Event Tech Blog

May 8, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

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Industries: Associations, AV & Technology, Catering, Conferences, CVBs & Venues, Destinations, Destinations, Events, Exhibiting, Food & Beverage, Management Update, Meetings, People, People, People, People, Production Technology, Show Management, Site Selection, Speakers, Speakers & Entertainment, Technology, Tradeshows, Tradeshows

May 6, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

I have recently spent a lot of time contacting industry opinion leaders to discuss current software solutions.  I am challenged that meeting professionals do not have better tools to utilize.  One of the greatest headaches involves the deployment of registration software.

My soap box about registration tools is based on three systematic issues with today's systems:

1) Profit margins are so thin that registration suppliers do not have R&D budgets to enhance and improve the tools.

2) Most tools available today are hodge-podge technology that still focus on the services component of the tradeshow, not the efficiency of the software.  If the software becomes more efficient, suppliers are pressured to reduce their prices.  Since there is little additional scope of work without further innovation, what incen

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April 23, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

Yesterday, Austin, Texas announced high-tech plans for school campuses which would upgrade computers.  The price tag for this improvement is $70 million dollars. 

The overall results of the tech would bring different school systems current with the latest of innovations.   The school district’s executive director of technology wanted to make sure that everybody had the same stuff.  In my accounting book, $70 million is a lot of technology stuff.
 
Their checklist of stuff is staggering.  It includes new computers, printers, presentation systems, tracking software, document management systems, new gradebook software, upgrade to complete campus wireless systems, student file storage (isn’t Yahoo offering storage for free?),  and upgrading emergency power systems.
 
The list seems ...Read More
Industries: Associations, AV & Technology, Catering, Conferences, CVBs & Venues, Destinations, Destinations, Events, Exhibiting, Food & Beverage, Management Update, Meetings, People, People, People, People, Production Technology, Show Management, Site Selection, Speakers, Speakers & Entertainment, Technology, Tradeshows, Tradeshows

April 21, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

One of the exciting parts of my job is the chance to see, first hand, how show organizers and producers are adopting technology into their tradeshow floors.  This often allows me to visit a variety of shows and conferences. 

I must admit I have seen quite a few events in my career, yet I still get excited by the chance to walk out onto a floor on the first show day.

Last week I traveled to Las Vegas to attend the annual conference for the National Association of Broadcasters.  I have actually heard of this event for years and always thought it would be an interesting event to visit. 

Thanks to Chris Brown’s ...Read More
Industries: Associations, AV & Technology, Catering, Conferences, CVBs & Venues, Destinations, Destinations, Events, Exhibiting, Food & Beverage, Management Update, Meetings, People, People, People, People, Production Technology, Show Management, Site Selection, Speakers, Speakers & Entertainment, Technology, Tradeshows, Tradeshows

April 7, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (4)

Many, many years ago, during my sophomore year in college, I learned how to use a computer.  The law firm that I worked for asked me to test a new IBM PC in order to determine if it was easy enough for some of the senior attorneys.  I guess the rationale was, if this young college kid can figure it out, certainly some of our finest lawyers would be able to also be willing to learn.  I later learned that several of the prominent attorneys had no desire to ever use the computers.

It was a cumbersome process to switch between floppy drives in order to load my Lotus 123 software and then create my spreadsheets.  Nevertheless, it was less trouble than the stack of deck cards that I had to carry to the University of Texas ma...Read More