Can You See Me Now?
Author: Hunter Holcombe
February 2008
Technophiles
We all know how chaotic large events can be—quite often a whirlwind of handshaking, business card-trading, organizing and networking.
Even when you get a few moments of breathing room, it can be a struggle to catch up, writing notes on the back of business cards, keeping track of who you’ve met and who you still need to talk to—not to mention making sure all of the breakout sessions and events are going according to plan. And the experience can be just as challenging for your attendees, which is why technology like the New Spotme can be such a lifesaver.
Combine just about every nifty function you can think of that would make convention and meeting life easier, and you might just have this second-generation meetings gadget, created by Swiss company Shockfish SA.
The handheld device is similar to your standard PDA, with a miniature keyboard, color screen, wireless functionality and microphone. But it also has several clever add-ons designed for conference-goers, such as a scanner for tracking RFID badges, positioning technology that lets you keep track of where people are and the capability of exchanging electronic business cards. Additionally, almost all information distributed at the conference—programs, venue maps, local transportation, feedback forms—can be preloaded onto each device, cutting down on unnecessary paper costs and waste.
If you’ve done your homework in advance, you can even set up your device to vibrate anytime someone you want to connect with comes within a 100-foot radius! And, when the conference is over, you can have all of your new contacts uploaded to Outlook or your personal PDA, complete with any notes you entered for each person.
Armed with so many stress-saving functions, it’s no wonder the New Spotme took first place in this year’s WorldWide Technology Watch competition, an annual contest put on by EIBTM, an international meeting and incentive exhibition held in Barcelona. The judges, led by Corbin Ball, a meetings technology expert in Bellingham, Wash., examined and rated 44 entries based on innovation, completeness of concept and value to users at events. Surprisingly, three of the four runners-up were similar to the New Spotme, which means we should expect to see this technology continue to improve as competition drives the niche industry forward and costs are reduced considerably. spotme.com
