Emerging Technology for Meetings - Part 3

Much has been written about event technology. So much, in fact, that it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the bright and shiny objects vying for your attention. Lost in all this is which technologies make the most sense for your meeting or event. 

This is the third in a series of four articles, the A-Z guide, that strives to help you understand the benefits of twenty-two different emerging event technologies and whether you should pay attention to them now or whether you can wait awhile until they’re ready for prime time. 

This list was compiled from reviewing hundreds of articles and blog posts in industry publications and through dozens of interviews with leading event tech thought leaders.
Cost Key: $ (hundreds) $$ (thousands) $$$ (tens of thousands) $$$$ (hundreds of thousands)

Holographic Telepresence: Defined as full-motion, 3D video conferencing with real-time audio. Among the most common applications: engagement, learning, gaming, telemedicine, enhanced movie and TV programming.

What you need to know: I consider this a novelty technology; cool, but not that essential. $$$

Useful Link: 
www.vntana.com

Hybrid Meetings: Combines face-to-face events with virtual access for remote participants. Well-known features and benefits, but still in a growth cycle. The technology is also getting easier to use and costs are coming down. Adopted by most major events. Among the most common applications: engagement, education, networking, gamification. Practically unlimited applications. 

What you need to know: Adopt it strategically. Choose your partners carefully. $$$ 

Live Streaming: Defined as online streaming media recorded/broadcast real-time. Streaming events expected to double in 2018. People spend 8x more time watching live vs. recorded video. Among the most common applications: live music, sports, cultural events. Practically unlimited applications.

What you need to know: Adopt it strategically. Choose your partners carefully. $$$

Useful Link: 
www.statista.com/chart/8057/live-video-streaming/

Mixed Reality (aka: Hybrid Reality): Combines VR/AR for a richer experience. Digital content interacting with the real world. Barriers: Consumer adoption and content creation/curation (a whole new medium). Headsets are also running $700-$900 at the moment. Among the most common applications: engagement, simulation-based learning, networking, gamification. 

What you need to know: Still 3-5 years away. Again, the consumer market will lead and our industry will follow. Start with the most practical applications. $$$

Useful Link: 
www.eventforte.com

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): Integrates a wide range of software systems using API’s. There are consortiums of newer cloud-based event technology companies are working together to share data and work as one. Benefits: Work seamlessly across   systems, create customize ‘Best-in-Class’ solutions. Practically unlimited applications. 

What you need to know: Still 3-5 years away. Could mean, “The End of the App”. 
$$$ 

Robotics: Design, construction, operation, and use of robots, as well as computer systems for their control. Among the most common applications: engagement (virtual attendees, speakers, site visits, etc.), concierge service, hotel delivery service. 

What you need to know: Simple robots are here. More sophisticated robots are still 5-10 years away. $$$

Useful Links: 
www.suitabletech.com
www.savioke.com

Social Media: At first, we saw widespread adoption of social media platforms. 
In years past, you could find links to nearly every platform out there. Remember 4-Square? Lately, we’ve seemed to settle in to a few key platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn (with Instagram a distant 4th). There are some slight variations in adoption depending on whether we’re talking about before, during, or after an event but Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are overwhelmingly favored. However, the important thing to keep in mind when it comes to social media isn’t the technology. It’s strategy. There’s a saying about social media, “It’s all about the conversation.” If you look across social media platforms for our industry’s most popular events, you’ll see a real lack of conversation. It’s mostly a monologue instead of a dialog. That’s due to a lack of a social media strategy. Like many of the emerging technologies listed here, it’s not about the tool, it’s all about the technique. A tool is meaningless unless you know how to use it effectively to address a business goal, challenge, or problem. 

Check back next issue for reviews of more emerging event technologies.