Successful Meetings - October 2008 - (Page 33) > Technology for Modern Meetings Conference Centers TX, agrees. “There’s a huge demand for bandwidth in the room,” which conference centers are well equipped to address. “If you put 30 people in a room and they all want wireless connections, you have to have robust connectivity.” He also finds that the objection to laptops in meetings is diminishing—“There’s a lot less focus on producing paperwork and more movement towards green,” he says. “At many meetings I see today, as people walk in, they get a USB jump drive with all the materials.” Terry is also seeing changes in audiovisual technology. “At our newer conference centers, like The Heldrich Conference Center in New Brunswick, NJ, “We’re interested in Hi-Def wireless connectivity depending on the size of the room, there’s a big plasfrom your laptop to the permanent large screen; ma TV in lieu of LCD projectors. People find it easier and we’re looking at putting in 60- to 70-inch and more convenient; you don’t have to turn out the lights, for example.” screens built in to meeting rooms.” Steve Giblin, president and COO of Dolce Hotels & —Steve Giblin, Dolce Hotels & Resorts Resorts, in Montvale, NJ, says, “We’re interested in HiDef wireless connectivity from your laptop to the permanent large screen; and we’re looking at putting in top. At our recently renovated property in Basking Ridge (NJ), 60- to 70-inch screens built in to the meeting rooms.” we have free wireless throughout the building, so you can be Of course, conference centers are still prepared to deal with sitting at the lounge and have a glass of wine with your laptop,” presenters who arrive with old-technology needs, like slide or says Dolce’s Giblin. And in terms of cellular access, “There are overhead and opaque projectors. And “high touch” service can boosters throughout the building, so no matter what your be as important as high tech. provider is, people can connect at all times.” “Planners are looking for support and help. For example, we Such services aren’t just for the meeting rooms. With the can assist clients in the production of their events, with old tech, ergonomic furniture, real desks, and high-speed wired/wireless like sound and lights. We can shoot video, offer editing servicaccess conference centers offer, “You could set up a remote es on the fly, and at the end of the three days, produce a highoffice in your guest room,” says Pompan. lights—or lowlights—video,” says Terry. Conference centers are also moving to support the growing THE WIRELESS MEETING Conference centers are catering to the all-you-can-eat wireless access planners and delegates expect. “In meeting rooms now, everyone wants to look at the same PowerPoint on every lap- “LCD projectors and screens, WiFi, built-in sound centers—conference centers have all the AV built in, because they’re built for the meetings [market], while hotels are designed to be as flexible as possible.” —George Odom, Advito meetings trend of “blended learning,” where traditional-format classroom learning blends with online instruction. “We’re seeing a lot more WebEx and videoconferencing going on, so people attend and participate in real time,” says Pompan. Most conference centers are offering flexible, portable systems rather than room-based solutions, like Cisco’s $350,000 TelePresence. “We have teams of people on property helping facilitate that process, to operate the camera equipment or whatever needs to be done,” says Terry. To provide peace of mind for the securityminded, Giblin says the IT staffs at Dolce conference centers “can also set up virtual private networks (VPNs), temporarily while you’re at the property.” Based on secure socket layer (SSL) technology and sturdy firewalls, Giblin says even federal agencies SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS OCTOBER 2008 successfulmeetings.com 33 http://www.successfulmeetings.com
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