Face-Off. Trade Show Technology

Transcription

1 Trade Show Technology With so many options to choose from in the ever-evolving tech toolbox, it s enough to make a trade show marketer s head spin! From interactive product demos to innovative mobile apps and beyond, there s a surplus of technologies that can be used to: Reinforce brand messaging and convey your company s value Generate onsite buzz and draw attendees to your booth Increase leads, sales, and overall engagement on the bustling trade show floor But how can you identify whether these tech tools will work for you? Live Marketing has put some of the hottest trade show technologies head-tohead for the ultimate technology face-off. Use this guide to spark inspiration, help you manage your decisionmaking process and choose which reigns supreme! Let s get started!

2 ROUND ONE: Augmented Reality Trade Show Technology Projection Mapping A way of viewing digital information which has been superimposed or augmented onto a live view of the physical, real-world environment around you. Many industries employ augmented reality technology to enhance their own trade show booth programs by creating compelling interactive experiences. Brings brand and in-booth experience to life Highly interactive for maximum attendee participation Cost effective and easy to implement with emerging DIY apps such as Layar, Aurasma, and Augment Supporting technology is still evolving Steep learning curve This technology should match your booth program s objectives and needs to be more than a gimmick! Seemingly transforms objects or environments by overlaying an image on an object s surface with light. Projection mapping s effective use of shadows and highlighting, combined with artfully taking advantage of the object being transformed makes for the most dynamic use of the technology. Draws attention and generates buzz for a major booth wow factor Creates memorability for attendees Allows for incredible flexibility can easily display many different visuals on any surface or structure Can be expensive Needs a strategy to make it pay off Requires a dark or dimly-lit setting in order to see the visual masterpiece may not be ideal for certain shows Although projection mapping brings the WOW to create a breathtakingly memorable trade show experience, augmented reality inches past for the win with its interactivity, flexible DIY capability, and lower-cost nature.

3 ROUND TWO: RFID Trade Show Technology NFC RFID, or radio-frequency identification, is a tracking system similar to bar code identification using a small chip that provides a unique identifier for an object. More and more marketers are now using RFID to recognize and track attendees, as well as trigger personalized experiences on the go. Easy to use, especially on trade show floor Durable can function in harsh environments Tags available in different shapes and sizes Direct physical contact between the tags and reader is not required High cost! Low security need to encrypt sensitive data for the trade show floor (which is costly) Negative perception among attendees that the technology is too invasive Tags can only be read within a specified range interference issues on the show floor Long touted as the "next big thing", NFC, or near field communication, might finally be coming into its own. NFC has many of its roots in RFID, enabling mobile devices to send or exchange data immediately when in close proximity and allowing attendees to trigger their own experiences. Very intuitive interactions require no more than a simple touch Attendee-controlled activity Versatile appropriate for a broad range of industries Flexible can be embedded into a badge, signage, and more High cost! (depending on size of company and size of integration) Security risks losing an NFC-enabled device could mean loss of confidential info Has the shortest range among radio frequency technologies More and more smartphones are becoming available with NFC already built in, which will completely eliminate the need for RFID tags! NFC is quickly emerging as a faster and more far-reaching counterpart to RFID.

4 ROUND THREE: Instagram Trade Show Technology Vine According to Simply Measured, 67% of top brands are now using Instagram, reaching more than 100 million active monthly users a 500% increase in users since last year alone! Instagram allows users to capture beautiful moments in life via photo and video, and stylize them with an assortment of filters, bringing a trade show experience to life. Both photo and video capability (up to 15 seconds of event footage) with custom filters for each Cinema Mode to help stabilize shaky video (iphone only) Embedding capability for leveraging photo and video online Low sharing behavior outside of Instagram platform No looping video capability 15 second videos result in occasional lag in load time potential issue on the show floor Originally coined the Instagram for video, microvideo service Vine has gained incredible popularity since it launched at the start of Another way to capture a snapshot of trade show experiences, this hot video-sharing app allows users to create six-second looping videos currently the most shared video links on Twitter. Extremely simple interface Looping video Faster load time for the show floor Embedding capability for leveraging Vine onsite to online No editing capability No stabilization mode for shaky videos Time constraint only 6 seconds of footage allowed Smaller user base While the animated GIF-like appeal of Vine is perfect for capturing quick and easy snapshots, Instagram proves the victor with its already well-established presence in the social media world and its dual ability to support both photo and video components.

5 ROUND FOUR: OLED Trade Show Technology Digital Signage Thanks to their much lighter profiles, brightness, and power efficiency, OLED, which stands for organic light-emitting diode, is a new, cutting edge display technology that promises to deliver a thin, power-efficient, and crisp appearance. High quality Bendable and lightweight Produces its own light much better viewing angles for large crowds Versatile and can serve a variety of purposes (video screen, light source, large or small format, etc.) Very expensive cost of production Sensitive to water even the slightest contact can permanently damage the display! Traditional OLEDs usually only a lifespan of 5,000 hours (that s 10,000 hours lower than LCDs!) Interactive, moving digital signage often involves using multiple screens to deliver targeted messages in an exciting and unexpected way. When used thoughtfully, this modern-day visual data display can leave a lasting impression on the trade show floor. Interactive, effective booth attract High capacity for content-rich enhanced experiences Opportunity for attendee segmentation Eco-friendly (if LED-based, offers nearly completely recyclable product/50% reuse of materials and reduced power consumption) Technology needs an attendee engagement strategy behind it High-maintenance Complex to implement not for the timesensitive booth program No power in your booth, no display! While OLEDs are the wave of the future, digital signage allows for complex layers of content that can up-level your program strategy and maximize your technology investment.

6 ROUND FIVE: Trade Show Technology Google Glass InteraXon s MUSE There s been a lot of buzz around this little pair of glasses that provide hands-free interactions alongside smartphone-like features. Early previews help trade show marketers imagine the possibilities for Google Glass to greatly enhance user experiences with the promise to put wearers in the center of the action, delivering extremely targeted audio and visual info. Very high-tech A lot of buzz Memorable Opportunity for more activity because it s hands-free Information overload could get distracting Expensive cost upwards toward $1600 Technology in its infancy (developer versions have been released, but won t officially launch until early 2014) have a plan B! Measuring your brainwaves in real-time, Muse has been touted as a piece of headgear that translates your brainwaves into instructions to interact with digital content. It also shows how well your brain is performing, allowing you to control games, reduce stress, improve memory and concentration, and eventually control devices directly with your mind. Extremely high-tech Ultra cool factor Easy to tie into medical messaging Cost is relatively low at $ It s not a mind reader it measures mental states such as calmness or attention Technology is in its pre-infancy prototype has been developed and tested, but it won t be available until late-2013 It s a tie! Both technologies are still in the testing and refining process, but between a hyper-interactive pair of glasses and a sleek, mind-controlling headband, the future possibilities for innovative programs in the trade show industry seem endless!

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