PCMA debuted Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology at its 2005 Annual Meeting in Hawaii, mainly for the purpose of tracking Continuing Education Units (CEUs). This year's meeting presented another opportunity for PCMA and Laser Registration to showcase the technology to attendees in the form of a "Meetings Xperiment," and to broaden the amount and scope of information captured. Deployed at two of the general sessions and 23 other educational sessions, the technology captured everything from session attendance to the specific demographics of the room at any given time throughout the session - and generated reports about those demographics in terms of registration category, tenure, years in the industry, and chapter affiliation.

Yea or Nay?

While RFID captured information about attendees, the Xperiment format created the ideal opportunity to capture their feedback. What were attendees' reactions? Most of those surveyed do not currently use the technology at their own meetings, but a slight majority responded that they were "very" or "somewhat likely" to utilize the technology within the next 12-18 months. One attendee's prediction: "It will become the standard for large meetings within another few years."

Nearly all of the attendees surveyed agreed that implementing this technology would improve their meeting or trade show. The majority felt RFID would be most helpful in tracking CEUs. Others were more excited about not only being able to accurately track attendance, but also identify specific attendance patterns. As one attendee noted, "Being able to evaluate who attended which sessions can help us plan better for next year." Still others were more impressed by the implications of using the technology as a tool to attract more exhibitors to their trade shows, as RFID enables exhibitors to capture pertinent information about those who are walking the trade show floor.

Despite the enthusiasm exhibited by many attendees, the Xperiment was met with some degree of reservation. The largest issue centered around privacy and the "Big Brother" perception still associated with the technology. Some respondents voiced concerns not only about attendee acceptance, but also how to explain this new technology to those attendees who are not tech-savvy.

In reality, the RFID technology makes people "just about as exposed as driving around with a license plate on the back of their car," said Tony Melis, Laser Registration's vice president of business development. He added, "RFID resembles tracking the traffic at an intersection. We count the number of cars that pass, the number of trucks, SUVs, and vans. With this information, we can decide to build a wider road to handle the capacity or redirect heavier traffic around the city. We're not interested in counting how many times a specific person passed through the intersection."

As with any new technology, inaccuracies are always a concern, but Melis is confident that enough data was captured from each of the sessions where RFID was present to provide an accurate analysis.

While some choose to remain skeptical of the technology, the ultimate purpose of the "Xperiment" was not lost on the majority of those surveyed, and many even commended PCMA for trying this new and innovative technology. In the words of one attendee, "It is important for me that my association is as technologically advanced as possible."