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Attendees spend a lot of time waiting. From the airport security line to the baggage carousel to the taxi queue, the experience of traveling to a conference includes plenty of wasted minutes. And when they arrive at the host venue, those attendees often have to continue watching the clock tick in the registration area.
However, some organizers may be able to eliminate the frustration of waiting to receive a name badge with a new technology that’s already starting to have an impact on the concert-going experience. Live-events behemoth Ticketmaster is partnering with ultrasonic audio-tech firm LISNR to let ticket holders into concerts and sporting events via signals transmitted from their smartphones. The technology doesn’t involve physical scanning; instead LISNR uses tones broadcasted from smartphones to verify an individual’s identity.
“Today’s business and educational events are still mainly driven by the RSVP or registration list,” Deja Amato, head of marketing at LISNR, told PCMA. “This requires a very manual and timely check-in process. With LISNR, that check-in process can be sped up significantly [by] using sound to identify the attendee as they enter the check-in area or approach the check-in attendant.”
Amato added that event organizers can “reinvent the entire process based on consumer behavior versus the current limitations of existing technology.” To use the technology, organizers and venues need to integrate LISNR’s SDK or API with their hardware and infrastructure to transmit the data via sound. LISNR charges an enterprise fee per device/attendee. For attendees, the process is simple. The signal can be broadcasted via mobile app, website, or link; there is no need to enable Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or NFC. Entrance areas won’t be dominated by chirping sounds, either. The signals are inaudible to more than 90 percent of the human population.
Meeting Attendee Expectations
Audio-based entrance won’t be the consumer norm by tomorrow. According to an article in VentureBeat, it will take approximately four years for Ticketmaster to complete its global rollout. However, the service is already available in some venues. As more people grow accustomed to greater convenience when they arrive to see their favorite band take the stage or their hometown football team compete, they’ll come to expect a similar hassle-free experience when they’re participating in trade shows, conferences, and business events.
Have you incorporated any new technologies to streamline the registration and check-in process at your events? Go to Catalyst to share your favorite new tools for simplifying your attendees’ lives.