Fifteen years ago, I launched RFID Journal LIVE! because I was tired of writing for technology publications that cared not a whit about the quality of their products. The model was to give away large numbers of print magazines and sell ads based on the high circulation rate—never mind that the publications weren’t worth opening and probably weren’t opened. I decided to instead produce high-quality editorial that people would value.
RFID Journal has been producing high-quality news articles and longer feature stories and case studies. Many people around the world appreciate what we do and rely on us to provide the education that will help them launch a successful RFID project.
We took a similar approach to our events. We put a lot of effort into attracting great speakers, organizing the event well and providing attendees with tools that would allow them to get the most out of the conference. Unfortunately, it’s more difficult to promote an event than a news site. You can go RFIDJournal.com and read a lot of great articles that are freely available, but you can’t sample an event.
Still, those who attend our events are as pleased as our website’s readership. We asked all end users who attended LIVE! 2017 to respond to a survey after the event, and 122 did so. We asked them to tell us, using a scale of one to 10, how effective the event was in meeting their objectives. One would mean it didn’t meet their objectives at all, five would mean it met their objectives and 10 would mean it far exceeded their objectives. Four percent said it met their objectives, 91 percent said it exceeded them, and 68 percent of respondents gave the event an 8, 9 or 10 out of 10.
More than 90 percent of attendees said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the quantity and quality of attendees. In terms of overall satisfaction, 94 percent said they were satisfied or very satisfied, with 40 percent giving the event a 9 or 10 out of 10.
Here are a few other relevant results from the survey:
• 72 percent said LIVE! was very important in sourcing products.
• 85 percent said LIVE! is a must-attend show.
• 90 percent found new products at the event.
• 88 percent said seeing a product at LIVE! is influential or very influential in purchasing decisions.
• 70 percent said seeing a product at LIVE! is more influential than seeing it online or other options available.
• 94 percent said they are likely or very likely to recommend LIVE! to a colleague.
• 86 percent said they are likely to attend LIVE! 2018.
I point out the results of our attendee survey because, yes, I am very proud of the quality of our event. But I also want to let people know, if they are wondering whether it is worth the time and expense to attend, that the answer is almost certainly “yes.” If you seek an RFID solution to a business issue, such as excessive inventory, poor shipping accuracy or a lack of supply chain visibility, RFID can help. RFID Journal’s events are where you can hear from other companies like yours speak objectively about how they used the technology, and then meet the solution providers that can provide the technology you need.
I know some companies think they can deploy an RFID solution without attending an RFID conference and exhibition. This is short-sighted, in my opinion. Even if you have a straight-forward application, such as tracking mobile assets, you could wind up paying more for tags or readers, or you might miss an opportunity to use the technology in a way you never considered. With that in mind, I hope I see you all at one of our events later this year, or at LIVE! 2018, which will be held in Orlando, Fla., on Apr. 10-12.
Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal. If you would like to comment on this article, click on the link below. To read more of Mark’s opinions, visit the RFID Journal Blog, the Editor’s Note archive or RFID Connect.