REASONS TO USE THEM AT CONFERENCES AND TRADE SHOWS

■ Create excitement and interactivity

■ Increase comprehension/retention of key points

■ Conduct immediate needs assessments so programs are more flexible

■ Get input from the entire audience, not just the type-A personalities who usually speak up or pose questions

■ Gauge response during presentations (favorable/unfavorable)

■ Capture demographic information and tie to responses

■ Gather feedback through ratings, surveys, etc.

■ Enhance knowledge about trends in the market or industry

■ Drive traffic to booths with games/ interactive feedback

■ Make product information more memorable

■ Allow attendees to vote for best booth, new product, poster session, etc. COMMON DENOMINATORS All audience response systems (ARS) operate in the same basic fashion:

■ Keypads/card devices are used by individual audience members for entering responses. Some are as small as cell phones or credit cards.

■ A receiver (often in a USB plug-in device) captures the wireless input.

■ Specialized software quickly crunches data and displays results, available in charts or graphics, not just numbers.

■ Most ARS interact with PowerPoint and Excel and some can be used with Microsoft Word or PDF documents.

■ All offer a “green” alternative, eliminating paper surveys and session evaluations.

■ All save data and create a variety of reports, depending on the demographics collected.

TECHNOLOGIES

•Infrared keypads work like TV remotes. They are one-way and have a range of about 90 feet.

•Radio-frequency keypads and receivers have a 200- to 400-foot range. Be sure that the provider uses a receiver that does spectrum hopping, rather than relying on a single channel. Multiple receivers or systems with longer ranges may be necessary for use in large general sessions or halls.

•Some radio-frequency systems use more complex alphanumeric keypads with LCD screens that allow participants to see questions and know that responses have been entered.

•Web-based technologies use receivers that can take input from a variety of devices such as cell phones, PDAs and laptops.

USING iPHONES AND BLACKBERRIES WITH ARS

To use their own phones or PDAs, participants must have access to the Internet using a Web browser (various platforms and operating systems are accommodated) or be able to text. Some systems use easily downloaded software applications. Questions are shown on the screen and people use their own devices with a number code for texting or use their phone’s keypad to respond.

Pros:

• Participants can see questions on their own screens.

• Participants are already comfortable using their own technology (iPhone, BlackBerry, etc.).

• No shipping and keeping track of response devices.

Cons:

• Participants have to push several buttons to select choices and transmit instead of just one button from a designated keypad/ card device.

• Signals vary, so lag time may be apparent.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

In addition to the usual ways of acknowledging sponsorships in print, on the Web or in signage, for ARS sponsors, you can consider allowing a sponsor to:

• Put its logo on the slides that show results or on introductory slides

• Print its name and logo on lanyards that hold the response devices

• Craft a couple of marketing research questions about its product/ service to be included before, during or after the presentation

• Have a banner ad on LCD screens of more sophisticated handheld devices

• The software is more expensive because it must accommodate a variety of input signals.

COSTS

• Vendors estimate prices based on the number of participants, the number of days during the event, the number of keypads and receivers used and how much service you request.

• Infrared and radio frequency keypads are usually priced at a per-unit, per-day rate, such as at $3-$5 per unit per day. (Discounts based on quantity or time used may apply.)

• More sophisticated LCD screen and alpha-numeric devices cost more, but they do more, too, such as allow participants to text questions to the speaker to be taken on the fly.

• You can rent a basic or long-range receiver for $500-$600 per day.

• Extra costs are incurred if you have on-site tech assistance. Some companies require one or more of their staff to be on-site, and travel costs may apply.

• Some companies will let you do it yourself. Your own techie can train with an online tutorial and demonstration. You can rent the equipment and pay for shipping and insurance, or you may even buy the equipment and software to use yourself.

• Organizers also must supply the usual audiovisual projection equipment if responses are viewed as part of a PowerPoint presentation and/or if the results are to be presented on screens. Organizations/speakers are also responsible for the content, crafting the questions to be used.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS/ HYBRID EVENTS VIA THE INTERNET

ARS can be used for multisite events via satellite or Internet feeds. An in-room receiver at each location picks up the keypad responses and transmits the data via the Internet, where the program crunches the numbers from all locations and transmits a consolidated result (or results by locale). There may be a little lag time, depending on the connectivity, but speakers can be tutored about how to fill the slight gap that isn’t evident in single-room presentations. In Web events with no central meeting place, participants respond on their own computers and results are shown on screen.

MEET THE EXPERTS

Rick Baker, Meridia Audience Response, (610) 260-6800, www.meridiaars.com • Mark Fite, Option Technologies Interactive, (407) 872-3333, www.optiontechnologies.com • Sheerin Florio, Spotme, Inc., (312) 416-2708, www.spotme.com • Sheila Hura, Turning Technologies, (330) 746-3015, www.turningtechnologies.com • Marcie Pallante, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, (847) 825-7246, www.asra.com • Debby Velders, Audience Response Systems, (812) 479-7507, www.audienceresponse.com