The Internet Of Things (IoT), simply put, is multiple devices connected to each other, similar to ones you may be currently using like, Tile and TrackR. For meetings and events, what does this mean for you? How about tracking your fellow attendees at a large conference so you can meet up with them at a particular booth or breakout session, or better yet, track your attendees' every move? Wouldn’t you love to know where they are spending most of their time? Imagine the ability to provide your attendees with a totally immersed experience. As attendees arrive at the destination city and park their car or walk off the train or plane, they’ll receive a message on their phone or smart watch welcoming them. When they arrive at the venue, they are directed to the registration area which also triggers your registration software to print their badge. Once they arrive at the registration desk all you have to do is greet them and hand them their badge. The attendees will receive directions to the keynote, and can even receive the keynote’s bio when they walk into the room. The presenter can be alerted who has arrived in the room with some background information to customize their presentation to provide a more immersive experience for everyone.

I know what you are thinking: What am I going to do with all of this data? And does it really matter that I know where my attendees are spending the bulk of their time?

Well, that is where Web 3.0 comes into play. Web 3.0, at least the concept, will use machines/computers to interpret the data collected from the IoT. This information will then be processed through an A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) that will provide suggestions on how to improve your meeting. These improvements will be based on every single attendees’ habits, movements, and interactions with other attendees while attending your event. For example, venues that have grasped IoT technology will be able to track exactly what kind and how much food and beverage is being consumed in real time, allowing them to order food with a just-in-time delivery service to reduce spoilage and increase their margins by becoming more efficient, not by raising prices. This will also help the meeting planner understand what their attendees like and focus future menu items based on this new information.

The adoption of the IoT and Web 3.0 will increase your productivity by working for you. No longer will you need to spend hours processing data or sending out a post event survey and hoping for responses. Web 3.0 will also provide recommendations on venues based on the climate, time of year, number of attendees, and dozens of other factors to streamline your planning process. The data, information, and recommendations provided will arrive to you in real time and even transform your current agenda and meeting flow for next year.

The ever-evolving world of meeting technology will always be here. Will you embrace it?

Article written by Mark Steinmetz, National Account Manager for IMS Technology Services

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