IS THE INTERNET OF THINGS TURNING ATTENDEES INTO THINGS?
Using beacons, apps, connected scanners, sensors, smart badges and cameras all the trade show attendees’ whereabouts and actions are being measured. With the vast amount of data, using the increasing number of connected devices at the trade show’s disposal, organizers hope to discover deep insights about their visitors by looking at this data. But what about their individual needs, hopes and wishes, are they being forgotten? Is the Internet of Things (IoT) turning attendees into things?
SESSION ABOUT DIGITAL DISRUPTION AT UFI GLOBAL CONGRESS IN JOHANNESBURG
At the last UFI Global Congress in November 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Gunnar Heinrich (CEO adventics & Scan2Lead) held a session on “Digital Disruption” with his colleagues from the Digital Innovation Committee Stephan Forseilles (easyfairs) and Matthias Tesi Baur (MBB-Media). The panel raised different controversial and thought-provoking topics with the audience, prompting a lively debate over the pros and cons of each issue.
THE AUDIENCE VIEW ON THIS TOPIC
Most of the audience did not agree with the statement, though not by a large margin (54% vs. 46%). During the session various arguments have been exchanged. Here you find a quick summary of what the experts on site, Tesi Baur and Gunnar Heinrich, discussed:
Pro:
Yes, because our devices will take decisions for us.
Yes, if we not mature our digital behaviour and learn how to be critical towards our device decisions.
The VW pollution scandal has shown that devices will tell us what we want to believe so that we are more willing to buy more services.
Our devices will be our own small echo room. Diversity will not generate business for a single company. This principle works already on Facebook brilliantly.
Contra:
If we play the game with a maximum of transparency we can avoid that our visitors will have to feel like things.
Visitors are more than biological robots who carry around our so beloved RFID tags.
And in the end it’s again all about value. We have to deliver true value to our attendees while using modern Technology. The electronic carry bag for digital brochures is definitely not enough.
We will also have a face-to-face business in future instead of a gadget-to-gadget. Only face-to-face can generate the required trust.
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE UFI DIGITAL INNOVATION COMMITTEE
This article is based on Stephan Forseilles’ post “Is IOT turning out attendees into THINGS?” in the UFI Digital Innovation Group on LinkedIn. Keep in touch and stay updated on digital innovations in the exhibition industry.
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Munich, 16 July 2018, © adventics GmbH
