Successful Meetings - December 2008 - (Page 36)

Trade Show > Showing Off Report ing systems—just sellers, their products, and buyers. Today, trade shows are brought to life with all the latest technology and the industry is extensive. According to Tradeshow Week, there are approximately 4,500 trade shows per year in the U.S. with at least 5,000 net square feet of exhibit space. “Trade shows are early adopters of technology out of necessity,” says Bellingham, WA-based Corbin Ball, an international speaker, consultant, and writer on technology in meetings. “Their large size and emphasis on commerce have demanded automation and, therefore, trade shows have been among the first events to offer computerized registration, Web registration, lead retrieval, computerized signage, cyber cafes, self-check-in for registration, RFID tracking, product directories, handheld survey devices, and networking systems, just to name a few.” Technology has changed the world as we know it. The International Telecommunication Union reports that the number of worldwide mobile cellular subscribers is likely to reach the 4 billion mark before the end of the year. Increasingly, mobile phones, which are now multiuse devices that allow for Internet access and other services, are also being used for activities directly related to exhibitions, such as audience response, electronic lead retrieval, for accessing maps, and for instant messaging, text messaging, and mobile blogging. Creating a sense of community is paramount at today’s trade shows. It’s all about networking. To walk into a cavernous exhibition hall without knowing a single person can be daunting for some. But with today’s technology, attendees are being matched before the show, based on interests. “Today’s trade shows are increasingly becoming social shows, because of the power of connectivity and social networking. Think about the number of people who are part of some social network today. It’s no longer just the tweens, the teens; it’s all people,” says Toby Purdy, executive vice president of marketing for Dallas-based national event services provider Freeman. “For example, our matchmaking tool allows attendees to plan their connections with other attendees before they even arrive at the show. Face-to-face is live and vibrant, and tech solutions continue to improve the experience. Plus, people are keeping these connections throughout the year and not just for the threeor four-day event. These connectivity tools extend the life of the show as well as the brand throughout the year,” explains Purdy. The initial motivation for BDMetrics, a Baltimore-based developer of personalization technology, was helping trade show participants to network; enabling attendees to find each other and schedule time to talk. The relationships then extended to include attendee to exhibitor, attendee to products, attendee to articles, and attendee to social events. “The trade show industry is undergoing a massive and profitable transformation,” says Jack Chalden, BDMetrics’ vice president of industry relations. “The infusion of [personalization] technology has significantly empowered the impact of the timetested face-to-face business experience. It will serve event owners well in these challenging economic times, and it is changing the way corporate decision-makers view and value events.” Show Tech Here are a few of the many technology companies that target the trade show industry A2zInc offers event management and marketing software with appointment scheduling and matchmaking tools. (www.a2zinc.net) ence. BDMetrics also offers attendee relationship management solutions. (www.bdmetrics.com) ethnoMetrics is a consulting firm that measures and evaluates the performance of face-to-face marketing environments. (www.ethnometrics.com) AllianceTech offers a complete and integrated RFID solution to track attendee behavior and preferences at conferences. (www.alliancetech.com) Bartizan Connects offers lead- retrieval options including Expo! RealTimer, a handheld session-tracking, accesscontrol, and lead-retrieval terminal. (www.bartizan.com) BDMetrics recently introduced MyTrade ShowNewsTV, which uses Text2Video technology that transforms information like press releases and announcements into a compelling media experi- Exposoft Solutions provides conference registration, housing management, badges, meeting registration, hotel room block management, Web registration, online event registration, customized solutions, exhibit and booth management, abstract collection and management, session attendance management, accreditation tracking, RFID badging, online RSVP, ticketing, travel and flight tracking and management, customized reporting, run-time reports, on site registration, and one-on-one meeting scheduling. (www.exposoft.com) DECEMBER 2008 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS 36 successfulmeetings.com http://www.a2zinc.net http://www.bdmetrics.com http://www.a2zinc.net http://www.ethnometrics.com http://www.alliancetech.com http://www.ethnometrics.com http://www.alliancetech.com http://www.exposoft.com http://www.bartizan.com http://www.bartizan.com http://www.bdmetrics.com http://www.exposoft.com http://www.successfulmeetings.com

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Successful Meetings - December 2008 Contents Editor's Note Corporate Events On the Record Calendar Research Planner Spotlight Personal Success Technology Talk Food & Beverage Professional Development Quick Tip Tools of the Trade On Site: Retire Those Tired Power-Point Slides On Site: 12 Tips for Thriving on a South African Safari Deep Impact Recession-Friendly Speakers Showing Off Hawaii Insert Places & Spaces Mississippi Gulf Coast Fort Worth South Florida Beijing Gurus

Successful Meetings - December 2008

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