by levi_hb | Jun 8, 2018 | Technology, Uncategorized
Most people interested in technology have at least a passing familiarity with the concept of facial recognition software, especially since the latest iteration of the iPhone has added a form of this technology as a means of bio metric protection. However, the uses for this advancement have gone far beyond simply unlocking phones for users.
Car manufacturers are experimenting with this technology for unlocking and even starting vehicles. It is also being used by law enforcement agencies for purposes such as security, identifying and tracking criminals, preventing voter fraud, and more. Facial recognition software is being tested and used by banks, casinos, hotels, bars and restaurants, social media outlets (for tagging), and even dating apps (to match people based on similar facial characteristics).
Anyone planning meetings or working in event management should know that there are also applications for facial recognition software that fall within their wheelhouse. This technology can increase convenience for event attendees and allow the host or event company to improve security and measure the attendee experience throughout the event.
If you didn’t know all of this was possible, it’s time to learn how you can employ facial recognition software to your benefit at upcoming events. A good place to start is by partnering with a renowned meeting services and event company like American Meetings, Inc. (AMI) that can help to connect you to the right technologies for your event needs. Here are just a few of the incredible ways this particular technology can enhance and improve your meetings and events.
First, you have to choose an appropriate destination, one that offers the exciting and adventurous vibe vacationers expect. From there you can find ways to work the destination into the theme of your event to make every aspect of the affair unified and add the vacation aesthetic to what would otherwise be just another industry event.
Streamline On-Site Event Management
The main benefit of facial recognition software to date is the ability to use it as a means of identification. For the purposes of event management, this can mean streamlining all kinds of common headaches and adding speed and convenience for attendees. This is especially true when it comes to traditionally lengthy processes like registration, check-in, and lines for activities at events.
The trick is finding the right facial recognition software, one that can improve processes without putting event attendees at risk. The ever-present threat of identity theft makes it imperative to protect any sensitive data provided by guests, and some software solutions have safeguards in place to negate this potential.
For example, some software has features that encrypt data gathered from images and then delete the actual images after relevant facial geometry has been captured. This way, event attendees can feel safe providing a photo online during the registration process.
At the event, check-in can run a lot more smoothly with the use of smartphones, tablets, or other mobile devices that scan faces, quickly access information, and automatically print out badges on connected hardware, ensuring a much quicker process than checking paper or digital lists and trying to verify identities manually.
According to Tarique Stanley, Director of Technology at AMI, “An event company might reasonably expect to spend a minute or more checking in each event attendee by traditional methods, and that’s if everything goes smoothly. With facial recognition software, the time to scan and check-in an attendee could be cut down to as little as about a second.”
Improve Security
Facial recognition software today is incredibly sophisticated and reliable. It is generally estimated to be about 99% accurate, delivering very few false positives. This can help to tighten event security by making it nearly impossible for anyone not registered for the event to fake their way through check-in or sneak past attendants checking identification and matching up faces with IDs, for example.
Go Interactive
There is no shortage of ways to get creative when it comes to implementing new technologies at events, and facial recognition software is no exception. It can be used in a variety of ways interactively. For example, some software can recognize facial expressions like smiles and frowns.
Some companies have used this to set up kiosks around events that supply prizes to event attendees that smile at the camera. Your event management company can help you come up with clever ways to capitalize on the technologies at your disposal.
Improve Event Company Response to Attendee Experience
When you know that facial recognition software can be used to identify facial expressions, it should come as no surprise that it is also being used to track emotions. This means you could place cameras throughout your events to track attendees and determine whether they’re having a good experience or not. This gives you the opportunity to follow up with attendees exhibiting negative responses, or alternately reward those with positive responses or behaviors.
It’s a lot to wrap your head around, but with assistance from the experts at a reputable event management organization like AMI, you can determine the best ways to use facial recognition software and other technologies to your advantage at upcoming events.
by levi_hb | Apr 3, 2018 | Technology, Tools
Tracking data online has been made easy by the use of metrics and tools like tracking pixels, but many companies despair of getting similar results in real-world settings. After all, how do you track a real-world sales funnel unless a customer provides you with data by filling out a survey, for example? In this era of nearly unfettered technological advances, there is a solution for event hosts that want to act as a fly on the wall, so to speak, and follow attendees during their time at the event: session tracking.
Much like online metrics allow you to follow customers from the moment they click through an ad to your website so you can measure time spent on site, pages visited, bounce rates, purchase activity, return visits, and more, you can use session tracking technologies to see where event attendees go and what they do, to an extent, during your event. This is made possible by radio frequency identification (RFID) technology being embedded in every badge issued for your event.
When guests check-in and receive their badges, they’ll have to wear them to gain entry to the event venue, as well as activities like exhibit halls, panels, receptions, and so on. This provides you with the opportunity to track their movements in real-time, seeing which guests show up for sessions and social events, how long they stay, where they go in an exhibit hall (i.e. which booths they visit), and so on.
From an event management standpoint, this provides an incredible amount of useful data. At the very least, it’s a quick and easy way to track and report attendance for continuing education credits. Of course, you’ll also have plenty of data for later analysis and insight into what appealed most to attendees.
Working with an event company like American Meetings, Inc. (AMI), you can not only gain access to the technologies needed to track attendees, but also the strategies to use them to your best advantage, as well as opportunities for follow-up. How can the information you gather help to improve your future events? Here are a few reasons why session tracking is so important to event planning.
Understand and Adjust Your Audience With Session Tracking
For any meeting or event, you have a target demographic (or several) in mind. Are they the right audience? Is your content having an impact on them? Or is your failure to meet goals the result of choosing the wrong audience or approaching them in the wrong way?
The data you collect via session tracking can help to give you a more complete understanding of attendees, their preferences, and their action, especially when paired with data gathered during registration and in follow-up measures like surveys and polls. It may turn out that attendees simply aren’t the right audience, in which case you and your event company can work on a strategy to target more suitable guests in the future.
Use Session Tracking to Gauge the Value and Effectiveness of Content
For any event, entertainment and activities are often the biggest draws, and they comprise the most important part of your event management strategy. Without content, attendees have no reason to be there, after all.
If you’ve done everything possible to get the right people to attend your event and your efforts are still falling flat, the problem could be that your content is lackluster. Session tracking can help you to determine which content is hitting home with an audience and which is failing to engage. Whether attendees leave a session early en masse or they linger long after to discuss the content with speakers and fellow guests, you’ll gain insight into the effectiveness and value of specific content.
Determine Event Management Priorities With Session Tracking
Tracking where event attendees go can give you all kinds of information about what you and your event planning partner need to work on for future events. You can pinpoint disconnects with content, find out if certain exhibit booths or activities get considerably more or less attention, and determine if greater security is needed, just for example.
Says VP, Account Management at AMI, Chelsea Litos, “The beauty of session tracking is how much data it can provide as attendees move through your event. Knowing how to interpret and use that data can help you to address problem areas and tweak strategies for ever-greater successes at future events.”
Work with Your Event Company to Evaluate Overall Success
When it comes to event management, session tracking may be an afterthought, with all the other balls you’re juggling. However, if you want to accomplish goals, the data gathered through session tracking is indispensable. When you partner with an expert event company like AMI, you’ll have the tools and experience to implement tracking methods and ultimately evaluate the overall success of every event.
by levi_hb | Feb 22, 2018 | Technology, Tools
The right event management software is almost as invaluable as working with a reputable meeting services organization.Fort Lauderdale
Event management and planning is a complex and multifaceted process that requires unique technology for organization and efficiency. In addition to managing basics like scheduling and guest lists, software can be used for marketing and promotional efforts, recruitment, media for events, registration, follow-ups, and maintaining contacts, including vendors and event management staff, among other tasks.
In other words, the right event management software is almost as invaluable as working with a reputable meeting services organization like American Meetings, Inc. That said, many business owners, event organizers, and other business professionals involved in planning events are not software experts. Even with some idea of the tasks involved, you might not have the first idea of what to look for in software suitable for planning, managing, and executing successful events. Here are just a few things you’ll want to look for when it comes to suitable event management software.
Budgetary Concerns
The bottom line is often the first concern, and while you certainly want the best software solutions for your particular needs, you still need to work within your given budget when making a purchase, or at least be able to justify the additional expense. Keep in mind that there could be further or ongoing costs associated with the software you choose, in addition to the up-front price tag.
Make sure you understand any costs for professional training for employees, potential costs for integration with existing software or systems, fees for usage or adding users, and costs for necessary upgrades, just for example. You should also consider whether or not paying more for certain software or features now could save you money down the line by increasing efficiency, improving recruitment opportunities, decreasing dependence on outside vendors like marketing and promotional agencies, and so on. Knowing overall costs is an important part of selecting the right event company software to manage your meetings and events.
All-Inclusive Event Management Functionality
What exactly do you need your event management software to do for you? There are a lot of programs on the market offering a wide variety of features where event management is concerned. You only want to pay for the functionality you need, so it pays to consider use value.
For example, you may need a program that provides you with options for scheduling, guest lists, invitations, registration, follow-up, and so on, but you may already have software designed for marketing your event and managing logistics like venues and vendors. You may rely on an experienced event company like AMI to manage certain aspects of your meetings or events, in which case you might not need to shell out the dough for related software. Your specific needs will determine the functionality of the software you ultimately choose.
Integration
If you’ve been in business for long, you know that integration is a key consideration with any new software implementation. If your team is already comfortable working with certain software solutions related to event management, you’ll want to make sure you choose new software that is compatible so you can seamlessly integrate new and old programs and hit the ground running.
In some cases, you’ll find that software providers you already use have options for event management software that will meet your needs, practically guaranteeing easy integration. You might also consider upgrading to software that replaces disparate programs with a complete system for event management.
Ongoing Support
“Support is a critical element of event management software that is often overlooked,” says Chelsea Litos, VP Account Management for AMI. “If you want to get the most out of your product, ongoing support can make a big difference, and you need to know what your software provider offers.” Many companies will provide training resources, often through online videos, but in-person training sessions with an expert member of the team might cost you.
It’s important to ask about ongoing support for training, troubleshooting, and emergency situations, at the very least. You might also want to find out a software provider’s policies on updates, bug fixes, and support for the current iteration of their software, as well as information on anticipated upgrades.
Event Company Approval
Consulting with your event company before choosing new software is a smart move, especially if they manage some or all of the technical details of your events, from guest lists and online registration to logistics and follow-up surveys, just for example. Your partner in event management may be uniquely qualified to help you find appropriate software for your needs.
When you work with a company like AMI, you not only gain access to technology, logistics, and strategic planning and event management services, but you also get a partner that can help you to choose the best software solutions for your meeting and event planning needs.
by levi_hb | Feb 7, 2018 | Technology
There was a lot of hype over Google Glass when the interactive wearable was unveiled a few years ago, and yet, you probably haven’t heard much about it since. Not only was it supposed to spread through the consumer world like wildfire, but the potential for use in industries ranging from marketing and education to hospitality and event management for Meeting Planners was a source of some excitement.
What happened to this high-profile experiment that initially won such praise? Unfortunately, it may have simply been ahead of its time, and in the rush to launch, Google seemingly overlooked several glaring flaws. The good news for the average Meeting Planners, educators, or marketing professionals, is that there is a new option on the market.
How Did Google Glass Fail Event Managers?
The laundry list of complaints about the failures of Google Glass to live up to expectations began with buggy software, which is bad enough from the standpoint of a professional Meeting Planners or someone using the technology to enhance the event experience. However, the conversation quickly turned to privacy concerns at every level.
There were reports of usage being monitored and private conversations being recorded. Then there were health concerns about the constant proximity of Wi-fi signals near the head, as well as safety concerns like visibility and focus while driving. Even worse, the “explorer” program made users feel like little more than unpaid beta testers.
Event management professionals utilizing the product initially gushed over options like voice commands, hands-free functionality, social connectivity, tracking and crowdsourcing data like video feeds, not to mention options like geofencing or site planning that could be extremely useful to Meeting Planners or anyone managing live meetings and events. Unfortunately, the many problems inherent to Google Glass prevented the product from delivering on lofty expectations.
Benefits of Vuzix for the Average Meeting Planners
While Google Glass serves as a cautionary tale, the onward march of technology can’t be stopped. Stepping up to bat is Vuzix, offering the world’s first augmented reality smart sunglasses dubbed “Blade”. Perhaps they earned the name because they look so sharp? Regardless, it’s what the glasses can do that’s really earned the interest of event management professionals.
These glasses do a lot more than block UV rays – the patented waveguide optics technology allows for hands-free mobile computing and connectivity with a heads-up display that connects directly to smartphone functionality. Users will also enjoy an 8MP HD camera, Cobra display engines, USB and Bluetooth audio, built-in microphones, and a simple swipe/tap interface at the temple.
Third-party app integration through the open platform means practically unlimited potential for targeted applications. With access to maps, messaging, connected devices, and more, these smart sunglasses are a virtual command center you wear on your face. When provided to meeting or event attendees, they can offer untold opportunities for interaction and engagement.
According to the CEO of American Meetings, Inc., “the Vuzix Blade technology has the potential to succeed where Google Glass failed so spectacularly”. Says Andy McNeill,
“Vuzix is a strategist’s dream tool. Planning and executing meetings and events is a detail-oriented undertaking, and the convenience and versatility provided by this product can help to personalize a meeting or even allow for unique gamification opportunities.”
Smart devices like Vuzix are on the radar of forward-thinking companies like AMI that are always looking for the best ways to create strategic advantages and offer innovative solutions for clients. A partnership with AMI means those planning or managing meetings will always have the technology and services needed to plan and execute the best possible event.
by levi_hb | Jan 30, 2018 | Technology
A Meeting Planner Can Utilize Alexa as a Digital Assistant at Your Hospitality Desk
Alexa is ostensibly a consumer convenience, allowing homeowners to access and manage their many smart devices with no more than a voice command, as well as providing access to data without having to tap, swipe, or even hold a smartphone or tablet. Alexa is a virtual assistant for the masses that turns any home into a smart one. Let’s take a look at how your meeting planner can use this electronic helper to increase the value of your hospitality desk at your next meeting.
This smart connected device has applications for businesses, as well, especially those looking to streamline their many meetings and events. Any meeting planner or convention planner can find clever ways to implement Alexa’s particular toolbox during strategic planning and implementation. However, those in the trenches at events, from the conference organizer to the person manning the registration desk, will find nearly endless applications for this handy helper.
American Meetings, Inc. (AMI) CEO Andy McNeill says,
“Alexa offers exciting possibilities for events like meetings, conferences, and conventions. This interactive technology delivers instant information and voice connectivity that makes it easier to meet the needs of attendees and ensure a positive experience.”
How can you, a meeting planner, utilize Alexa at your registration or hospitality desk during meetings and events? Here are a few simple tips to put you on the right path.
1. Add ambient music to please any convention planner or event attendee
Waiting in line to check-in for a convention or trying to get needed information can be a stressful and annoying process for event attendees. Asking Alexa to provide your registration or hospitality desk with suitably soothing ambient music can create a relaxing atmosphere that will help relax guests, provide a positive experience, and create a comfortable atmosphere.
2. Schedule Ubers
Many events happen off-site or even in other cities. Some involve alcoholic beverages. Regardless, it’s not a bad idea to make sure you facilitate safe ride options for event attendees. In this regard, Alexa is a boom for any meeting planner, convention planner, meeting coordinator, or registration desk attendant.
Alexa can be used to quickly and easily call Ubers for guests that need rides home or that wish to explore the surrounding environs where a conference is taking place. Certainly, guests can manage this for themselves (if they happen to use Uber), but by providing this perk you can add convenience and ensure safe transport for guests that need it.
3. Determine drive time to and from event locations
Whether you’re transporting event attendees to additional locations, sending town cars to ferry guests to and from the airport/area hotels, or assisting guests who are responsible for their own transportation, Alexa can provide pertinent information on routes and drive times in real-time. This can help to control expectations, ease transitions, and add a level of convenience that guests appreciate.
4. Check attendee flight status
Whether you’re waiting for keynote speakers to check in with the conference organizer or guests are outbound and interested in finding out if their flights have been delayed before they leave for the airport, Alexa once again has the task well in hand. Voice commands expedite the process of checking flight status for guests, who may or may not have needed apps, or who might be dealing with common issues like limited phone charge or spotty Wi-Fi service, for example.
5. Concierge service from a caring conference organizer convention planner can do a lot to set up needed tools at events, but the employees manning the registration or hospitality desk are the ones tasked with helping guests while an event is underway. Alexa can deliver all the information a concierge might normally provide.
6. Three other ways to use Alexa® for your on-site staff
- It can be used to offer suggestions for stellar area restaurants
- Book reservations for dining or shows
- Provide details about anticipated weather patterns
Meeting planners, meeting champions, and event organizers should consider it a digital assistant that has access to any information you might need to provide for meeting or event attendees at a moment’s notice.
Implementing a plan that includes Alexa for quick assistance is a great way to incorporate versatile technology and use it to optimal benefit.
Working with a reputable and experienced partner in event coordination like American Meetings, Inc. (AMI) can deliver not only the technologies needed to add value and convenience to your event but also innovative strategies about how to use them to your best advantage. With AMI in your corner, you’ll impress guests and host a successful and memorable event every time.
by levi_hb | Jan 18, 2018 | Technology
Meeting Planner Loading a Delivery Into a Smart RobotFort Lauderdale
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas recently wrapped its annual exhibition, which this year included over 4,000 exhibitors, 1,200 speakers, and 184,000 attendees. The show, put on each year by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), first launched in 1967, over 50 years ago, as a way to introduce new consumer electronics innovations and products to the public. It’s come a long way over the last five decades, and the exhibit this year proved that robots and smart technologies are the waves of the future.
Not only did the show feature a host of smart technologies, including AI designed to manage the inventory of your fridge, create ideal sleep conditions to alleviate snoring, and of course, allow greater control over your multimedia options with voice commands, but the move toward smart technology extended beyond the show. At least one area hotel interested in enhanced event management debuted relay robots to improve attendee experience during their stay for CES.
Robots in the Ranks
During CES 2018, the Las Vegas Renaissance Hotel unveiled Elvis and Priscilla, two of many relay robots created by tech company Savioke. These robots have applications in hospitals, logistics, and more, but they really shine within the service and hospitality industries.
As they cruise the corridors of the hotel, they can call elevators, check for Wi-Fi outages, pick up trays and other items left in hallways, and even be tasked with room deliveries, managing basic guest needs while allowing staff members to attend to more important tasks. “We are always looking for the latest innovative technologies to bring in to our meetings. We believe the use of these automated robots has real-life applications at meetings from registering attendees at the hospitality desk to dropping nightly gifts off at attendees room. There a lots of ways they can be utilized in meeting planning”, says Andy McNeill, CEO of American Meetings, Inc., a global leader in the meetings industry. ”Robots won’t be replacing the meeting planner anytime soon, and they certainly can’t compete when it comes to personal interactions, but they can perform menial tasks that can let the on-site team focus on a better attendee experience.”
Is a hotel employee really going to wander the hallways checking the Wi-Fi signal? In most cases, hotel staff won’t know there’s a problem until guests call in. Having the relay robots on staff means such issues can be identified and addressed before guests even realize there’s a problem, significantly improving the customer experience in the process.
Future Applications in Event Management for the Average Meeting Planner
Robotics and smart technologies are advancing in leaps and bounds and there are applications in every industry, from home goods and hospitality, to event management. It’s important to understand not only the technologies that could make your job easier and improve the experience for event attendees but also the companies that can properly coordinate technologies and associated logistics for your benefit.
Consider, for example, how Savioke’s relay robots could be used from an event management perspective. Event coordinators could task them with checking Wi-Fi connectivity or making deliveries, just as in hotels. These robots are far from the only option emerging to help the average meeting planner improve attendee experience at events.
What you need is a partner in event management that can help you to find and implement the right technologies for your needs. With a reputable company like American Meetings, Inc. on your side, you’ll gain a trusted partner to coordinate strategic planning, technologies and services, and logistics for everything from meetings to conventions. When you want to implement the latest technologies for unique and innovative events, AMI is at the ready.
