Meetings technology consultant and speaker Corbin Ball, CMP, CSP, is enthusiastic about the potential for iPads and tablet computers at events: “The instant-on, intuitive interface with screens large enough to manage documents makes iPads and other tablet computers a natural for meetings and trade shows. They provide ben- efits for all parties involved: attendees
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(rich media, interactive conference programs, networking, and way-finding tools); exhibitors (for interactive kiosks, easier lead-exchange systems, appoint- ment scheduling, and survey tools); hoteliers (an intuitive, portable sales tool); and meeting planners (paperless conference binders eliminating the need to carry around four-inch-thick, three-ring binders full of paper).”
In addition, Ball feels that “mobile
technology will likely change events more in the next five years than tech- nology has in the last 20 years. We are in the golden age of app adoptions for events. Very soon, if you do not have an app for an event, attendees will wonder why the event is so behind the times.”