Northstar

Feature COVER STORY 24 JAN-FEB 2019 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS MCMAG-ASIA.COM SMARTER TECHNOLOGY The embrace of interactive and experiential oerings is shifting from novelty to norm and technology can be seen as the enabler for engaging meetings. Venues and planners will be looking at ways to not just spice up events to keep audiences engaged, but also ensure that the overall conference experience is a much smoother one, from registration to the event's conclusion, improving eciency and productivity as a result. An increased focus on interactivity and connectivity will see mobile devices play a prominent role, while this year may also see the gradual introduction of facial and voice recognition technology for both convenience and security purposes. Left: A voting app; Below: 2017 Marriott The Road Ahead Conference at Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central "Advances in event technology are allowing forward-thinking planners to break away from dened parameters and use technology to increase engagement, capture valuable data, and cut time and cost. Augmented and virtual realities, alongside the internet of things are expanding the creative pool while online venue booking, meetings management tools and virtual or hybrid events are meeting the challenges of time-poor planners and participants." (pictured above) – Sam Lay, senior director, Asia Pacic, CWT Meetings & Events PHOTO CREDIT: ASIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE "Facial recognition technology is very useful as it optimises the processing speed required to register a large number of delegates. We are currently in the early stages of assessing the feasibility of introducing it in Sentosa." – Lynette Ang, chief marketing ocer, Sentosa Development Corporation "Smart technology will be a necessity rather than luxury. Many organisers are looking for more conducive interactive mobile technology from the agenda, event planning to the actual execution of the event. Experiential presentations with AR technology is fast becoming a new norm." – Sammy Carolus, Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit "Many of our customers are at the cutting edge of technological advances, particularly in the areas of event logistics (registration, crowd management, event apps) and social media platforms. The larger events we host are great at facilitating organic social media coverage on a variety of platforms, and the technology around that is very exciting." – Karen Choo, Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central "Planners can use debates to re up audiences and motivate them to be involved. I frequently use a voting system to see the result of the debate from the oor. I also use an application that can be used for voting and instant message, so that moderators get instant comments and questions for the audience." – Song Yi Kim, Chris & Partners

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