MPI Toronto Chapter Blog

Are You on (Google) Alert?

As many of us experience, we are often overwhelmed by news and information, and it is increasingly difficult to filter information for what we really need to know. That's why I use Google Alerts - so a daily email can provide me with headlines from around the internet on my 'keywords' of interest. A quick scan, a few clicks on the salient articles and I'm informed without being overwhelmed.

I've discovered great pieces of information and commentary on the meetings industry. A few recent examples include:

• A great commentary by Mitchell Beer on the Shape of the Meetings Industry (http://meetingsnet.com/corporatemeetingsincentives/news/1013-meeting-industry-pressures/)
• Business Travel Outlook Survey Info (http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-10-12-business-travel-outlook_N.htm)
• Announcement on Virtual Event Research (http://www.virtualedge.org/articles/index/view?id=1651552:Article:6709)

If you aren't already using Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/alerts) give it a try.

MPI Toronto on LinkedIn and FaceBook

Looking for more ways to connect to industry colleagues? We have started an MPI Toronto Group on LinkedIn and FaceBook.

LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1888685)

Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=82057840663) 

Tech Notes

I discovered a cool little web application this week that synchronizes your bookmarks between computers (and browsers).  If you're anything like me I have a home and office computer, plus I have two browsers that I flip between on both so my bookmark collection was getting a little out of hand.

Foxmarks (www.foxmarks.com) is a neat little web application that you can use to ensure you have access to all your bookmarks on all your computers. Plus you can sort, and have a back-up of your bookmarks in the event that you experience a browser or computer breakdown.

Nikki

What's Allowed in Your Meeting Room?

As we begin to wind down the holiday season, for many of us it is a relief to see 2008 come to a close. A year of ups and downs in many business sectors we can look at 2009 with the optimism that a new year brings.

So what is in store for 2009? Your guess is as good as mine. What I do know is that technology is going to continue to change - new tools and gadgets, new ways of interaction on the internet, and new challenges for technophobes.

There was an interesting article in the January 2009 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine on whether technology gadgets like BlackBerrys and smartphones should be banned from meetings. For those interested, here's the link to the article: http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2009/january/199070.html . I know that I find it annoying at meetings when others are using their phones.

The MPI Toronto Chapter Board agreed no phones during their Board meetings. After all, we survived before we all had smart phones. I believe this has increased the level of involvement in the meetings because everyone is paying attention.

What's your company policy? Do you have one? Are your meetings gadget free? Post a comment if you have something to share.

Happy New Year!

Nikki

Pecha Kucha - PowerPoint with Adrenaline

So what is Pecha Kucha anyway? 20 ppt slides, 20 seconds per slide = only 6 minutes and 40 seconds and the presentation is done! Sign me up... where can I attend those sessions? The Youtube clip embedded in this blog is a great demonstration of pecha kucha in action.

In today's world I have less time to do anything so give me the information NOW, I said NOW because I'm multi-tasking and I can't stop because there is a list of 100 things that I have to do so I have to keep going and going until... Well, I think you get the point.

Pecha Kucha would seem to fit right in with the need for information quickly. And while this format may not be appropriate for all meetings, it offers an interesting element of high-visual, succinct presentation which may just offer the necessary shake-up to the talking head syndrome that a lot of conferences and events suffer from.

I am hoping that readers of this blog will be able to offer further insights into pecha kucha - have you used it? How did it work? Did it enhance or hinder the  meeting? What was the learning curve for the presenter?

For more information check out these sites:

• http://meetingsnet.com/technology/pecha_kucha_powerpoint/
• http://michelemartin.typepad.com/thebambooprojectblog//2008/04/a-primer-on-pec.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecha_Kucha

Nikki

RFID - Who's Where When

I read a little snippet in the September 2008 edition of Fast Company on radio-frequency ID (RFID) technology. Las Vegas is host to an RFID Convention and casinos use RFID tags to track everything from gambling chips to staff uniforms. It's amazing how a 'not new' technology is revolutionizing the way many businesses operate.

In the meetings industry, we are most familiar with RFID technology usage at trade shows and large events. The benefits of this technology include attendance tracking, CEU credit tracking, lead retrieval, messaging systems, and so on.

In an article on The Return of the Essential Conference in the August 2008 issue of One+ (http://www.mpiweb.org/cms/mpiweb/mpicontent.aspx?id=19366), technology is listed as growing in importance for meetings. I think this to be true. The key will be how well meeting professionals use the technological tools at their disposal to demonstrate the value of meetings as well as enhancing the meeting experience. RFID technology is just one of the many tools at the  meeting professionals disposal.

So do the attendees notice or care about the use of RFID technology? The usual concerns over security and privacy arise, resistance to change may play a factor, but at some point, RFID or similar wireless technology will likely be common place in our industry. It simply makes sense… no more wondering where the President's at… we'll track them. I myself always feel the urge to run amok just to mess with the system (Seriously… I wouldn't do that.)

Please post a comment if you that are using this technology in your events - large or small - and share the pros and cons that you have experienced. Or, if you are an expert on this technology, share some insights into how meeting professionals can best utilize it.

For more information on RFID technology, check out these resources:

• http://www.mpiweb.org/CMS/mpiweb/wiki/wiki_content.aspx?wikiid=38
• http://www.mpiweb.org/CMS/mpiweb/mpicontent.aspx?id=3022
• http://www.meetingsfocus.com/displayarticle.asp?id=6706
• http://meetingsnet.com/technology/other/meetings_decoding_rfid/
• http://www.tradeshowweek.com/blog/1620000362/post/1650013165.html?nid=3669