Mar 30, 2011At RFID Journal LIVE! 2011, attendees will be able to connect with their Facebook accounts in real time, simply by swiping their RFID-enabled conference badges at "Like" and "Check-in" kiosks located at the conference. They'll also be able to take pictures of themselves and their colleagues at booth 125 in the event's exhibit hall, and those photos will then be posted to their Facebook accounts automatically.
"RFID greatly enhances social media by providing a deep level of engagement with online networks, and requires no effort from users," says Mark Roberti, RFID Journal's founder and editor. "We thought the industry that provides such cutting-edge technology should be using it as well, so every visitor will now have the opportunity to opt in and immediately update their Facebook pages with all of the cool stuff they do at the conference, without having to text, fumble for phones or log in."
The RFID Social Media Program is driven by RFID software firm ODIN and its EasyConnect solution.
"RFID and social media are exploding together—from Vail Resorts to the Super Bowl, every major marketing event will have RFID engagement within the next 24 months," says ODIN's founder, Patrick J. Sweeney II. "That's why we worked with Facebook to develop EasyConnect, to offer a Facebook-ready RFID solution. We're thrilled that RFID Journal will be putting the technology to the test."
To participate in the RFID Social Media Program, LIVE! attendees can access a secure log-on page at one of the kiosks, at which they can undergo a 30-second registration process. Once the process is complete, they will then be able to take their show badges and use them to Check-in to each educational and entertainment session, by waving the badges in the vicinity of a nearby kiosk. At the end of those sessions, they'll be able to "Like" them or not—simply by walking by a kiosk and waving their badges.
RFID Journal LIVE! will also conduct a preconference seminar, RFID-Enhanced Social Networking, which will feature case studies presented by companies using radio frequency identification to link real-world marketing events with Facebook and other social-media sites. These companies will include Bling Nation, Vail Resorts and Vitro, which ran a campaign at the New York City Marathon for athletic shoe manufacturer ASICS (see ASICS Uses RFID to Inspire Marathon Runners).
"This is a great opportunity for marketers to come and learn about how RFID is connecting the real world and social-media sites to create more buzz and more customer loyalty," Roberti states.
