Jan 30, 2013RFID Journal today announced the introduction of a new smartphone application that synchs seamlessly with the company's RFID Connect social-media and event-planning Web site, thereby enabling RFID Journal LIVE! attendees to research sessions they wish to attend, exhibitors they would like to visit and attendees they want to meet online, and to create a daily planner they can then bring to the conference on their Apple iPhone or Android mobile phones. Any sessions, meetings or to-dos added to an attendee's event planner online will be synched with the smartphone app, and any items added via phone will be reflected on the Web site.
"We looked at half a dozen hosted smartphone applications for events, but they could not be customized to synch with rfidconnect.com," says Mark Roberti, RFID Journal's founder and editor. "This custom-built app works seamlessly with the Web site, and will give our attendees the best event experience possible."
Easy to use and completely intuitive, the free mobile application includes the following features:
• Agenda: Attendees can browse the agenda by day or session type, or search for keywords, and then add sessions to their personalized daily planner. The app can remind attendees 15 minutes before a session starts, and allow them to rate sessions.
• Exhibitors: Visitors can search for exhibitors by name, product category or industry solution, as well as view exhibitor profiles and add vendors they want to visit to their to-do list.
• Interactive floor plan: Guests can add exhibitors they would like to visit to their to-do list, and those companies will then be highlighted on the floor plan. They can also highlight exhibitors by product category (tags, readers, middleware and so forth) or industry solution (health care, manufacturing, retail, etc.).
• Planner: Attendees can add conference sessions, meeting appointments and to-dos to their personalized schedule. Any items added via rfidconnect.com will automatically be synched with their smartphone app, and vice versa.
• Facility information: Guests can view a map of the conference facility.
• Passport program: Visitors can scan a QR Code upon visiting a booth, in order to win a wide variety of prizes.
• Best in Show: Each year, RFID Journal gives an award for the best new product displayed at the LIVE! conference and exhibition, as part of its RFID Journal Awards. Attendees can vote for these products via the app, and RFID Journal's editors will tally the votes prior to choosing a winner.
• Coolest Demo Contest: Guests can visit booths at LIVE! featuring a Cool Demo and cast a vote via the smartphone app.
• Speakers: Attendees can view a list of speakers and send e-mail introductions to particular individuals.
• Facebook and Twitter: Visitors can post status updates or tweets directly from the phone app.
• Alerts: Attendees can receive updates about breaking news and happenings at the conference.
"We have invested a lot of time and money to create an application that will help attendees find the exhibitors offering the solutions they need," Roberti states. "I have no doubt that by using the RFID Connect Web site prior to LIVE!, and the smartphone app during the event, attendees will be able to get the most value out of this year's conference"
The iPhone version of the app is currently available at Apple's App Store. The Android version is expected to be made available from Google Play by the end of this month.
