Making Event Things Internet Things

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) wrapped up in Vegas earlier this month, and there is a buzz around the latest connected devices that will make our lives easier, more connected, and of course, fun. The Internet of Things is a topic covered in many events, but it also has a huge impact on events themselves.[Tweet "The #IoT is a topic covered in many events, but also has an impact on events themselves. #GovEventsBlog"]

The Internet of Things (IoT) can be defined simply as everyday objects connected to a network. This means everything from the Fitbit on your wrist, to the thermostat in your home, to a sensor in a ceiling tile that connects to an app on your phone and welcomes you by name. This talk at a BizBash event highlights some lavish ways event producers and marketers can use the IoT to enhance the attendee experience including networked drinking cups that link you with colleagues on social media when you tap them in a "cheers." There are also social coolers that open up to reveal sodas or other drinks when you walk by with an app open. While some of these ideas may be impractical for the government event market, there are some basic IoT principles that can be applied to keep pace with the consumer-facing event market.[Tweet "Some IoT ideas may be impractical for government events, but a few do apply. #GovEventsBlog"]

• Tie the event to people's phones - no matter how engaging your event is, people are going to be looking at their phone a good percentage of the time they are at the event. Look for ways to make them continue to think about your event while they are on the phone. This could be an event app, visually tracking tweets using the event hashtag on screens or using RFID or Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to ping people with event-related information.
• Connect to social - instead of just doing a photo booth or wall, use one that can automatically post to attendee's social accounts once a photo is taken. By using a phone to "log in" to the photo-taking device, the user's social accounts and the device can be linked and photos of your event can be posted immediately without any extra effort on the part of attendees.
• Connected signage - more and more event spaces are moving to digital signage that can quickly be changed to fit the information needs of the audience. These signs can also use sensors to determine changes in the general flow of attendees and alert planners to worrying trends (like everyone heading out the main doors before the final session).
• RFID for check-in - giving attendees RFID or NFC-enabled devices, nametags, or even apps can automate a lot of the check-in and access process. It can also help deliver more personalized content to them throughout the event.

Depending on your viewpoint, many of these tools and techniques may sound cool like the Jetsons or scary like Big Brother, or maybe a combination of both![Tweet "These tools/techniques may sound cool, scary, or both! #GovEventsBlog"] The truth is the technology is here and people are getting used to it - maybe even expecting it. As a government event community, organizers should look for ways to weave IoT tools and techniques into events so that the attendee experience matches the level of technology they are talking about in the sessions. We'd love to hear how you are incorporating or seeing IoT at government events. Let us know in the comments.