Apple watches: a new IT revolution on the tourism market or just one more gadget?

The new Apple watch just went out on 25^th april and it seems that tourism actors rely on this new product. Even if it is not an innovation as the same kind of product already exists on the market since more than 2 years, the brand fame can bring a positive change for the development of smart watches. Thomas Husson, vice-president of the Forrester Institute, estimates that about 10 million Apple watches will be sold in 2015.

An article of the French online newspaper “L’echo touristique” by Souen Léger, shows that the different sectors of the tourism industry want to benefit from this product in different ways and some big players already launched their application compatible with the Apple watch. 

You can now use the Apple Watch with different transport applications: voyage-sncf, airline companies such as American Airline or Air France but also Uber and Taxis G7. Hotel chains are also innovating. As an example Starwood makes it possible for the guest to open his door with the Apple watch. Accor also bets on the Apple watch to improve services and make all the information easily accessible to the customers. Even GDS are now on the trend as Sabre made its application Tripcase compatible with it. Finally users of the Apple Watch will be able to use geolocation in cities to orientate themselves, take transports but also use something as useful as Tripadvisor.

What if smart watches were the next revolution in the IT world? Until now it was nothing but a revolution. However Apple has shown its brand power through the years and its new product follows the same path than the previous launches in terms of design and elegance. As an Apple watch cannot be used without an iphone, some experts already question its real utility. However the target is the same than people having an iphone, in other terms people that can afford having an iphone could afford having an Apple watch. Having an Apple watch can become a fashion trend. If it gets the same success than the iphone, it will be sold in mass and tourism actors will be more and more willing to adapt their offer to this small feature. The possibilities brought by the product will increase and it will become more and more convenient to have one. We are not yet at this point and smart watches have to prove themselves.

Do big companies of the tourism industries really choose to invest on this new product only because its functionalities enable to improve the customer comfort? It is quite questionable. I-watches are the perfect device to get even closer to the customer in a time when the big challenge for companies is DATA. If we take for example a guest hotel, smart watches could enable hotel chains to know their customers habits and behaviours much better. These data would enable to market better the offer to the customer and personalize it to finally make higher sales and increase the profit. What about privacy? Technologies evolve; our world change and we are getting more and more manipulated without knowing it. It would be useful to think critically before buying this kind of device. Will it be useful? Will it really make the difference? 

Laetitia BURET

Alexis BLOTTIERE

Sources:

http://www.tourmag.com/Le-tourisme-se-met-a-l-heure-de-l-Apple-Watch_a73632.html

http://www.etourisme-feng-shui.com/2014/09/15/iwatch-quels-grands-enjeux-pour-le-monde-du-voyage/

http://www.tourmag.com/Apple-Watch-opportunite-en-or-ou-en-toc-pour-le-tourisme_a72724.html

http://www.lechotouristique.com/article/tripadvisor-succombe-a-l-apple-watch,73970

http://www.lechotouristique.com/article/ces-entreprises-du-voyage-qui-parient-sur-l-apple-watch,74159

http://www.journaldunet.com/ebusiness/internet-mobile/accor-apple-watch.shtml

Near Field Communication (NFC): All for Event Success

The development of mobile technology bring lots of convenience and surprises to people’s life; meanwhile, some special mobile techniques, like NFC, injecting new vitality to events. Inadvertently, NFC has come around our life. In recent years, plenty of the Android and iPhone use this technology on their phone. People have to admit that with the popularity of hardware, NFC become the first choice of file sharing, data exchange and device connection, etc. which also bring great convenience to event attendees and event planners.

NFC (Near Field Communication), also known as the short-range wireless communications, is a short-range high-frequency wireless communication technology, allowing for non-contact-point data transmission between electronic devices (within ten centimeters) to exchange data. The technology consists of a contact-free radio frequency identification (RFID) evolved, backward compatible with RFID, first developed by Sony and Philips, mainly used in mobile phones and other handheld devices to provide M2M (Machine to Machine) communication.

In event, NFC technology helps event planners to coordinate all aspects of planning matters, such as the collection and integration of more effective information without communicate with attendees, omitted a lot of manual processes, speed up and improve the efficiency. Also, the NFC technology Offer gamification features such as scavenger hunts, so that more participants enjoy the feeling of participating in event. It can also be smart send useful message to attendee roles directly, making the whole event process more simplify. For event attendees, NFC can facilitate automatic social media posting, if attendees participate in fun events like photo booths, they also could get more information about this event during the presentations through their smartphones. When they want to have meals and drinks, they can use smartphone to pay for the meals, it is more free style, giving the attendees more choices.

In Conclusion, NFC technology allows event attendees to have more channels to get information about their events, they can understand more and enjoy their event participate process. Meeting organizers can easily access the more effective information about the attendees to perfect their customer database, and more understand their participants’ mindset and needs, better serve them.

Resources:

http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/near-field-communication

Going Paperless for your Events

With the coming of information era, wireless network applications and touch screen technology improvements such as the iPad, Kindle Fire and Android tablets, paperless intelligent meetings has become a new trend. Offering attendees all the materials they need electronically is becoming one of the main trends in event industry.

From the event planer point of view, when planning an event, they have to print out large copies of participants’ packs. Since paper documents are heavy, difficult to search, back up, share, and not environmental friendly, why not organize paperless events instead of traditional ones?

Source: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com

The Benefits of a Paperless Conference

Information at your fingertips

The participants can simply refer to the meeting content at anytime on the tablet devices. Event planer just need to provide your information and do not have to print copies of presentation slides.

Convenient

By using electronic materials, participants can have all the information on their tablet devices. So the participant can just carry the tablet devices instead of a conference booklet or bundles of paper.

Green

This is an excellent way to be eco friendly. Using electronic materials instead of paper documents will save lots of paper.

Cater for last minute changes

During the events, anything can change even at the last minute. Using a tablet device, changes can be made easily and quickly. You can manually cross items out from your system.

Take away

The paperless system can make it continent to participants who want to take away conference booklets and papers. They can even receive any notes they have taken.

Source: http://www.taiden.com

Strategies for creating a paperless conference

Create an event app

A comprehensive event app is necessary for a paperless event. The app will be able to provide all the updated information of the event and the access to download all the documents including presentation slides. It will be convenient to allow users to take notes and make bookmarks in the slides. The app should be easy-to-use and be able to work without Internet connection.

Reward attendees that support your efforts

It will be encouraging to reward attendees and exhibitors who support your paperless efforts. You can make a special icon on the badges or the booths to indicate their paperless choice. You can offer special gifts or even discount for their registration or booth.

Communicate more with attendees

You should communicate with attendees in advance to make them understand why you are making your events paperless. During the event, you should interact with them onsite and through event app to see what they need regarding to the paperless working environment. After the event you should ask for feedback and make evaluation.

In conclusion, going paperless is the trend that is worthy to paying effort for. And it needs the efforts from both the event planners and attendees.

Authors:

Hongyin ZHANG & Bao WANG

Sources:

http://www.groupdynamics.co.uk/articles/the-benefits-of-a-paperless-conference/

http://www.corbinball.com/articles_technology/index.cfm?fuseaction=cor_av&artID=8892

http://ativsoftware.com/2012/07/10-strategies-towards-paperless-events-conferences-and-meetings/

Smartwatch: a new way to change event technology

Smartwatch is a computerized watch with functionality that is enhanced beyond timekeeping. While early models can perform basic tasks, such as calculations, translations, and game-playing, modern smartwatches are effectively wearable computers. 

Source

Since smartwatches have been around for years, event technology companies have finally been put on notice. 

Here are the possible advantages of using smartwatches in events.

On-site registration

Similar to NFC payments, attendees could hold their smartwatch next to a registration terminal. Identifying information is passed, and attendees are instantly registered.

Breakout room homing beacons

At large events, finding your meeting or breakout room is hard enough, as you have to wade through a sea of fellow attendees. Now imagine your smartwatch giving you simple navigation through the halls.

Event notifications

Smartwatches are more effective at alerting people to notifications, and with a quick flick of the wrist, attendees will see what needs to be communicated.

Networking serendipity beacon

Like event notifications, you might not notice your phone if it’s in your bag or pocket, but you will certainly feel your watch’s haptic feedback.

In-session audience participation

Smartwatches can literally measure your heartbeat, so they are a natural fit for receiving notifications and glances on the pulse of your audience.

Smartwatches can impact events in many ways, but these impacts circle around a few key themes: glances, notifications, and proximity. As we see smartwatches showing up in ever-greater numbers, we should be thinking about how we can leverage them to create better experiences.

Sourcing:

http://www.conferences.io/blog/2015/04/15/5-ways-the-apple-watch-will-change-live-event-technology-forever/?utm_content=buffer6b63b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

http://www.techradar.com/news/wearables/best-smart-watches-what-s-the-best-wearable-tech-for-you--1154074

Booking Now - the new wearable technology trend

We live in an era in which technology serves the needs of travellers and companies. Nowadays, It has become critical to incorporate new technologies in the management of tourism businesses. IT technologies are a tool for improving the operations of facilities and allow companies to better understand and manage their clients (before, during and after their stay), and enable them to understand their competition better. An IT trend that evolves continuously is wearable technologies. Since the wearable headset has been introduced in the far 1960’s, Generation Y was not even born; so we can see the technology of wearable’s has passed through a fast development.

Booking.com is one company that understood that in order to stay highly competitive, it has to incorporate the use of wearable technology.

Indeed, Booking.com launched a new application for Apple watch on April 24^th 2015, the so-called Booking Now. This app allows customers to book their accommodation via the Apple watch by the new Apple technology ‘force touch’. Through the application the users are not only able to save the location of the hotel that they have chosen but also to “turn-by-turn navigation to direct them quickly to the accommodation” as they have announced on their newsletter. What is really impressive is the fact that the Apple watch “remembers” the hotel room number so as the travellers never forget it. Finally, the app is accessible in 15 languages and doesn’t contain any extra fees during the booking process.

It might seem that future business travellers will use smart watches for sure. But there are also some hurdles and worries that users should keep in mind. Right now the battery life is not enduring for a long time. There will be some development for sure over the next years, but right now the capacity is limited. As business travellers have to rely on their devices, right now it is not well thought in order to be effective to work with. Furthermore, the bandwidth has not been very developed yet. Lastly, there is always the security factor that plays an important role when it comes to new technology. The user does not always know who has access to the data he is exchanging with its device or cloud. Sometimes the company behind the software has access to the device and uses its data. There is also the possibility that the data is given to third parties for research or marketing purposes.

We will see in the next weeks and months how the technology is going to evolve and if leisure or business travellers are going to use wearable technology in the coming future.

Source: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7504251-booking-travel-app-for-apple-watch/

Pixe Social: Pic your audience!

Pixe

twitter.com

makes your attendees connected and fan to your brand!



Pixe Social was launched in 2013 and since this date, the company register an increasing  number of users. Also large events have made the choice to use this application to attract and to engage the attendees to their event.

For instance, IMEX America in 2014 which Pixe Social, with the ‘Encore Photo Booth app’ has boosted the number of Facebook fans to 17 415, for the event.  Pixe Social is a photo-sharing solution for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram that you can use on your smartphone with, tablets with Pixe Snap or with Pixe Wall.

pixesocial.com

PixeSnap is a free app where the attendee can take a snap and share it during the event. PixeEncore is a way to make your attendee become an ambassador of your brand, you can change the back ground of the picture with the brand name and with a landscape for instance (thanks to the famous green background). PixeWall is like a basic Photo Booth where you have the name of the brand and the attendees come and make funny picture, and with Pixe Social there are simultaneously share on social media.

It is the same principle of a photo booth. The participant can share instantaneously their moment
For once, this app is very easy to use and the attendees doesn’t have to log in to use it. As it concern the event planner point of of view, again, for once, Pixe Social is useful and simple to design. It takes very few minutes to set up with your brand’s logo, to configure and to start using it.

The main features of the brand are related to the engagement for the brand and the CRM.
Regarding the commitment, you can make pictures with the logo’s brand (Pixe Social and the one of the company which make the event). You can share instantaneously share your photo via social media and through this promote the event and have the possibility to reach more likes for your brand (one last task for the busy event planner!).

As far as it concern the CRM, as you may increase the number of followers or likes on your social media pages you will be able to increase the number of e-mail addresses and your database. It is brief and very efficient. You may also encourage you customer to grow in the ‘pyramid of relationship’. A simple customer can become an ambassador. In terms of CRM, it allows your company to increase its customer’s and e-mail’s database.

Besides, this application, as many others, has its advantages and disadvantages.

+ You can use it in how many devices and events you want.
+ As you many now, as event manager or future one, WIFI in many venues is not 100% reliable. That’s why you can use Pixe Social offline.
+You can use it on any devices you want in any event you want. As you want!

But…(nobody’s perfect)

-You cannot insure good photo’s quality.
-Some attendees can be bored with all the this pictures.
-You may not want to give your contacts to have the photo. 

pinterest.com

It is a paying application and you can have an annual contract for less than $500 (or monthly agreement for less than $900). As it as been mentioned before, the app can be used on different devices (mobile, tablets, etc) for different  events.

Pixe Social is a useful tool obviously for event managers, who want to promote their brand, make the attendees loyal to the brand and increase their CRM database and for the attendees who wants to share their amazing moment to the events through the social media. It is a win-win mobile device application!

Source: http://www.pixesocial.com/public/enter.aspx

Eletrodes guide your legs through streets

The objective of this new technology is to guide people when they are walking around in order to encourage them to go in the right way without using a map.

The electrodes fixed on their legs simulate the human locomotion system and control the walking direction.

This invention is supposed to ease the travelers’ journey by avoiding them to always have to keep an eye on a map or a phone. It would be helpful for old, blind people and others that cannot find their way easily.

The electrodes affect a muscle named the sartorius that is located from the knee to the top of the thigh. This muscle receives like a soft electric discharge that will guide the legs to walk in a specific direction.

Students have tested this cruise control for pedestrians. They could notice that all the movements were made unconsciously; the journey is set up on a mobile phone, allowing the users to seat and have a break if they want to. Max Pfeiffer, a student of the University of Hannover works on this project and admitted that this new technology is difficult to accept. He insists on the importance of the wearable technology, the augmented reality and is confident on the fact that people will get used to the new technologies and will adopt them.

For now, the device was only tested on students that created the project and guided through sending message over Bluetooth. The objective of this cruise control for pedestrians is to lead to a mobile application. Navigation software could be set up in order to limit the use of the phone to encourage users to complete a journey by zaps from their mobile.

The scientist Pfeiffer compares it project to Google Maps saying that ‘ When I use Google Maps and I navigate somewhere, I am always pulling my mobile out of my pocket to check’. The main objective of the electrodes is to avoid this; the user just say where he wants to go and he will arrive there. This allows the user not to spend too much time on the screen of his phone to see where he has to turn. Then he has more time to enjoy the landscape and exploring the streets he is going through. The scientist also proposes that it could be use by groups, not only individuals. For instance when you are in a stadium or in crowed places.

Other technologies have been created to explain people precise skills; for the scientists working on this project, the electrodes will be used a lot by people and will have an important role in the way people travel and discover a new city.

Sources:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/new-invention-zaps-peoples-legs-with-electrodes-to-guide-them-through-streets-10172274.html?icn=puff-10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCQjNWQb9Wg