IBTM World 2017 Technology Watch Awards Recognize Outstanding Event Industry Tech Achievements
December 7, 2017
The ibtm Technology Watch Award winners for 2017 were announced at the most recent ibtm world, held Nov. 28-30 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain.
As the longest-running awards program of its kind, the ibtm Technology Watch awards recognize the achievements of new and innovative event industry technologies, ensuring that the achievements of talented entrepreneurs looking to revolutionize the meetings and events sector are duly acknowledged.
There were three categories for this year’s nominations: Logistics and Production, Management and Marketing and Audience Engagement.
All entries were reviewed by an independent judging panel of experts who are considered influencers in the field of technology, headed up by Corbin Ball, owner of Corbin Ball Associates and comprising Michelle Bruno, president of Bruno Group Signature Events; Dahlia El Gazzar, founder of DAHLIA+ Inc; Ruud Janssen, founder of TNOC.org and co-founder of EMG; Pádraic Gilligan, managing partner at SoolNua; Paul Hussey, director of The Conference Doctor and Julius Solaris, founder and editor of Event MB.
Sciensio was judged the overall winner for its Concierge Eventbot, winning the Audience Engagement category, while SharedXP Limited won the Logistics and Production award and Conference Pulse took the Management and Marketing category.
“We had an incredibly strong field of entries this year, making it a challenging task to decide on the winner,” Ball said.
Sciensio is an emerging technology supplier that helps businesses develop and deploy messaging platform strategies to improve customer interaction and help build relationships with their stakeholders. The company’s Concierge EventBot is a chatbot that has been specifically developed for events, enabling event organizers to easily share information and logistics with their attendees in a valuable and accessible way.
“Sciensio and its Concierge Eventbot have proven great tenacity and innovation in helping the events industry stay ahead of the curve with regards to effective customer engagement, sitting at the heart of every successful business in this industry and beyond,” Ball added.
He continued, “Sciensio and its Concierge Eventbot highlight two important event tech trends: the emergence of artificial intelligence to provide better and more efficient services to attendees in the form of chatbots - a direct and very useful means of providing event information.”
Shared XP Limited is a web-based crowdsourcing and crowd voting platform that enables event organizers to engage with their audiences and networks about ideas and content to create valuable event experiences.
ConferencePulse uses marketing and sales intelligence to provide insights that can help event professionals determine the right events to attend, submit (session presentation) abstracts for as well as sponsor.
"The fact that ConferencePulse won this prestigious award is a further testament and validation that we are building an events intelligence platform that truly addresses the needs and pain points of our valuable clients," said Val Tsanev, founder and chief executive officer of ConferencePulse.
He added, “We were humbled and honored by the award.”
Michelle Bruno, a member of the judging panel who regularly writes about event technology and event innovation, explained that award winners are selected based on two different types of innovation criteria.
"As judges for the ibtm Tech Watch competition, we always look for innovation in two areas: the way technology is used to solve a recurring or familiar pain point for the meeting industry and whether the technology used is on trend,” Bruno said.
She continued, “So for example, Sciensio uses artificial intelligence and a chatbot to address attendee engagement and customer service. Shared XP uses crowdsourcing to co-create event content and ConferencePulse uses large data sets to discover speakers, sponsors and venues in a manner that the judges had never seen before. In these ways, the three category winners and the overall winner were unique.”
For more information on the ibtm Technology Watch Awards, go HERE.
Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact
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