Northstar

Jul-Aug 2016 37 meetings & conventions • mcmag-asia.com 26th annual McHenry's Soberfest, held in Lake Geneva, Wis., in November, had a designated room for yoga, guided meditation and more. IMEX America added a meditation room to its show this past October, where trainer Lee Papa led "centering exercises" each morning as well as daily guided meditations. 8. Play time Adding fun elements to sessions and playrooms at meetings can lighten the mood and open the door to fresh ideas. A playroom powered by Play With a Purpose was set up at the recent IMEX America, complete with colorful furniture arranged for small classes and conversations. People also could make bracelets for a children's hospital, post ideas via sticky-notes on a brainstorming wall and play with creative toys. Hotels are getting in on this trend too. Notably, meeting planners using the Four Seasons Hotel Austin can add a complimentary "Inspiration Station" amenity as a meeting break. The area is stocked with crayons, coloring pages and other fun items. "We're always looking for additional ways to add value for meeting groups," says Steve Marley, the property's director of catering. "Planners have been incredibly enthusiastic about the idea, and we're looking forward to further enhancements." 9. Measuring mood Advances in mobile and on-site event technology are producing a mountain of data to be mined. Can we use any of it to measure attendee sentiment, engagement and emotion? Yes, say a growing number of tech innovators. Consider Amsterdam, Netherlands- based Sightcorp's CrowdStats Audience Analytics Solu tion, which detects attendee faces via cameras and analyses their emotional response to what they're seeing. A CrowdStats report from a trade-show floor can provide insight into attendee mood, as well as demographics, traffic and engagement. The software, still in beta, has been tested at several TEDx events. "We can now monitor how the audience experiences services, products or content in real time," explains Sightcorp CEO Jan Pruis, "and measure dwell-time in certain locations for specific gender, age and ethnicity subgroups." Your iPhone likely is already tracking your steps and distance travelled (via the Health app). Are attendees excited about a keynote speaker? An analysis of heart-rate data (which the Apple Watch can provide) could become part of a mobile app platform's event report. 10. Face-to-face interface Auto desk, a design and engineering software developer based in San Rafael, Calif., is piloting a very innovative idea. Members of the company's user- interface design team are taking their skills to the trade-show floor, with the goal of creating more engaging customer experiences. At the April 2015 National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas, Autodesk UX designer Susi Holman studied how attendees engaged with the company's presence at the booth. Among elements examined were where, when and how many people sat in the booth theater, and when and why people outside the booth watched what was happening. "We can use this kind of analysis to determine if we are using our space, our design and our content scheduling in the best possible manner," notes Laura Bell Way, CMP, CMM, the company's senior manager of global customer events. Clockwise from top left: This statue watched over IMEX America's meditation room. The TechCenter showcase at IAEE's Expo! Expo! The spirit of play was widespread at IMEX America, both on the show floor, above, and in the playroom.

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