Tech

Three Networking Gadgets That Are Transforming the Event Industry

by Janet Amistoso
8 years ago
4 min read
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Written by Janet Amistoso
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The event industry has experienced a whirlwind of changes and improvements over the past decade. And, with unique technologies like virtual reality and robots becoming a part of the event landscape, that’s a trend that you can count on to continue.

Loopd, Poken, and Limefy are three companies that have taken note of the desire for continued innovation. Each company has made a name for themselves with the creation of new and unique tools to help you network and collect leads, digitally.

Let’s take a look at the gadgets that these three companies have created and show you why they’re transforming the event industry.

Loopd

Named as the Product of the Year at the Wearable Tech Expo in 2015, Loopd is a tool that offers tremendous ROI opportunities for event organizers while simplifying the networking process for attendees. Available as a small clip or neck worn badge, its capabilities are impressive.

Event attendees and vendors are able to set up a profile that highlights as much information as the particular individual wants to share with others. Then, when two people wearing Loopd interact, the device exchanges their information, in real time. For attendees, this process facilitates networking in an incredibly convenient way.

On top of the real-time networking and conversational benefits that this provides, Loopd also tracks all interactions that have taken place for later review. So, for instance, if Joe interacted with Sue at her vendor table at 12:43 PM, the app will archive the time and location of the interaction. Users can also make notes about specific conversations for later reference.

For organizers, the device allows them to easily track session attendance while providing real-time analytics about interactions. This allows organizers to make on-the-spot adjustments to better facilitate networking and business opportunities between participants.

Poken

Poken has taken an interesting approach to creating a wearable that changes the way that event attendees interact with the information vendors provide at events. Their device, fittingly called Pokens, allow attendees to quickly exchange digital information by touching them together.

The main advantage of the product is that it serves multiple purposes. For networking, attendees and vendors can exchange contact information by touching together their Pokens. This information is then sent to the accompanying mobile app, which can be reviewed at any time.

To make digital documents more accessible, Poken Touchpoints can be set up by vendors and event organizers. For example, if an attendee is interested in looking at the annual reports of a vendor’s company, the vendor can program their Touchpoint to digitally send that document to any user that touches their Poken to the Touchpoint. The documents can then be accessed via the mobile app.

Pokens and Touchpoints are customizable, allowing organizers and vendors to make each interaction unique. One of the company’s main goals is to make events digitized and therefore more environmentally-friendly; something that their Pokens undoubtedly do.

LiGo

LiGo is an event wearable, created by Limefy, that can be worn as a wristband, clip, or badge. Like the other wearables on this list, it works alongside a mobile app to provide more convenient networking opportunities to event attendees and vendors.

Getting set up with Ligo is simple. Attendees create a profile through the app that describes their interests and the type of people they’re looking to meet. The app and profile works mainly through hashtags, with attendees being matched with others based on similar hashtags as outlined in their profile.

To raise the likelihood that interactions will be productive to each individual involved, users are able to see a picture and name of other LiGo wearers with similar interests in the same vicinity. Then, through the mobile app, users can take a look at profile information to better prepare themselves for the interaction.

LiGo emphasizes productive networking, which saves attendees and vendors time. Each user is also provided with a personal web portal where contact information is stored for future review and follow up.

For organizers, the LiGo tool provides a unique opportunity to track session attendance and productivity without interrupting any of the attendee’s natural behaviors.

Conclusion

While there can be no denying the value of traditional face-to-face networking opportunities at events, technology can be leveraged to make these interactions easier and far more productive than in the past.

What are some of the capabilities and features that you would like to see from these unique tech tools in the future? Comment below and let us know!

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Janet Amistoso

Janet Amistoso holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She has a marketing background in the medical device, publishing, and trade show industries. Her professional background has allowed her to be an organizer, exhibitor, and attendee of conferences and trade shows. Now, with her position at The Meeting Pool, she's excited to work with organizers as a vendor and consultant to the meetings industry.
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