You’re no stranger to technology — whether it’s using Facebook at home to reconnect with old friends or exploring virtual platforms at work to supplement your next event, technology is undoubtedly part of your life. But how can you keep up with the wave of new gadgets and services barraging our industry — not to mention new advances and features on old technologies we thought we knew? It’s tough for even the most savvy tech gurus to keep up. Have no fear: EXPO to the rescue. We’ve done the demos, culled the apps and spec’d the specs to find the technologies changing our industry. Some are new, and some are old favorites with new advances. Many organizers are already in up to their elbows, others are just getting started. But make no mistake, if you want to keep your event on the cutting edge, these are the six technologies you’ll need to do it.

SOCIAL NETWORKS
What they are: You know the drill. Online social networks give people a Web-based destination to connect before, during and after your event. And while mainstream, public-facing social networks like Facebook have been generating buzz for the last several years, more and more show organizers are turning to proprietary social networks for more control over the community and the platform.
How they work: Proprietary social networks work much like Facebook or MySpace in the sense that attendees register and create their own profiles, then look for other like people to “friend” or link up with. Proprietary social networks take it a step further, though, typically allowing the show to brand the entire space and build it into their own event Web site. Smart show organizers are using them not instead of, but as a supplement to, Facebook and LinkedIn groups that have formed around their events. Some platforms even allow organizers to embed Twitter feeds and other features from public social networking sites onto the page, giving attendees one-stop access for all of the social media surrounding the event.
Why you should care: Control, control, control. When attendees and exhibitors are logging on and engaging with a proprietary social network, all of a sudden your event has become the conduit bringing them all together. Your event or organization becomes the hub for your industry, and allows a year-long dialog among you, exhibitors and attendees. What’s more, it keeps you close to the issues facing your constituents. Having full control over the social network allows you to create strategies around the space — many organizers are now implementing industry blogs to supplement the social networks and keep driving traffic to the site.
Learn more from our sources: Higher Logic (www.higherlogic.com); The Social Collective (www.thesocialcollective. com); introNetworks (www.intronetworks. com); Socious (www.socious.com); NFI Studios (www.NFIstudios.com)

INTERACTIVE, ON-SITE TECHNOLOGIES
What they are: Unlike social networks, which put the focus more on year-round connections, interactive, on-site technologies are all about the connections your attendees and exhibitors make at the show. The interactive, on-site umbrella is extensive, encompassing everything from technologies powered by devices that attendees and exhibitors carry to state-of-the-art touchscreen mapping and directory systems that help attendees drill down on the spot.
How they work: Device-driven technologies allow attendees and exhibitors to share information with other attendees and exhibitors simply with the click of a button. Think virtual business cards; when the devices connect, information is exchanged and typically downloaded onto a server where attendees can access it later. Not only do the devices act as ice-breakers among attendees as they’re trying them out on the show floor, they allow attendees to download exhibitor sales collateral onto PURL (personal URL) pages — a greener and more efficient system than lugging brochures back to a hotel room only to be left behind. Some of the device-driven services connect with social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn, finding the contacts that you met at the event on those networks and giving you the option to send invites to connect with them on-site. Show managers at TS2 used one such service, MingleStick, at this year’s show. “Everyone loved not having to collect a stack of business cards and worry about getting them safely home to be data-entered,” says Shauna Peters, Marketing Manager for National Trade Productions, which produces TS2. “The fact that their connections were available online was a big plus. By adding a picture to each person’s profile, attendees could use visual recognition to remind them of that contact and their discussion with them.” Touchscreen technologies allow attendees to find a product or category that they’re looking for, even if they don’t know the name of the company. By walking up to an interactive map, they can punch in keywords and be directed to the company (or companies) on the show floor that match their criteria. Exhibitors send info to be preloaded into the service months in advance, and sponsorships are sold to subsidize the cost of the service — and generate new revenue. Daily agendas and general show information are also available.
Why you should care: It’s all about making things easier on attendees. In terms of device-driven technologies, attendees will appreciate having the ability to collect important info without having to hang on to business cards and manually enter the information into their computers later. Touchscreen technologies give attendees more flexibility in finding the products, services and exhibitors they’re looking for. And they’re a greener, often less-costly option than show dailies and directories.
Learn more from our sources: Mingle Stick (www.mingle360.com); BusyEvent (www.busyevent.com); MarketArt/You Are Here (www.marketart.com); Snipp (snipp.com); Spot Me (www.spotme.com)

HYBRID EVENTS AND CAPTURED CONTENT
What they are: Probably one of the hottest technologies, captured content is capturing everyone. Whether you choose to livestream your educational sessions — allowing true two-way communication with a home audience — or simply capture your sessions on video for download later, hybrid events and captured content extend the reach of your events, and, in many cases, create substantial new revenue.
How they work: For hybrid events, attendees simply have to log on to a Web site from their computer; they’ll be presented with an interface where they can choose to do the same things live attendees are doing, such as attending a keynote or breakout sessions, and in some cases, checking out vendors who have made collateral or other product info available to be viewed online. The latest technologies even allow attendees viewing from home to participate in polls and surveys that the actual event attendees are participating in on-site. Attendees checking out captured content are directed via a link to a site post-show, where they can access everything from PowerPoint slides to audio and video of the sessions themselves.
Why you should care: In this climate, it’s become obvious that not as many attendees are making it to live events. And after all the time and effort you’ve put into creating a vibrant education track, why not extend the reach of those programs and also make additional revenue? Plus, live attendees who were in session No.1, but missed the simultaneous session No. 2, can go home and see what they missed. With the latest updates in technology, attendees can access high-quality video and audio sessions and peruse presentations and other collateral from the show. Another bonus: The length of time attendees will likely be on the site makes it a great sponsorship opportunity.
Learn more from our sources: Comm Partners (www.commpartners.com); Digitell (www.digitellmail.com); On24 (www.on24.com) Stream57 (www.stream57.com)

MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES
What they are: Exhibition applications that work on an attendee’s smartphone are hot — and they’re arriving on the scene faster than new Google apps. These apps allow attendees to view show info from their phones instead of having to hop online at a computer or carry around all the show collateral with them all day. From exhibitor listings, agendas and shuttle bus schedules to registration, networking and real-time announcements, everything show-related is being offered on the phone.
How they work: Users download the app straight on to their mobile phones. Different providers offer different services, but most mobile technologies allow attendees to view sessions and events by time as well as exhibitor locations. Apps can be customized for each show depending on what organizers want the attendee to be able to access. Show organizers simply have to provide spreadsheets of information to the app developer well in advance of the show. For promotion, organizers typically send e-mail in advance of the show and provide signage on site to direct potential users who haven’t downloaded the app yet.
Why you should care: Just about everyone who’s walking your show floor probably has a BlackBerry or an iPhone. A show-centric app is a way to speak to them in their own language; they’ve become used to using their phone for everything else, why wouldn’t they want to manage their engagements at the show this way?
Learn more from our sources: Boopsie (www.boopsie.com); TripBuilder (www.tripbuilder.com); Core-Apps (www.core-apps.com)

MATCHMAKING TECHNOLOGIES
What they are: These technologies work mostly in advance of the show, allowing attendees to maximize their time at the event by sussing out exactly how they want to spend their time. Some services allow exhibitors and attendees to set up meetings and appointments at the show.
How they work: Matchmaking technologies use algorithms and formulas to match attendees and exhibitors (and in some cases, attendees with other attendees) on a portal (usually built into your event site) before they even set foot on the show floor. Using everything from demographic and company information to job title, these technologies typically help attendees and exhibitors pick and choose their best matches through recommendations. At the event, some companies have a room set aside to facilitate the preset meetings.
Why you should care: Attendees are bombarded with information before the show, and if they can’t get to whom — and what — they need to see during the event, they won’t get the ROI needed to return, and exhibitor sales will likely suffer as a result. Why not make it easier on them with a service that helps sort through all the info efficiently and takes them straight to the good stuff?
Learn more from our sources: BD Metrics (www.BDMetrics.com); Deal Center (www.dealcenter. com); a2z (www.a2zinc.net)

VIRTUAL EVENTS
What they are: Unless you’ve been living — and working — under a rock, you get virtual. Virtual events first came on the scene nearly 10 years ago, but never really caught on. Major buzz began about four years ago, and, as the economy started sinking — and travel budgets with it — the noise just kept getting louder. Virtual events take the live event experience and replicate it online — giving attendees the chance to literally explore an event through an interactive Web site in the same way attendees are checking out a physical event.
How they work: So even if you know virtual, the platform continues to change and evolve with the latest and greatest technology advances. Purveyors of virtual are saying that the interface is getting simpler for attendees to use — think less focus on Second Life-like features such as uber-customized avatars and more focus on content — and that attendees are looking for a higher level of integration with social media technologies. For instance, some platforms recognize that online attendees are also discussing the show on Twitter, and allow them to embed the communication into the site. Second, some platforms are allowing attendees to customize the interface in the way that’s the most beneficial to them, allowing them to pick and choose which features they want on the screen during the experience. Targeting is also becoming key — using attendee demos and reg information to target sponsor, event and exhibitor ads to the attendee is becoming more prevalent as more platforms start offering the service.
Why you should care: Virtual is here to stay. While most events are realizing that it works best as a supplement to a live expo instead of a total replacement, the importance of virtual in the ever-evolving world of events can’t be understated. Whether you’re a virtual pro or are just considering making it part of your overall event strategy, knowing the major players, features and trends will help you create the best virtual experience for attendees and exhibitors alike.
Learn more from our sources: InXpo (www.inxpo.com); Design Reactor/6Connex (www.connex.com); Unisfair (www.unisfair.com)