Is it too much to assume a base level of technological sophistication when attending a technology trade show or event (in our case, legal technology event)? Judging by what we have seen across various conferences over the years, the answer, sadly, seems to be yes. Accordingly, we have lowered our expectations when it comes to conference technology access and the use of technology to better the user experience and reluctantly fought with non-existent or unreliable onsite internet access, pitiful bandwidth, and spotty cell phone coverage in key conference areas… Although ILTA has always been on top of these items, the 2011 ILTA Conference provided the basic technology needed and raised the bar to show us just how technology can be used to greatly enhance the attendees’ experience.
Internet Access - Ahh...the Little Things
It may sound ridiculous at this day and age to start with wireless internet access, but let's be honest. That is NOT always, or even usually, something that is available at legal technology shows. If you are even lucky enough to have access to wireless at a conference, it usually isn't free. If it is free, you have to join the underground network to get the code - even though you are using it to promote their show. Neither the availability nor the cost were an issue at ILTA this year. ILTA sent out an email with the internet access information and codes the Friday before the conference to avoid any confusion onsite. Not only were there networks available from anywhere on the property, they also had a separate network for attendees to connect to from their wireless devices.
ILTA Mobile App - One of My Favorite Tools!
With the basics solidly covered, ILTA also raised the stakes on their conference Mobile App which debuted last year. Last year, I had the iPhone app installed and it was helpful. It was one of the first apps for a legal technology show that we had seen that wasn't just a link to a mobile webpage. This year, however, the ILTA Mobile App reached a whole new level. The mobile App provided access to the conference agenda, speaker details, attendee list, exhibitor info, exhibit hall map, Gaylord Resort info, Twitter integration, personalized agenda setup, latest ILTA News and more. It was made available on Apple iPhone/iPad, Android and Blackberry smartphones and a mobile website was offered for anyone not covered under that list. We were curious to see how many people utilized this tool and so we reached out to Clay Gibney, ILTA's IT Director who spearheaded this program. Here are the installation numbers...
- 1,024 iPad installations
- 984 iPhone installations
- 540 Blackberry installations
- 361 Android installations
- 300+ unique visitors to mobile web version
In addition to the 2,909 installed apps getting the attendees where they need to be, the mobile apps also enabled attendees to complete session evaluations (over 3,740 session evaluations submitted via the app) and to participate in session polls with 2,300 submissions.
Conference iPad Rentals
Another program we were really impressed with, although not as widely utilized, was their iPad rental program. This allowed attendees to rent Wi-Fi iPad 2 tablets for the duration of the conference for only $50. In addition to providing a valuable conference tool, this was also a great way for anyone on the fence about really wanting an iPad to take it for a test-drive.
Comments