Tuesday 30th November

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Tuesday 30th November

It is called ActivTouch and it is a mobile application for trade shows. It manages the relevant “here and now” data of the event. How does it work? Information on speakers, attendees, exhibitors and products are stored in the ActivTouch database and can be accessed at any time via the mobile web. For example, enter the name of an exhibitor or a product and the device automatically gener-ates a map of the show floor, with a highlighted route from the cur-rent location to the desired booth.

Thanks to this “Here&Now” fea-ture, participants can find exhibitors, products, sessions and keynotes that are happening that very moment within an area of 50 to 100 feet (the GPS systems already included in most smartphones are too impre-cise to be of use in a trade show).

In October and November, Activ-Touch was used in Vision Expo West 2010 and Global Gaming Expo, both held in Las Vegas, ASIS International 2010 (Dallas) and ISC Solutions (New York). Over 30 events are sched-uled for 2011.

Stand: 0260

Meet Sherpa at the Technology Hour Extra session, Lecture Theatre, 14:30-15:30

TECHNOLOGY

Ruud: Making a connection point with those outside the room. Use a conversa-tion aggregator (preferably a rich con-tent) to start the dialogue and keep it going. Make the content, context, con-nectivity and continuity of the dialogue the core priority whether the dialogue is public or proprietary. In both cases content aggregators exist to give eve-ryone a voice and chance to contribute.

Ruud: Many submissions were focused on putting the power of technology in the attendee’s hands. The mobility of the technology function is key, whether it be in Mobile Apps, lead retrieval, busi-ness (card) exchange, or connectivity to the Internet when it is not avail-able by default.

What was the most interesting example of how technology helped a meeting when the volcano erupted in Iceland and grounded many flights? Ruud: I was asked the same in a tweet after the volcano erupted. As a result, I wrote an account of my personal experi-ence when I was due to speak at an event in Poland and all speakers got grounded. We created a plan B which used the sim-plest tools, ones practically all present-ers were comfortable using. All speakers reverted to a remote presentation using Skype and phone as a backup.

The other case was the creation of a spontaneous event when many del-egates were stranded in London after the Skoll World Forum in Oxford. One of the stranded delegates took the initia-tive to organise a spontaneous TEDxVol-cano, one that was live streamed and put together in less than 24 hours.

What should a meeting planner do during the next volcano eruption: have a logistics plan B and a technology plan B?Ruud: The key in any crisis plan is open-ing up a direct communication line to your key audience members. Participants, speakers, key suppliers and organising team members must know where to look for reliable up-to-date information on the event. The organisers must always know how to reach employees, team members, speakers, suppliers and other key stakeholders. This can be via a web-site, a Twitter hash tag, multiple real-time channels or a mass notification system.

The contingency planning should include a crisis team split in two key areas: communication; and contingency planning, logistics and quick financial impact scenarios. This is where the real organisers will distinguish themselves from the amateurs. Being ready to connect to your audience not only live but also in hybrid ways (and being able to set this up in a flash) is probably the key way to save the event from going to ashes. As a planner you must know one or two people in your direct network that can help or guide you through the crisis.

Crisis management? Technology can help, say Ruud Janssen and Sam Smith

And the winner is… Sherpa’s Mobile App wins EIBTM WorldWide Technology Watch

Sam’s advise:

“I see too many people chasing shiny objects and wanting to use a technology because it is cool. Planners have to think thoroughly about their objectives first”

Sam’s advise:

“We are going to see more and more meetings and events turn into a single touchpoint in a continuous stream of conversations and dialogue that last all year”

Ruud’s advise:

“Making a connection point with those outside the room, using a conversation aggregator to start the dialogue and keep it going”

The solution combines a database of all exhibitors, products and sessions with a localisation solution more precise than GPS systems for easy orientation

Ruud’s advise:

“The key in any crisis plan is opening up a direct communication line to your key audience members”

The two famous tech-savvy consultants of our industry are back this year. This time, after a year in which many events rediscovered crisis management, they will talk about how technology can save an event by doing things like maintaining communication or finding alternative broadcasting solutions. You too have to be ready, so read on…

Elevator pitch: tell me one technology I should consider for my next sales convention, and why.

You were judges of the WWTW. Any trend you would like to highlight?

Isn’t it hard for people to follow a meeting from their computer? Email and thousands of cool web pages are calling out for a user’s attention... Who would leave the mouse alone and focus?Ruud: Distractions are possibly the big-gest threat to the ability for anyone to concentrate on a single stream of infor-mation. But allow me to draw the com-parison to the effect of an average book or that of a page-turner that you read back to back through the night. The key word is audience engagement.

In September, Sam and I were involved in a hybrid event experience where audi-ence engagement was at the core of the event design. Event Camp Twin Cities was an experiment around innovation, col-laboration and social experimentation. The results show me that if we learn how to design hybrid events correctly, we can engage audiences. Participants want to be heard, listened to and engaged. When they feel they are being served, they withstand the distractions and pay attention. What we must not do is try to replicate the type of events we have always participated in live and then try to “televise” them.

If these technologies enable delegates to follow the conference’s content and connect with others remotely, won’t meetings turn into continuous online connections? If the “place” dimension disappears, won’t the “time” element also disappear?Sam: Yes, we are going to see more and more meetings and events turn into a single touchpoint in a continuous stream of conversations and dialogue that will last all year. However, we are still social creatures and we still want to meet face-to-face. Also, we are still going to want to work together on projects, both online and offline. I recently organised a con-ference where we had over 550 people working online with attendees in three remote sites to brainstorm and rank those solutions. By working together, more people had a stake in that out-come than if it were just done in an online discussion group.

Sam: I see too many people chasing shiny objects and wanting to use a technol-ogy because it is cool. Before looking at any specific technology, I ask event planners this question: What are your objectives? To increase attendee dialogue and interaction? Extend the duration of your event? Include more participation? Make operations more efficient? Once I understand the event’s objectives, I can recommend technology tools that can match these needs.

Sam: I was pleased with the quantity and quality of entrants. The big trend that I saw was the drive to “freemium” or simple low-cost solutions. This is great news for the industry because lower cost options will mean greater adoption. Sam and Ruud will hold the ses-

sion “Mission Possible”, moderated by Patrick Delaney, today at 13:00, Lecture Theatre