MEEC

Chapter ThirteenDirecting the Future of

Convention and Meeting Technology

Impact of the Internet Uses of Technology

Site selection Online registration and application practices, E-marketing Housing and bookings Logistics management Connectivity throughout buildings Virtual trade shows, video conferencing, virtual

meetings Hand held devices, and Other

Site Selection VIA the Web Site selection is the biggest use of the

Internet Websites that invite and reward are the

next wave Website design has matured from

“brochure ware” to websites that sell Twenty first-century Internet principals

are more disciplined, demanding that a site make money by helping visitors find what they want.

Site Selection VIA the Web What to look for in a Site Selection Tool

Ease of navigation; Robust search criteria, including location, brand,

price, meeting space; The total number of venues/properties listed on the

site. Amenities and services available at a site; An active link to a facility’s Web site; Ability to download a brochure or fact sheet; Access to floor plans, menus, meeting space

capacities, meeting space calculator, virtual tours; Reporting options.

Site Selection VIA the Web What to look for in a Request for

Proposal (RFP) tool Criteria that provides for

Meeting pattern options Preferred and alternative date options Sleeping room block information Event and function requirements Option to note response and decision dates

regarding the RFP. Ability to store and save specific search

queries, save RFPs, and modify or update an RFP

Site Selection VIA the Web What to should look for in a Diagramming tool

Free software! Scalable space and equipment (feet and metrics) Are the rules of the industry — industry standards

coded within the program? Are accurate line-of-sight angles available? Can you label items inside and outside of a room? Can you place equipment outside of a meeting

room or in public spaces?

Site Selection VIA the Web What to should look for in a Diagramming tool

Can you print an inventory report listing all equipment required?

Can the software plan a variety of seating layouts? Can create customized setups? Can you number banquet seating and produce

seating lists? Are online diagrams available at the facility’s Web

site?

Online Registration Four categories of technology-based

options: The over the counter or OTC application Meeting management software PC solutions Web-based e-marketing and front-end

registration applications. Enterprise-wide applications.

Online Registration What to look for in Registration Technology:

Flexible-pricing options for setting and tracking registration fees

Options for branding marketing messages and event sites

Ease of importing and updating your marketing list

Knowing which version and Web browser will work with an online application

Annual support policy

Online Registration What to look for in Registration Technology:

How many simultaneous users can the site handle?

Does the system trap for errant or duplicate entries,

Can you integrate the solution with your internal databases?

How long does it take to get up and running? Can you create sessions and combined event

packages? Can multiple pricing levels be set?

Online Registration What to look for in Registration Technology:

Can you print name badges in the format and for the hardware you utilize?

How does the system manage vendor information? Will the budgeting interface support your needs? How are hotel blocks managed? Is there sub-block management? How are cancellations and changes processed? Can the system be integrated with third-party

services?

Online Registration What to look for in Registration

Technology: Can you check out a meeting to manage while

on site, or will you need ongoing Internet connectivity when using a system on site?

Protection of your data Ability to segment and re-sort your marketing

list or list of registrants Ability to analyze return rates, bounce rates,

and conversion rates How the cost is set and calculated — by user,

by transaction?

Online Registration What to look for in Registration

Technology: Availability of support when you need it Cost for customization Wait list management How registrations acquired through offline

channels are to be processed Ability to personalize e-mail messages Ability to process multiple credit card

accounts

E-Marketing Three questions used to begin outlining

a marketing map are: Who develops and maintains meeting and

event copy? Who develops the event’s marketing plan? How do you deploy information on your Web

site, and how is your Web site used?

E-Marketing What to ask:

In what delivery channel formats do messages need to be readied?

How is information edited for each channel? Are there items requiring secured transfer

of personal data? Where are the bottlenecks? Will print response forms be personalized

with unique identifiers?

Housing via the Internet Three basic categories:

Systems designed for real-time processing with integration into data warehouses.

Vendors that have carved out strategic relationships with industry-wide housing switches.

A database, often with front-end Web access, for holding attendee housing information.

Business Intelligent Software BIS is software designed to create

databases, and offer processes for manipulation and presentation of data in a manner most effective for managers and other users.

Business Intelligent Software Must have the following characteristics

and/or capabilities: Full capability to sort, analyze and present

data to reveal trends within a business. The ability to integrate corporate data in

order to support decision-making. Capacity to gather and store all relevant

information needed to make informed business decisions.

Business Intelligent Software Must have the following characteristics

and/or capabilities: BIS must integrate and transform raw data

into organized knowledge. The data must be easy to interpret allowing

for more rapid decision-making processes. BIS also highlights trends associated with

past operating procedures and experiences in order to discover opportunities, and uncover weaknesses

Business Intelligent Software

BI Process Overview

1. Identify KPIs

2. Retrieve/Transform Data

3. Deploy Informationto Users

4. Users AnalyzeInformation

5. Users Organize & Share Information

6. Users ProvideFeedback

Business Intelligent Software Example – PowerCubes

Passkey Market Player Hotel Direct

b-there.com

Convention Center Technology First generation (G1)

“box with a dock” Second generation (G2)

“pretty boxes” Third generation (G3)

“boxes like very large hotel rooms” Fourth Generation (G4)

are designed today with the surrounding culture in mind as well as a abundance of integrated high technology

Convention Center Technology Technology Impact

High speed and wireless Internet Meeting spaces (rooms, hotels, & centers) Marketing by cities, convention and visitor’s

bureaus, and convention centers to prospective clients.

On-line Conferencing tools Registration and web sites for capturing credit

card information.

Convention Center Technology Technology Impact

"Smart Card," a data-storage device providing centers and associations with valuable attendee information

Registration and contact information Session attendance Product purchases Evaluation

Fiber-optic and broadband data and voice and video transmissions, allowing exchange of information with outside parties.

Convention Center Technology Connectivity Options

High-speed connectivity. to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

Design flexibilities. wired or wireless network & flexible bandwidth

Dedicated recording facilities. to facilitate both audio recording and session duplication

Videoconferencing functionality is an essential need for Web conferencing or Web casting.

Convention Center Technology Connectivity Options

Availability of “dark fiber” cabling allows companies to establish private networks outside of the convention center network.

Event boards. Plasma or LED event boards promote sponsors and communicate information to attendees.

Guest room connectivity linking back to the convention center.

Wireless LAN network access.

Convention Center Technology Connectivity Options

Cyber cafes and information kiosks provide meeting information, sponsor messages, industry news, product locators, e-mailing, message centers, on-site surveying, PDA download stations, and hand-held computing synchronization.

Audience response systems Wireless lead retrieval and tracking systems. Fully equipped business center with extended

operating hours.

Virtual Trade Shows Guidelines to virtual reality:

Note services provided by other trade shows (physical and virtual) and offer these features online

Consider simple and easy design with useful and intuitive site navigation.

Keep the site simple and attractive. Capture and qualify users

Virtual Trade Shows Guidelines to virtual reality:

Offer exhibitors a range of value-added services

Stream audio and video On-site demonstrations and training Preferred locations on the show floor

Provide attendees with value-added features e-mail chat rooms.

Apply basic marketing concepts and cross-promote your virtual site

Virtual Trade Shows Guidelines to virtual reality:

Provide online giveaways or discounted promotions.

Offer online credit card processing. Clearly state your privacy policy Make absolutely certain you secure all

transactions. Provide a database of vendors who are

exhibiting online.

Video Conferencing Bandwidth falls into one of three categories:

Broadband Greater than a Pentium III and a 128K modem Sophisticated services - full-motion video/audio streaming.

Medium band Pentium II with a 56K or better modem Streaming video and audio is less reliable than broadband

Low band Pentium I with a 28K or less modem Need to be supported by audio conferencing services. Referred to a Web-enhanced audio conferencing services.

Video Conferencing One-way session

No interaction, or delayed interaction through a call-in line for taking questions from remote participants

The Webcast presentation can be live or taped. Two-way session

a high degree of interaction among a smaller team

Microsoft’s Net Meeting or Symantec’s PC Anywhere.

Applications require technical know-how

Video Conferencing Two-way, with high-end media

Two-way communications and higher-end media Broadcast-quality lighting, sound, and production An interactive web cast event Point-to-point or point-to-multipoint Broadcast to service centers where an audience

can gather, or to other corporate locations Broadcast via satellite or push through the

Internet

Video Conferencing Third-party Service Providers

Offer technical, moderating, and scheduling services

Provide control and quality assurance Offer useful utilities to validate that both

hardware and connectivity are appropriate Provide online technical assistance

Green Technology – An Example David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Pittsburgh, PA 30 to 50 percent obtained in energy savings Water Conservation

Water taken from an under water aquifer Used to reduce energy consumption for

heating/cooling All plants and landscape are native

No need for water sprinklers around the facility

Green Technology – An Example

Energy conservation the design of the sloped roof pulls up cool breezes creates a naturally ventilated exhibit hall Natural lighting will be used throughout the

building Blackout shades are available to darken rooms or

to control temperatures. Use materials that emit fewer toxins 25% of the building is constructed with

recycled material Local materials used in order to cut down

transportation costs.

Review Impact of the Internet Online Registration E-Marketing Housing via the Internet Business Intelligent Software Convention Center Technology Connectivity Options Virtual Trade Shows, Video Conferencing Green Technology