steve Jobs recognized early on the importance of brand.  He created a marketing agency whose sole client would be Apple. His products and innovations would ultimately define Apple’s image.  Apple re-thought the entire supply chain dynamics when Steve opened its first Apple Store.  Today, Apple’s brand is one of the most respected in the world.  Great products + great marketing = great brand.

6.  Surround yourself with great talent.

Steve didn’t build all those great products by himself.  He surrounded himself with a great team.  A recruiter once told me that you will pay more for great talent, however, they can be 2-3 times more productive than a B or C employee.  Get rid of poor performers as quickly as possible.  Don’t kid yourself into thinking “someone is better than no one.”  Great talent can do amazing things for your organization.

7.  Stay hungry… Stay foolish.

Another quote from Steve’s Stanford commencement address.  I don’t think this one needs explanation.

Below are a few links that capture the essence of the inspiration he brought to the world:

Steve Jobs “Think Different” Ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jULUGHJCCj4

Steve Jobs 2005 Commencement address

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

Deploying a mobile app before, during, and after a trade show and conference has one obvious benefit—the cost and environmental savings from replacing some or all of the printed show directories. However, that isn’t the only reason for event producers to consider a mobile app. If building an intelligent event—one that yields relevant, immediate, and accurate information—is one of the organization’s goals, mobile apps are a critical part of that strategy.

Getting session & speaker evaluations back ASAP

Using a mobile app to deliver electronic session and speaker evaluations has some significant advantages.  (1) Results are obtained in real time, which improves the organizer’s ability to evaluate content just after it is offered. Paper evaluations—basic handouts or Scantron forms—are not environmentally friendly and require more labor to distribute, collect, and summarize.  A mobile app can collect feedback and tabulate the results instantly.  (2) Speakers can learn how attendees received the content shortly after presenting it as opposed to weeks after the event ends.  (3) Evaluation results from all of the sessions can be combined at the end of the conference and presented in a digital dashboard to make analysis of the event easier.

Helping speakers interact with the audience

Other than a “show of hands,” conference speakers have few ways to gauge an audience’s interest and opinions on the fly other than audience polling.  Using mobile apps to carry out this mission helps speakers understand what attendees are most interested in.  This way, the presenter can tailor his presentation to the attendees in the room. Using mobile devices for polling and Twitter for backchannel conversations gives speakers a chance to engage more fully with attendees and offers participants a valuable opportunity to connect with one another.

Getting a daily gut check from attendees

Using Smart devices to survey attendees once per day on show content and their experiences promotes engagement. By sending out a “Daily Poll” such as “how would you rate last night’s gala” or “have you found the show services to be satisfactory,” event producers can obtain instant feedback that can be acted upon right away or analyzed at a later time along with the information from more detailed post-event surveys.

Deploying overall trade show surveys more efficiently

Most surveys are delivered via email days after the event is concluded. One way to boost response rates is to use the same mobile app that attendees have engaged with during the event to deliver the overall show survey in the final hours of the show. Doing so gives the survey more visibility. Rather than sending an email that becomes buried in a sea of other correspondence after the show, a mobile survey can be taken at the show, in the airport, in a taxi on the way home, or anytime it is convenient for attendees.

If speed, accuracy, analytics, and simplicity mean anything to trade show and conference organizers, they will look further than the more obvious benefits of mobile apps. This is only the beginning of a mobile revolution that smart devices, including (and especially) the iPad, have helped to launch. Mobile apps are one of the cornerstones of an intelligent event strategy.

In fact, measurement can be broken down into a series of smaller processes, each one yielding a rich set of metrics. When multiple sources of data are combined and analyzed, the result is a complete profile of prospects with intent to purchase—the critical element for measuring program effectiveness.

This grouping of data sources is becoming an industry best practice. An excellent discussion on measurement took place recently between Bill Sell (industry veteran and host of The Pulse Network’s on-site studio at Exhibitor2011) and Skip Cox (CEO and President of Exhibit Surveys, Inc.). In the video, Skip talks about the value of collecting information from a number of sources as part of an aggressive measurement strategy. Jeffrey Masters of Philips Healthcare refers to his use of multiple sources of attendee data as a “measurement cocktail.”

Lead retrieval and qualification survey processes are crucial for identifying potential customers. Asking questions using BANT criteria to identify the types of products attendees are looking for, the time frame for purchasing, the manner in which they wish to be communicated with, and their role in decision-making helps to develop a profile of the prospect.

RFID yields valuable intelligence about how a customer behaves in the booth: the products they visit, the duration of the visit, and the number of times they visit a particular product station, for example. When this information is cross-referenced with lead retrieval and survey data, it acts as an indicator of purchase intent.

In-booth surveys, such as those conducted by third-party firms like Exhibit Surveys or by the exhibitors themselves, zero in on the attendee experience.  Typical questions include: What kind of information or products were you looking for? Did you receive the information or help that you required? Were the sales people available when you needed them? Did the product demonstrations answer your questions? Are you inclined to purchase products from this exhibitor?

Video monitoring—the placement of cameras in the booth area—is another method for confirming the staff’s effectiveness in engaging the customer. It also provides exhibitors with insight into how the booth layout and design elements inhibit or motivate attendees to enter the booth and ultimately to purchase.

All four data sources add something different to the analyses of individual attendees and program effectiveness. In-booth surveys and lead retrieval take into account the intentions of the prospect, while RFID behavioral analysis and video monitoring are key indicators of purchase intent.  When analyzed together, trends (as well as deviations) appear and the “hot” leads instantly emerge.  Measurement = revenue is the outcome that trade show marketers are also looking for to gain them greater visibility with senior-level managers.

Fact #1 RFID does not invade a user’s privacy.

Other devices can intercept radio frequencies. However, in the case of the RFID tags used for conferences and trade shows, the only information that can be intercepted—a number called the Electronic Process Code (EPC)—is meaningless unless it is associated with the information (name, title, address, contact information, etc.) gleaned from attendees during the registration process.  To protect privacy, the information read by the RFID readers is placed in one database and the information from registration is stored in another database (from the event registration company). Furthermore, the only information ever recorded by RFID readers is identical to the information that is readily visible on the badge. In fact, RFID badges are more secure than typical barcode badges that contain all attendee information.

Fact #2 RFID is NOT mandatory for attendees.

As with many technologies and processes, providers offer opportunities to opt out of the system.  The same is true with RFID. Attendees may request that their data not be shared with exhibitors or conference organizers to minimize any perceived privacy concerns. Written privacy and opt-out policies can be provided to event participants upon request or placed on the event Website to clarify the organization’s use (and benefits) of the information and options for event participants.

Fact #3 RFID will only read data where the readers are placed.

RFID technology has a level of flexibility that adds to the relevance of the data. The readers—although highly accurate—can only record data within a certain range of the reader equipment. If the readers are placed strategically, they will pick up only the most relevant data and filter out any useless information. Thus, the claim that EVERY move is monitored is not true. Only the most strategic and relevant behavior of attendees and staff is recorded.

Fact #4 RFID can be used to monitor attendees and staff.

The benefits of RFID technology—recording attendee interests and preferences, collecting important business intelligence, and enabling smarter decisions—extends beyond attendees. Many large exhibitors use the devices to improve the productivity of staff members by recording where (what locations within the booth) and when (times of highest booth traffic) they are most productive. The information obtained from these analyses can lead to substantial costs savings, optimal staff placement, and higher productivity.

Fact#5 RFID is not expensive.

In the case of trade shows, the costs for RFID “systems” are split between the event organizer and the exhibitors—the organizer purchases the tags and the exhibitor rents the RFID reader (similar to a lead retrieval device). The avg. cost of a tag is about $0.35 (one tag is embedded on every badge) and the rental fee for a reader is as low as $450 (if rented during the early bird period). This cost is comparable to a lead retrieval device that normally rents for approximately $350. The number of readers necessary depends on the size of the booth and the desired number of read points. It is recommended that 3% of the total trade show budget be spent on measurement and organizers have a number of choices for minimizing those costs.

Event organizers and exhibitors are under pressure from a number of fronts to keep costs down in order to boost return on investment. To do so, they look for technologies that yield high productivity and value. RFID, when fully understood, can help users achieve better data, make better decisions, and lower costs. It is among the methods—cameras have also been used for many years—for monitoring attendee behavior and improving exhibit and conference program performance.

Since the solutions come from different vendors, there is (often) no single source for how-to information for event participants. Some event organizers have developed various ways to offer pre-event and on-site technical help to users:

Genius Bar.  An on-site tech support desk with representatives from the various technology suppliers or a tech savvy team that can point visitors to support resources is another way to assist show participants.

Video tutorials. Asking technology suppliers to provide a video tutorial of their applications—which are then prominently displayed on the event Website—as part of their contracts for service is one way for organizers to collect the content without the production costs.

TwitterTech411. Creating a hashtag exclusively for technology questions is a great way for the tech support team to communicate (by sending tweets, links, and telephone numbers) with show participants who have quick questions about technology.

Online Q & A.  Developing an extensive list of questions and answers (with a search box) for the show Website or mobile app is a good way to help exhibitors and attendees help themselves.

Roving Tech Support. Some organizers have considered engaging a tech support team (mobile concierges) to roam the trade show or conference floor with iPads, offering assistance and pointing visitors to additional resources.

On-site Signage. From high-tech kiosks to fiberboard signs, sometimes the simplest way to provide instruction about technology tools is with free-standing signage that participants can read, touch, or scan (as in the case of QR codes).

The 800 Number Help Desk.  Even with all of the advanced ways to get information to attendees, the low-tech methods are still popular. With nearly everyone carrying a mobile phone, what could be easier than calling one number to get all the answers? Even if the person at the other end of the line doesn’t have all of the answers, they can point or transfer callers to other resources for help.

1. Detailed floor plans—with a larger screen, developers can enlarge the detail of trade show floor plans making them more readable and effectively creating more and better digital sponsorship opportunities.
2. Videos—the ability to view archived and live streaming content comfortably on tablets will prompt developers to build more spaces for viewing video into the apps including, session and speaker videos, video abstracts, product overviews and even virtual booths.
3. Lead retrieval and survey collection—Because of the iPad’s ability to move quickly and seamlessly from one screen to the next, it has become the perfect tool for data collection and lead qualification. This functionality will induce developers to enhance the data collection capabilities of mobile apps for exhibitors.
4. Sales automation— Because exhibitors are using iPads to demonstrate products in the booth, showcase product videos and send electronic literature to customers, mobile app developers will enhance the ability for attendees to self-select information from exhibitors before and after their visit to the booth.
5. Social media—Smartphones and laptops make it easy to share show content, however, the photo and video capture capabilities of the iPad make it easier to collect show content. App developers will capitalize on this functionality by embedding “social media tools” in the apps to make it easier to collect, edit, and share images.

iPads will inevitability increase the adoption rates of mobile apps at trade shows and conferences. Users will download the apps more often to justify the purchase of the device and the simple utility of being able to access content on a larger screen will boost usage. Mobile app developers will continue to create applications with the tablet in mind giving users more reasons to choose iPads over laptops.