meetsmart is the mind-blowingly easy mobile conference guide.
Specifically designed by meeting planners, its understanding of Conference needs is astounding. It hits the mark by delivering exactly what all the meeting attendee and the host organization expects - AND the meetsmart concierge staff does all the work. No added workload for your staff.
Special offer - book meetsmart mobile by December 31 and receive a complimentary iPad2! Email Larry Wilhelm at larry@meetsmartmobile.com or call 410-849-2177 for details.
With so much new meeting technology being developed it can be hard to know what’s worth investing your time in, and what will simply be a flash in the pan.Our clients rely on us to keep them abreast of trends and technology, so our team works hard to keep our finger on the pulse of the meetings and convention industry.
Earlier this summer, Conference & Logistics Consultants conducted a survey of over 300 meeting planners to gauge our industry’s comfort level with new technologies.A key finding of the 2011 Meeting Technology Trends Survey was that 64 percent of meetings are already using a mobile app, or intend to add one this year.Another 16 percent intend to add one within three years.
If you’re not thinking about a mobile app for your meeting, you’re being left behind.Attendees are clamoring for instant access to information, and ways to personalize their conference experience. Mobile technology is an easy way to provide both.Mobile conference guides run the gamut from inexpensive web-based platforms ($9 – 15K) to high-end custom native apps ($25 – 100+K).
The survey also revealed a lot of other interesting information, which we will put out in a white paper later this fall.Stay tuned to the blog or subscribe to our RSS feed for future updates.
Next week, PCMA and the Virtual Edge Institute will release a new research report that takes a fresh look at the role of digital technology in the meetings industry.
Instead of the typical "virtual versus face-to-face" approach, this survey took a comparative approach, looking at how digital technologies can best be used within the framework of meeting environments. The survey asked: Why do people attend in-person and online events? What business goals are being achieved? How are attendees engaging within these environments?
Several points that I found interesting from a meeting planning perspective, which reinforce my opinion that virtual events just aren'tgoing to replace face-to-face events any time soon:
1) The networking just Isn't the same. Only 33% of people surveyed said they traded contact information with other attendees in a virtual meeting, versus 78% of people at a face-to-face meeting. That's a lot fewer connections being made.
2) Attendees pay less attention. Virtual meeting attendees are more likely to IM due to boredom, shop or surf the web, take a phone call, check email, and leave the meeting than face-to-face meeting attendees. Online attendees are easily distracted, which means your content and delivery has to be twice as engaging to deliver the same educational value.
3) You'll have to charge less. Only 25% of people surveyed said they would pay the same for a virtual event as an in-person event. That's 75% who expect virtual events to cost less. Pretty important stuff when it comes to evaluating revenue and expenses for your next event.
One of my recent conferences took a spin with a cool new social media service, called EventBurn.EventBurn is a social media aggregator, created for use at conferences and meetings, that’s designed to “summarize social media conversations.”
EventBurn makes social media more useful for conferences and events, by combining all the different content streams into a single feed.The web-based service “ automatically summarizes the top links, photos, and users, and creates a browsable long-term archive of the messages.”
Basically, EventBurn scours social media networks like Flikr, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for parameters that you define, sorts through all the clutter, and bubbles the most interesting content to the top. Through sophisticated algorithms, EventBurn returns only the most relevant information, and cuts out the clutter.Isn’t that refreshing?
EventBurn also provides all sorts of interesting statistics about your users, to help you learn from your event.Here’s just a sampling of the data that EventBurn can provide:
·top users, photos, and networks used
·most shared links and most reshared messages
·most popular hashtags
·number of messages, links, photos, users
·usage statistics such as time and frequency of use
Specifically created for face-to-date events, “EventBurn makes it easier for event attendees, remote followers, reporters, and others to learn about emerging topics of conversation, find people to connect with, and follow the buzz quickly and easily.”
If you’re already running a Twitterfall or some other social media aggregator at your conference, EventBurn is a great next step.
One of our high-tech clients just finished their annual conference in Vancouver.This group the is perfect training ground for new meeting technologies, because the delegates are inquisitive early adopters, game to try anything once.This year, our social experiment was Poken: your social business card.
Pokens are small USB drives (AKA thumb drives, jump drives, memory sticks, etc.) that contain your contact information.Users plug them into their computers to create a Poken profile, which can also include any other social media information you might want to add, such as links to your Facebook page, twitter handle, etc.
The Poken devices can be customized with your conference logo, or you can select from several dozen stock Poken designs, which run the gamut from funky to fierce.
Poken has a little hand-shaped end that you can “high five” with other Poken users to swap information. When two Pokens are touched together, they light up so users know that their information has been shared.I was a bit apprehensive that Poken would catch on, but during our six-day conference, we had:
17,337 - Poken interactions
1,409 - Linked Pokens
3,366 - User logins
Though the numbers speak for themselves, my very favorite review of Poken came via the conference’s twitter stream: “Poken is the saviour for drunk research-related conversations I otherwise wouldn't remember in the morning.”So, Pokens are also good for jogging fuzzy memories.
Coming soon on the Poken front: Poken tagging using your iphone and other smart phones.Though the Pokens themselves are pretty nifty, that’s awesome too!
meetsmart mobile and Meeting Professional International Southern California Chapter (MPISCC) implemented the new mobile app at the MPISCC 30th Annual Conference. By offering the app at the Conference, MPISCC gave their members:
- A smart, easy-to-use first mobile experience - A great way to put Meeting information into delegates hands quickly & easily - Generated new communication & increased professional interaction
meetsmart mobile received great reviews and MPISCC derived excellent benefits. Read the article here: http://engage365.org/2011/04/mpiscc-meetsmart-mobile-a-conference-navigation-app-success-story/
meetsmart mobile is the only event navigation app designed by meeting planners. Attendees get a powerful information tool and associations receive the benefits of a very affordable revenue-generating tool which keeps them on the cutting edge of technology.
We are excited about the continued efforts across our industry to reduce the environmental impact of meetings and conventions. Our team often works with clients to incorporate common-sense green initiatives that also save money, such as using local suppliers to reduce shipping cost, custom-building menus to take advantage of local and seasonal ingredients, and managing power usage.
Small changes are important, but their impact is gradual. One big step that organizations can take to reduce their carbon footprint as well as boost the budget is to add technologies that reduce or eliminate the need for printed materials. Online registration virtually eliminates faxes, as well as reduces staff time and stress. E-marketing has become easier and more affordable – as well as more effective! – than expensive postcards and printed advance programs. And e-posters allow content to be captures and shared beyond the boundaries of time and space.
Replacing a printed conference program with a mobile app can easily save an annual meeting thousands of dollars in printing costs alone. In fact, one of our team members saved an association nearly $50,000 in printing and shipping costs by transitioning their meeting to a paperless format. By contrast, mobile apps start at just $5,000!
A comprehensive mobile app reduces or eliminates the need for printed materials of many kinds, including: * Conference program books * Exhibit hall maps * Exhibitor guides * Speaker biographies and session descriptions * Onsite errata sheets to alert attendees about changes and last-minute additions
The C&LC team is proud that our meetsmart mobile conference navigation app is being used to support green initiatives. For additional ideas on greening your meeting, visit meetsmartmobile.com.
If you have a smartphone, you’re probably familiar with mobile apps that save you time, simplify mundane tasks, or just entertain you with movies or games. We rely on our phones for much more than just talking or texting.
In the last year, mobile apps have also emerged as an innovative method of both generating revenue and reducing costs for meetings and conventions. In fact, a leading meeting industry publication has dubbed 2011 the Year of the Mobile App. Savvy organizations are realizing that mobile apps return a great deal of value for a relatively small investment.
The question we often hear from our clients is, How can we maximize our investment in meeting technology? Mobile apps are extremely attractive to conference sponsors, who realize that conference delegates spend countless hours on their smartphones – both during conference sessions, as well as in their free time.
Technology sponsorships offer much richer delegate engagement than traditional sponsorship opportunities. A mobile app used throughout the conference draws hundreds of page views, while single-use items like food & beverage or disposable giveaways are quickly forgotten.
Sponsors are willing to invest $10K - $25K or more to get their logo and message in the place that attendees are already looking. A single sponsorship pays for the app several times over – bringing in additional revenue well beyond the initial investment. Additional sponsorships and ads can also be sold to produce even more profit. Small investment, big return!
The recent article in Meeting & Conventions Magazine talks about "cloud computing". The word 'cloud' has been coined to describe using Software as a Service or SaaS. SaaS means using software applications over the Internet through your browser rather than purchasing and loading software onto your computer. This is the future of sharing information and technology. No longer are we constrained by specific hardware or operating systems. Information in the 'cloud' is available 24/7 and 365 days a year. It is accessible from any type of computer, on all mobile devices and it is accessible from anywhere.
Meetings & Conventions calls this change a "dynamic shift" in mindset. The major software developers are moving their software solutions to the 'cloud'. Companies are storing their information outside of their offices because the it is available with ease and real-time sharing of the data is more efficient than ever.
No wonder that Conference & Logistics Consultants chose to build its new mobile conference navigation app, meetsmart mobile 'in the cloud'. Every conference organizer wants to know that their meeting data can be accessed easily and won't be disrupted by programming or platform issues. Conference organizers work every day to avoid surprises. What planner would want to have their conference navigation app derailed by a phone manufacturer upgrade right before their event?
"Cloud computing" is the way of the future. Manage your costs, keep control of your data, minimize software issues and put your information into all the hands of your audience. meetsmart mobile: Meeting Technology by Meeting Planners.
A few weeks ago, I blogged about harnessing geolocation technology (specifically Foursquare) for your meeting. As usual, technology is changing at such a fast pace that a newer and more useful tool is already available.
I’m learning more and more about SCVNGR, a game about doing challenges at places. SCVNGR’s website describes the platform as part game, part gaming platform. At the time of this blog entry, SCVNGR has native apps for the iPhone and Android as well as SMS (text) capability that allows players with other phones to join in the fun.
At heart, SCVNGR is similar to Foursquare in the fact that you use your mobile phone’s GPS to identify your location, and see what else is nearby. But the SCVNGR developers have added a new dimension to the basic check-in, allowing players to create challenges for one another and awarding points for complexity.
There are one-location challenges, where players do something at a specific location for points. There are also points for multi-location challenges, called Treks, where players go from place to place in a predetermined route to unlock a prize. Treks can be performed in a specific order (set by the organizer) or by closest location. Talk about the perfect incentive for your attendees to explore the local area or map their way through your exhibit hall!
A grown-up SCVNGR hunt is a great way to get your attendees out of the meeting room and interacting with the world around them. Why not encourage teams to participate? I could even foresee revenue opportunities in an official meeting trek, when local businesses are sold the opportunity to be added to the route.
I can’t wait to add a SCVNGR hunt for my next conference!
There was very interesting and valuable information collected by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) Affordable Meetings National Pre-Show Survey.
"According to the conference’s survey, respondents feel technology is most helpful in the planning industry for online registrations, social networking, eRFPs, e-mail blasts, marketing, blogs, conducting virtual meetings and utilizing e-commerce through online stores. Respondents suggested that technology saves time and enhances organization, while at the same time streamlines business processes, more accurately capturing or manipulating information and allowing a database of legacy data to be built. It also allows a wider audience to be reached, they said."
Technology touches our lives more and more every day. It can be overwhelming sometimes, but when approached with some guidance it is so surprising how the benefits far outweigh the initial reaction of hesitancy or stress.
Our team at Conference & Logistics Consultants team is helping more and more clients everyday find a friend in technology. Take a minute and visit our "Tech without the Trauma" information: http://www.gomeeting.com/tech/
Last week, I blogged about the basics of FourSquare. If you read that post you may be thinking that FourSquare sounds fun but wonder what application it really has for the conventions industry.
And really, I must admit that when I first started using the program, I thought "This has no value for my life." But as my friends and I started using it, it became entertaining to jockey for mayorships and badges, and it's really fun to get notifications about where my friends are hanging out so I can decide whether to join them.
Though its roots are in social networking, I think there is a real place for FourSquare at a convention and specifically on the tradeshow floor. Show managers could pre-populate the meeting facility with points of interest such as the internet café, association booth, bookstore and/or stage area. Exhibitors could create a FourSquare record for their booth, and advertise a special just for FourSquare users. Individual users could add tips about a specific location, telling other attendees what's cool there and who they enjoyed speaking with. And the possibility of badges is endless – what about badges for visiting 10, 25 or 50 exhibit booths or for checking in at specific locations?
There are, of course, technical considerations; the area must have decent cell phone density from a variety of carriers or wireless internet coverage. This may be a problem in some meeting facilities, especially if the meeting rooms or exhibit hall are underground. Pay special attention to cell phone coverage on your site visit if you are considering using any sort of GPS navigation platform.
It’s a brave new world out there in meeting technology. FourSqure is free – why not give it a try for your next meeting?
One of the biggest issues challenging convention planners and exhibitors is how to drive more traffic to the exhibit show floor. Though the technology is far from perfect, using a geolocation platform like FourSquare inside the exhibit hall is intriguing.
Let's start with the basics before we go too far. Wikipedia defines geolocation as "the identification of the real-world geographic location of an object, such as a cell phone or an Internet-connected computer terminal." In other words, geolocation is the process of using the cell phone network to tell you where you are physically located. This is exactly the process that the GPS in your car uses before it provides you with directions.
Most cell phones -- even those that are not smartphones -- have GPS location chips to identify the user's location in case of an emergency. Geolocation capability is used in smartphones for Google Maps and other find-it types of applications.
Beyond the basic "Where Am I?" questions, geolocation can also be used to play games. FourSquare is a geolocation application that uses your phone's GPS to identify your physical location relative to points of interest nearby, such as restaurants, stores, and other people.
FourSquare is a competitive game: you get points each time you check in at a location, and compete against your friends to see who can rack up the most points each week. You can even become the Mayor of a location (complete with a digital crown!) if you check in there more than anyone else. Users get notifications if their friends check in within the same city, which is handy when you're all in town at the same convention.
FourSquare users can also earn Badges -- just like Girl Scout merit badges from your childhood! -- for completing certain tasks, such as checking in at landmarks or checking in with lots of other people. Badges range from mundane to wacky, and the collection is growing.
Dozens of brands, such as Starbucks, Zagat, and TLC, use badges to generate interest in their products and drive users to visit certain locations. Businesses can advertise specials on FourSquare, which are secret offers just for FourSqure users. Starbucks, for example, offers Mayors $1 off any drink. It's a super secret club, and all you have to do to join is log in and start playing.
Coming next week – how to use FourSquare at your convention to generate interest, advertise promotions and giveaways, and bring more attendees to your location.
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