Now that Google Glass is available for anyone to purchase, let’s follow up on how Google Glass could be used at events, expos and trade shows. How can event organizers and attendees use Google Glass to make the most of live events?
Google Glass is still a new technology, but new apps are arriving every day. Here are some that could prove to be invaluable tools for event organizers and attendees alike.
| Photo by Ted Eytan |
Apps for Event Organizers
For organizers who want to up their marketing knowledge, Google Marketing Land on Glass is a great app for staying current on marketing trends. This app could help organizers stay up to date with what’s new and trending, helping them to keep their event as current as possible.
Apps for Presenters
Have to give a speech or teach a class at an event? The Google Glass Speech Helper app would make this easy and hands free. You can upload a draft of your speech and your slides directly to Glass, eliminating the need for notes or prompters. Event organizers can easily send ideas and images to speakers to help keep speeches going smoothly, and speakers can feel confident that all their materials are in one place and easily accessible.
Apps for Attendees
The app Glass to Phone allows you to share your photos and videos instantly with your phone. This would make it a snap for event attendees to share with their friends and co-workers, also making for a great WOM marketing tool.
With Glass Tweet, attendees can send tweets straight to Twitter from Google Glass, instantly sharing their thoughts and ideas about the event. Since event hashtags are now a staple in trade show and convention marketing, any way to make using them more streamlined should be a welcomed change.
Attendees can now use Foursquare on Glass, allowing them to check in to events electronically. This could greatly improve efficiency and wait times at event ticketing booths and entrances, and potentially help eliminate wait times all together. Not only would this benefit attendees by making their check in process a breeze, but it would help make the overall event a success. Attendees who get to skip waiting in line are apt to enjoy the event more, generating positive buzz.
Apps for Both Attendees and Organizers
Evernote Memory Keeper allows you to take notes, stay organized, and keep track of everything you experience at a live event. Google Glass will automatically send notes and pictures to your Evernote account, and vice versa. Attendees can keep a list of things to do and see at each event right at eye level, keeping them on track and moving from program to program. This could be a great tool for attendees and organizers, keeping events moving smoothly and attendees informed of when and where they should be at any given time.
Meetup is great tool for keeping track of attendees, or of all new contacts you may meet at an event. For organizers, Meetup provides you photos and information on all attendees and can also provide information from answered survey questions. Attendees can use Meetup to create electronic business cards and photos of new contacts.
Event organizers and attendees can benefit from the easy to use, hands free photo and video capabilities of Glass. In this article describing using glass at a trade show, the author creates an informative documentary using Glass at ASAE’s Tech Conference and Expo. This video is a great example of how Glass can be used as an unobtrusive way to record classes, talks, workshops, or even interview attendees. This can be a great marketing tool for event organizers as multiple employees could be taking photos or video at one time. And with the FullSCREENBeam app, videos can be sent directly from Glass to YouTube. Event organizers and attendees can now easily post video or photos online during the event instantly.
Apps for Out-of-Towners
There are many Google Glass apps now available that help travelers and visitors make the most of their time away. These apps can help event organizers lure out-of-towners to their events, helping to ensure attendees have a great time. The Stay Glassy App can help you navigate an unknown public transportation system, giving you bus and streetcar arrival times.
Word Lens instantly translates words into your own language. Just look directly at a sign, menu, newspaper, or any printed material, and Glass instantly translates. This App could help open up events worldwide, making the event accessible in every language.
The Field Trip app sends notifications of nearby points of interest and allows you to ask questions about what is nearby. You can get recommendations on venues, art, museums, food, and more. Field Trip would allow out of town visitors to plan their own self-guided tour of a given city.
Attendees can now use Google Glass to find nearby restaurants-- a popular after-hours venue for traveling groups. The Glass Eats app lists all nearby restaurants and also gives Yelp reviews and recommendations. Once a restaurant is found, the OpenTable app can then be used to quickly make a reservation. Google Glass can make it easy and fun to find a great place to eat when at an event. Whether you are out of town or simply out of your neighborhood, Glass helps you find the best food the city has to offer.
Apps for Everyone Back in the Office
Do you want your whole office to attend an event but can’t afford to send them? Have one representative attend wearing Glass, and use the Live Stream for Glass app to share with the whole office. Set up a video screen or monitor and everyone can watch what is going on at the event through the participant’s eyes, live.
Questions to Ask
Many of these apps and uses depend on event rules adapting to keep up with technology. Many trade shows limit the use of photography (usually to protect exhibitors’ products from competitors or for monetary purposes) and the live streaming of presentations could bring up similar issues. Exclusivity and access to speakers and exhibitors are a major selling point for expos. What can organizers and associations do to adapt to Google Glass and get the most out of it?
Technically speaking, WiFi is already an issue at many convention centers. Connectivity will have to improve in order to get full use out of these apps.
Google Glass can provide something for everyone when it comes to live events, expos, and conferences. Although the debate still goes on as to whether Google Glass will catch on at live events, it will be exciting to see if it does, as Glass could greatly improve the experience for all.
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