Although it doesn’t look as though the world of high tech can replace human event pros anytime soon, it’s smart to keep an eye on innovation. Our sister publications group, MeetingsNet, shares the insights of a meeting pro who just got back from the big Consumer Electronics Show.
Here are a few products from CES that should get organizers thinking.
Technology that makes connectivity easier.
The number-one question I hear from attendees is, “Where can I charge my tablet/computer/smart watch?” Gone are the days when event attendees can be offline. It seems like an easy problem to solve, but thinking through where power can be dropped—with the cords hidden but the outlet accessible—is sometimes a lot of extra work. Enter Wi-Charge, a beautiful ceiling light that delivers power over long distances using infrared. Through the company’s multiple types of transmitters and receivers, it charges wearables, phones, and other devices. The technology is not there yet—there are extreme limitations to the numbers of devices that can receive a charge (for example, each light can only host up to four devices, depending on the application), and its three different products are currently in beta, but I’ll be watching Wi-Charge to solve my power-access problem in the future.
Technology that moves attendees more efficiently.
Another event-planning pain point is moving attendees throughout a venue or experience, whether it’s for check-in at the entrance, or for moving around a city for a multi-venue conference (like CES). With ridesharing companies like Lyft test-piloting autonomous cars and partnering with mobility-tech-solutions company Aptiv, we could see autonomous vehicles efficiently moving attendees in the near future. This could mean easier access to cars or easier ways to track pickup and drop-offs when it’s crucial to be on schedule … MeetingsNet
