Northstar

Some are simply experiments — kernels of great things on the horizon — while others herald major advances in nascent technologies that are sure to break out and go mainstream. All are ideas worth watching and considering for your own events in the year ahead. 1. Education everywhere Bringing classrooms onto the floor of a trade show makes learning more accessible while keeping participants near exhibitors. The International Association of Exhibitions and Events and the IBTM shows are having success with this practice, making the exhibit hall a central education point, increasing traffic and gaining extra revenue by charging exhibitors to be featured in mini sessions. At IAEE's Expo! Expo! last month in Baltimore, short topical programs were offered three ways: • The Meet Up Pavilion, a casual networking space in the centre of the show floor, presented small sessions on a range of topics. • A "SwimUp TECHbar" was hosted by experts who provided one-on-one technology advice. • Campfire Sessions on various industry topics were held at the back of the hall, while tech topics were covered in the TechCenter. 2. Retention tools Education is a key component of most meetings, but how effective is it? What are attendees actually learning from sessions and speakers, and do they retain the information afterward? While it's important to make each session relevant and interactive, it's also critical to follow up with attendees, reminding them of what they learned and imparting more nuggets to help them retain and use the information. Will Thalheimer, Ph.D., president of Work-Learning Research espouses a theory called "subscription learning" Nearly four years ago, deceased rapper Tupac Shakur came back to life to perform onstage with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, both of whom remain officially among the living. That proved one of the more memorable uses of holograms of late, but the technology also is showing some potential for use in meetings. (subscriptionlearning.com). The concept requires follow-up information to be delivered periodically to extend the educational process. Several tech tools are designed to ensure that attendees will absorb the bits of information that you send. These include Cameo (cameo.net), Q MINDshare (count5.com) and Mindmarker (mindmarker.com). Each can deliver quizzes, challenges or other interactive media to help attendees apply their learning in the workplace. To involve speakers in the process, ask them to sit for a quick video interview after their presentations. Ask them: What five minutes of additional material do you wish you had shared? What is the first thing attendees should do when they're back at their desks? What would you tell them in three months? Send out these video snippets at staggered intervals after the event to reinforce learning. 3. Holograms onstage Nearly four years ago, deceased rapper Tupac Shakur came back to life to NH Hotel execs share the stage via holographic technology. perform onstage with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, both of whom remain officially among the living. That proved one of the more memorable uses of holograms of late, but the technology also is showing some potential for use in meetings. The NH Hotel Group unveiled a 3-D holographic telepresence system last year for testing in Berlin; Milan, Italy; and Rotterdam, Netherlands, as well as in its high-tech flagship NH Collection Eurobuilding in Madrid, Spain. The lodging provider drew crowds with its display of said technology at the Global Business Travel Association's convention last July in Orlando. The system is gearing its hotel installations toward business meetings, for purposes such as showcasing speakers who interact in real time with meeting attendees from a remote location. 4. Beacon breakout Beacons and Bluetooth Low Energy- driven apps provide location-based functionality where GPS has notoriously failed. While widespread adoption has been slow, the recent

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