Gearfuse Technology, Science, Culture & More
Imagine being at a conference in which members of the audience are able to ask speakers questions. In a large event, passing a heavy microphone around can be a big bugbear. In steps Catchbox, a ‘throwable microphone’ that is easy to catch and which mutes itself as it flies through the air. It is housed in a soft ‘catch box’ that makes sharing fun and dynamic (and you can customize this box by adding your company’s logo and colors). This is just one of many technologies that are maximizing audience involvement and making events memorable. Read on to discover more!
Making it More Social
When it comes to capturing images of special events like weddings, the demand for nostalgia is booming, as is evidenced by the arrival of Social Playground—a live Instagram printer created by Australian developers. The printer captures photos containing the event’s hashtag and prints them out, giving guests high-resolution Polaroid-type shots in less than half a minute! Additional innovative tech for weddings includes robotic bartenders (choose your cocktail on a bar tablet and the robot will make it for you!), 3D wedding planning apps (used to design a wedding space), and online registry services (which enable couples to choose items from a diverse list, a far cry from traditional registries created at one or two stores).
Sharing Content from Musical Events
Imagine being able to upload recorded footage of yourself at a concert, while syncing your video with professionally recorded audio so your audience enjoys a top-level experience? FanFootage is making it happen, turning you into your favorite band’s personal video crew and allowing them to upload your footage and credit you for it. Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda is a fan of this technology, since it enables fans to access crowd-sourced music in a far more creative fashion than in the past.
R.F.I.D. Technology to Improve the Guest Experience
Radiofrequency technology (also known as R.F.I.D.) comprises an array of wireless technologies that create communication between a tag and a reader. The tag can be embedded into a wristband, card, badge, or other dedicated items given to guests. Wearers can use these tags to buy food and drinks (donating any balance left on their card after the event to a chosen charity). The tags can also be linked to social media accounts. If two people meet at an event and want to stay in touch, they can press a heart-shaped button at the same time and their Facebook names will be sent to each other via email. A third use for R.F.I.D. is to enable guests to access different parts of an event. Finally, event organizers can use the tags to study guest movement and discover more about which aspects of their conference, exhibit, or cultural event garnered the most interest.
It’s an exciting time for the events sector, thanks to new technological developments. Some (like Social Playground) have a mainly social purpose while others (including R.F.I.D.) combine social and organizational purposes. These and many other technological devices and apps are enabling events to be more dynamic, practical, and effective.
