This past week I attended the Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association (HCEA) mid-year summit in Boston where more than 200 exhibitors, suppliers and industry experts met to discuss current trends in health care meetings and events. As a new HCEA member this was my first experience with the event and generally I was impressed by the format and content presented in the plenary and breakout sessions.

Below are just a few key takeaways from the opening plenary dubbed, “Frank Talk About How Physicians Value Medical Meetings and Conventions.”

Featured panelists: Beverly MK Biller, MD, FACP, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Neuroendocrine Unit , Massachusetts General Hospital; Richard V. Aghababian, MD, FACEP, Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, and President-Elect, Massachusetts Medical Society; and Ayguen Sahin, PhD, Instructor, Molecular Oncology Research Institute, Tufts School of Medicine
Moderator: Christine Farmer, Senior Convention Manager, Sanofi

Greatest challenge facing the industry
The explosive growth in technology currently outpaces physician’s ability to effectively diagnose and recommend therapy. So the challenge is finding a way to make medical meetings more effective so that data presented in sessions and on the exhibition floor transfers more effectively to scientists, educators, physicians and hospital administrators in attendance.

Time
Time is the most valuable commodity for scientists and physicians today. Conventions are becoming more and more important because it’s one of the very few opportunities that provide uninterrupted time for learning. Anything that exhibiting companies can do to provide understanding of ways clinicians can save time, improve patient compliance and effectively advance their practice will add significant value to medical meetings.

Know your audience
Make sure you understand the generational differences among your audiences. Fellows and young researchers are going to be more receptive to electronic forms of communication and interactions; whereas, more established professionals still prefer the tactile nature of an actual paper copy of a reprint or product brochure. It’s also important to realize that in this generational gap there are varying degrees of tolerances for follow up communications. Make sure you’re responding to the individual requests of the individual. Don’t overload them with material that isn’t of interest. Be focused in your follow up approach.

Often times medical device and pharma companies spend too much time worrying about the direct prescriptive or purchasing power of the individual physician. Don’t forget the fact that educators and scientists have much further influence than their immediate reach. And clinicians are more likely to be less influenced by a new product or methodology than educators, who tend to be early adopters on leading edge of new research.

Sunshine Act and its impact on events
The Sunshine Act requires pharma and medical device companies to track and report anything of value that has been given to physicians, administrators and educators as it relates to the marketing of a product. It restricts the amount of money that can be spent on the cost of meals and prohibits individual gift giving.

One of the panelists commented by saying that we wouldn’t have the life saving drugs that we have today if weren’t for healthy collaboration with the companies that support research.  Another questioned how congress can regulate and restrict people and businesses from building relationships in meaningful ways.

It seems like a classic case of the one bad kid who ruined things for the entire class.

Were you there?  Let me know your thoughts and if you agree or disagree with anything mentioned in my post.

Having used Apple‘s products through most of my professional career, I was saddened to hear of Steve Job’s passing on October 5, 2011. Reflecting on his legacy, along with the multitude of Apple media and computer products I’ve used in my life, I felt an urge to pay small homage to his design insight with the following photo.

This grouping includes the older beige products developed prior to Steve Jobs' return in 1996 through the translucent cases and more machine-crafted parts (center-left)

Steve Jobs was ousted from the company he co-founded in 1985. Upon his return in 1996 he steered product development coupled with a clean design ethic that turned Apple, Inc. into the chic brand we know today. You can see the evolution of his influence, and great examples of key projects including a blue-and-white G3 Power Mac (1999), and the Power Mac G4 Cube (2000) and four different iPods (Classic’02, Shuffle’06, Nano 3G’07, & Touch’08), along with the iPhone 4 and the original Mac Mini (2005). Note the initial migration away from beige boxes as seen from the dark grey PowerCD (1993) unit to the QuickTake 200 camera (1997) and the black Powerbook G3 laptops at the left side of the photo. These later gave way to extensive use of translucent plastics and colors, and finally machined aluminum and polished glass. (The keyboards and mice from each era also reflect this transition – four of which are shown here.)

Curiously, all of the devices shown here still operate flawlessly, though most are defunct by nature of their I/O connectivity and inability to run current software.

Product Names and Timeline of Apple Products Shown Above

After months of speculation by technology aficionados, Apple, Inc. is expected to announce the details of the iPhone 5 when Tim Cook, the new CEO of Apple takes the stage on Tuesday, October 4th. The discussion has served as both the jewel and the bane of tech blogs and podcasts. Predictions, criticisms, and praise have been volleyed and the only sure thing at present time is that tomorrow’s media event will soon be followed by months of analysis and subjective observation as to whether or not the iPhone 5 is a successful product.

What most people fail to see, though, is that we already know more about the up-and-coming iPhone than we realize, if we just took a moment to understand that the majority of the tech writers are not asking themselves the right questions. They do not realize that the main reason the iPhone has been so successful to date is because Apple is a design-oriented organization and pushes itself forward through more of a holistic mentality. Instead of asking ourselves what we want the next iPhone to do, what specifications it should have, or what we want it to look like, we should simply ask ourselves “What does the iPhone want to be?” It is from this question that we can derive the future direction of the product line, because that’s the question that Apple likely uses to drive all future development of it’s products.

In my own humble, design-oriented prognostication exercise, here are a few key directions:

1. The iPhone wants to be UNIVERSAL. A cell phone is a useful tool, but only if it can be used wherever and however we want it. There are presently too many competing cellular standards out there, and I’m certain that Apple, Inc. would love to change that. The early days of railroads were plagued by the lack of standardized rail gauges and the present state of cellular communication is not much different. Apple has a vested interest in pushing for a more global standard in cellular service. The iPhone 4 was their first foray onto the Verizon network in the U.S., but to date it requires hardware that is not transferable to AT&T.

2. The iPhone wants to be SMALL. Cell phones are constantly with us, but they remain neither elegant nor convenient to carry and use. Their present form factor is either going to leave a bulge in our pockets, or get caught up in seat-belts if we strap it externally to our hip. The desire for a big, usable screen battles our requisite need to carry it around. The number one reason my wife feigns interest in owning an iPhone for herself is that until it’s available in a smaller form factor, she simply won’t want to tote it. In an era where LCD screens populate our living rooms, work spaces, automobiles, retail shops, and public spaces why do we need to carry more of them around? For those lucky enough to carry an iPad, do you still use your phone to watch movies, play games or go online? Probably not, since a larger screen in most cases equates to a better experience. Battery life to power these big screens has become a huge overhead in such a small device. Is it time that the interface begins to peel away from the flat, non-tactile glass that all smart phones sport these days?
photo credit: {Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester}

3. The iPhone wants to be USABLE. How many times have you missed a call because you couldn’t fish your phone out of a pocket or purse fast enough? How many times have you missed a message because the ring was too muffled from being stowed in your pocket or briefcase? Does this sound like good design for a device that is supposed to primarily serve as a telephone? Thankfully the implementation of Bluetooth connectivity has solved most of these challenges for me while driving — I never have to worry about which pocket my phone is in, or struggling to see the screen to dial out or answer an incoming call. Instead, this information is integrated into the environment around me as my radio mutes and the dashboard visually notifies me of the call details whenever I’m on the road. Shouldn’t this be the model for the rest of my user experience?

4. The iPhone wants to be INTEGRATED. Steve Jobs first publicly described Apple’s overall desktop strategy as a digital hub back in 2001. Much has changed since then, but the need for a unification of our communications is more imperative than ever. Our smartphones have become our window to the world. They video conference. They keep us up-to-date with social networks. They push our calendars to our co-workers. They identify the pieces of information that would otherwise hold up casual conversations around the world such as the name of an actor or lyrics to a song. They find the closest gas station. With continuing development of cloud-based services, it’s safe to declare that the digital hub will continue to push ever further into our lives, and that devices such as our cell phone will become more omnipresent than they already are.

5. The iPhone needs to be SECURE. It only takes one negative instance to turn your user experience into a distrustful one. Apple knows that and to date has taken its share of criticism for restricting its iOS environment so tightly. When cell phones are used as our digital wallet, the stakes are at their highest. Ongoing development of the iPhone platform will undoubtedly carry further security mandates to anchor its reputation as dependable in both the consumer and corporate economies.

So what will the next iPhone look like? The only thing we know for certain is that Tim Cook will be sporting a highly finessed device that is designed to integrate with all the rich media hardware that Apple has worked so hard to create. As a designer, I look forward to seeing what form factor that becomes.

Some of life’s best lessons draw from unexpected and chance encounters. This weekend I enjoyed the annual Kettle Moraine Jazz Fest in West Bend, Wisconsin (kudos to the West Bend Sunrise Rotary Foundation and their sponsors on the causes they support and the unique festival they put together). The closing performance of the festival was a well-known group, albeit not as appreciated by purist smooth jazz aficionados, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy who put on a fantastic show. In addition to inspiring my wife and I to dance a little in the aisles, they also managed to teach me a few things which seem fitting to note for anyone striving to be their best:

1. FOLLOW YOUR PASSION. If you don’t love what you do, it’s hard to imagine you could be as successful or as happy in your career otherwise. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (BBVD) tours with their original seven members (along with two more) and have been sharing their talent with the world and one another for over 18 years. They continue to enjoy themselves on stage and it shows. Do you bring that same level of enthusiasm to your job each day?

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at the Kettle Moraine Jazz Fest, West Bend, WI

2. DON’T BE AFRAID TO ZIG WHEN THE REST OF THE WORLD ZAGS.

Glen "The Kid" Marhevka playing his Bach trumpet, courtesy of Conn-Selmer, Inc.

Big band music was not well popularized in the early 1990s. Forging a swing-revival group was a brave thing to do back in 1993. Despite only isolated instances of hit songs by others, Scotty Morris and his band pushed forward and developed a following. To date they’ve toured globally, performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, recorded from the legendary Capitol Studios and have become the mainstream poster-children of well-dressed swing revivalists. Pushing your craft forward in life mandates a certain degree of risk. If you want to become a leader, don’t be afraid to take it from time to time.

3. BE YOURSELF INSTEAD OF TRYING TO BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE. Not everyone appreciates the music that Big Bad Voodoo Daddy plays, and that’s okay with them. They’ve performed some recent works to more of a dixieland jazz style at times (which makes for a great listen), but they’ve never tried to sell out and shape their music for the latest trend. I don’t expect to hear them playing acoustic guitar on  Sirius XM The Coffee House anytime soon. That’s okay by me. I listen to them for who they are, not who I want them to be. The same holds true in the business world. Be genuine. Don’t try to shape your own or someone else’s image into someone they aren’t. It won’t result in memorable success for either party.

4. KEEP IT PERSONAL. BE ACCESSIBLE.

The BBVD guys take time to greet their fans

After the show, all of the members of BBVD took the time to personally shake hands, sign autographs, and pose for photos with their fans. I’ve always known them to do this, even at this venue which marked the close of an 11 day tour and they had an early flight home the next day. That speaks volumes for their generosity to their fans. I’m disenfranchised with another band I have seen in concert repeatedly. Witnessing them in a small venue, this unnamed trio eagerly pimped merchandise and charged a premium for signed copies of CDs, only to disappear to their green room after the show. In contrast, I’m guaranteed to buy Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s next work as soon as it’s released. (The sneak previews they played at Kettle Moraine Jazz Fest sound great!) In modern business, it is abundantly clear that we are social creatures and need to connect off-stage to build relationships with the world. The public we encounter just might prove to be our most valued source of input.

[One final anecdote and a stunning example of a consummate professional making himself accessible: While posing for the photo with the band, my wife expressed our personal appreciation for their work. She mentioned we had used one of their songs as the first dance at our wedding, and upon inquiry we revealed which song specifically. After the crowd had passed and the photos and autograph session was complete, we were blown away when Scotty Morris approached us away from the group and relayed some truly personal details about where and how the song was inspired. What a way to establish a connection and win some fans for life! I can only dream to make my professional encounters as endearing as this.]

Scotty Morris (3rd from left) next to my wife while posing for photos

Well played, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy! I tip my fedora hat to you for a great show and the unexpected inspiration. And of course the sound is that much sweeter knowing that many of you play on Conn-Selmer, Inc. instruments!

We all know that material handling is the black hole of your trade show budget but I would like to point out some things that you can do to avoid some of the overtime/special handling charges that make so many of us go over budget on our drayage.

1. The first important thing to remember is sending in small packages one by one will result in a $35 to $50 charge per package. It is better to let the packages accumulate and send in an entire skid. If you have 7 to 10 boxes of product that you stager into the warehouse you may pay as much as $350.00 total for these packages as opposed to $200.00 for the entire skid.
2. The next big thing to pay attention is your target time. There are some shows out there that will offer free drayage up to a certain weight if you adhere to the target time that they provide. Sending in your materials before or after your assigned target time will result in extra charges. Read the fine print sometimes even sending anything into the warehouse will also result in charges.
3. If you can avoid shipping anything in or out of the show on a weekend I would recommend doing so. This will incur overtime charges on top of the direct to showsite price you are already paying. Some general contractors are even charging double time on the outbound for shows that are held in a hotel and break on a weekend. The cost for this could be as much as your standard direct to showsite rate and could cause your material handling budget to double.
4. My final tip is to pay attention to what you are exactly shipping in. If you think you may not use something do not send it in. Too many times I have heard lets just send the whole crate instead of just one counter in case I decide I want to use more than one – chances are you will not use the extra piece so why pay for it.

With the recent launching of Google Plus, the idea of creating customized groups, or circles, from which to selective share content with has become a feature that many users have quickly gravitated towards. Sending information to certain groups while omitting others is quite advantageous, but creating subsets from which to follow controlled content on your own is a great strategy for filter management.

Below are a few “tongue-in-cheek” circles for you to check out. If you’re an exhibit manager, you’ll undoubtedly have created “mental circles” for many of these already.

If you’re a Google Plus user, be sure to add me to your circles. If you’re not on G+ and need an invite, send me an email and I’ll happily get one over to you.

Enjoy.

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Instagram is one of the fastest, most popular social photo sharing services available. With a reported 4.5 million users in its first 7 months, this iPhone app has quickly become a best friend to us “wanna-be-photographers” with its user friendly filters that turn bland photos in to retro-hipster works of art.

With a released API in recent months, there have been a number of developers who’ve extended this service in to other creative applications. I came across Shelly Kramer’s post from V3 Integrated Marketing which detailed one of these many applications and intrigued as towards to possibilities of using Instagram as an interactive, fun and engaging part of trade shows and events.

There are a number of other apps that have made a splash with Instagram’s API that have showcased the limitless possibilities and creativity. There are numerous ones designed to enhance the Instagram viewing experience, but a couple stand out as having fun and interesting potential for use and events and trade shows.

Screenstagram

What is it: As shared by Shelly & V3, this Mac download turns your built in screensaver in to a photo wall streamed from you and your friend’s profiles. A simple setup process displays and transitions images beautifully, in true Instagram fashion.

How it can be used: Engage attendees pre-event and onsite and invite them in to your Instgram circle. Have them take and share photos of each other. Challenge them to a photo scavenger hunt. For trade show exhibitors, having a large display with updated photos is a great way to bring attendees back to see photos of themselves and other users.

Instaprint

What is it: Instaprint brings back the Polaroid days and turns your digital photos in to a remote printing station. Photos are printed based on location or hashtag, making it perfect for events.

How it can be used: What a fun idea for a private event or trade show! Bring the old time photo booth back and let attendees engage with each other or other photo ops you have integrated.

The word “Mobility” is soon to dethrone “Social Media” as the next buzz word – if it hasn’t done so already. By 2014, mobile web usage is expected to surpass desktop web usage. That stat alone should stop you dead in your tracks. As mobile devices continue to evolve and increase, the possibilities do as well. In an event or trade show environment, where desktops and laptops are even less convenient, mobile engagement is a tsunami of opportunity.

What is Group Messaging?

Group Messaging is pretty much as it sounds. Think SMS for multiple people. Group messaging apps like Beluga, Fast Society & GroupMe excel where most native messaging functions in mobile & smartphones are lacking. And if there were any stat any more alarming than the increase of mobile web usage, it would be that of SMS usage. Of the estimated 4 billion mobile phones across the globe, 3.05 billion are SMS enabled, but less than half are web enabled. SMS is a nearly universal mobile language.

One more advantage of Group Messaging over native SMS is the option to use your phone’s data service over your SMS service. Many people are charged per SMS or have capped rates. While Group Messaging can work over an existing SMS service, the ability to use Push Notifications via data (3G, 4G, etc.) is an added convenience.

How is it viable for events?

Unlike Twitter or Facebook, Group Messaging allows you to create a controlled environment for engagement. Where hashtags and groups serve their own purposes, Group Messaging is one less step away. There’s no need to launch an app or interface – instead, the messages are delivered TO YOU – at the top level.

The idea of creating a controlled platform combined with instantaneous conversations is a powerful one:

• Gaming – Organizers and exhibitors can create opt-ins for attendees pre-show and follow up with creative, incentive based messaging during the event. By creating a mobile arena, you have the opportunity to converse and control where they go, who they see and when they do it.
• Internal Organization –  When the lights turn on and your event begins, staff organization often times succumbs to the task at hand. Group Messaging is great for your team members to stay in communication with each other as the hours and days progress with status updates, last minute errands or just friendly photos and encouragement.
• Event “Pods” – MostGroup Messaging platforms allow you to name your groups as you add members to them. For larger events, this could be helpful for attendees to find conversations pertaining to speaking sessions versus the opening reception. Segregating these groups not only helps organize them, but creates opportunities for cross-popluating them with new members.

Are you a Group Messaging adopter? How have you been using mobile devices to converse in groups? What other opportunities do you see with Group Messaging and events?

If your in the events industry then you most likely find yourself traveling several times through the year.  I do a good job of eating healthy while at home, eating foods with substantial nutritional value but when traveling it is a bit more difficult.  There are several things to take into account when traveling such as the new environment (heat, cold), food availability and lifestyle changes; these can effect your choices while on the road.  Here are a few tips that I find helpful while traveling:

• Bring your own food with you so that you do not have to rely on fast food and or deli’s.
• If you have access to a kitchen while on your trip then take the time to make a grocery run, cook/grill when you can.  (I know this is a tough one and is most likely not a viable option)
• Choose your restaurant carefully and early, do not wait until your hungry to decide.
• Most every restaurant has some healthy choices or you can make them healthy.  When ordering do not hesitate to ask questions about how the food is prepared and if need be request some substitutions.
• Avoid excess low nutrient / high calorie foods such as soda, fries, garlic bread, cheese sticks (this last one is a reminder to me)
• Go = Grilled and No go = Fried

That being said, enjoy what the location has to offer!  I was just in San Diego last week and over the course of 4 days I had 7 different types of fish, it was fantastic.  I would suggest the Tin Fish sea bass tacos if you find yourself near the SD Convention Center, sure does beat the roach coach.