 Corbin's May/June 2017 TechTalk Newsletter |
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| Volume XIX, Issue 3 | |
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Welcome to Corbin's TechTalk Newsletter, in its 18th year of providing the latest in technology to nearly 11,000 events, tradeshows and hospitality professionals in over 70 countries. This issue is packed with articles, links, videos and ideas on how you can use technology to improve the business process for events and tradeshows. In this issue:
Google, Facebook, Samsung, Microsoft and other technology companies have each invested billions of dollars in developing Virtual reality (VR- immersive multimedia) and/or augmented/mixed reality (AR - a layering of computer-generated sensory input onto real-world views), Although this will take a few years to fully develop, these tools are blossoming at events and tradeshows. VR is the closest thing we have to the Start Trek “Holodeck” and, as these tools develop, these virtual approximations will become increasingly realistic. Here are some of the ways this will play out for events and tradeshows. In the free market, telecommunications carriers compete for your business. They make investments to keep up with demand. When the market is functioning well, competition puts downward pressure on prices and forces vendors to improve their quality of service. With relative ease, consumers are able to switch providers to obtain the best service for their needs. However, as you’ve likely noticed, hotels and convention centers operate as highly constrained, closed ecosystems – environments which only vaguely resemble the free market.
As an event planner leasing meeting space in a hotel or convention center, if you plan to order Internet or telecommunications services for your event, it’s critical to understand the underlying business model in play, and the negotiating landscape, so that you can obtain the best possible service and price. This article covers the key issues.
Tradeshow exhibits are a great way to spread or strengthen brand and product awareness, especially in a niche industry. Designing a tradeshow booth, training your team members, tradeshow fees and traveling to the event requires substantial investments. The most common metric used to justify these investments is the number of highly targeted sales leads that can be generated among the visitors to your exhibit. Unfortunately, 90% of the visitors to the exhibit visitors who expressed great interest in your offerings (and hence were identified as highly targeted sales leads) do not respond when the sales team follows up on the leads. This is very frustrating for businesses and often causes finger pointing between marketing and sales teams. This article looks at the key reasons why leads are not converting into qualified sales opportunities and how to effectively address them. NEWS:
 Corbin to Chair IBTM's Technology and Innovation Watch Award for the 13th Year.
This award is the longest running and one of the events industry's most significant award recognizing technology innovation. I am very pleased to I have been asked again to chair the judging committee. This award is a great opportunity for technology companies to show their new stuff and get a free booth at IBTM in Barcelona as well. More information will be forthcoming at www.ibtmworld.com/techwatch and in this newsletter. The award will be given November 29, 2017 in Barcelona.
20 LINKS FOR MEETINGS, BUSINESS AND FUNGot fun videos? Or helpful business or meeting planning links? Send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
8 Meeting Industry-Related Sites:
6 Business/Utility/Reference Sites:
6 Sites Just for Fun:
QUOTES OF THE MONTH:
"Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride." -- Anthony Bourdain.
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“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” -- Albert Einstein
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“The future is already here; it’s just not very evenly distributed.” -- William Gibson, Science Fiction Writer, 1999
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"A person is a person, no matter how small." -- Dr. Seuss
SHORT-SIGHTED TECHNOLOGY PREDICTIONS OF THE MONTH:
"People give ear to an upstart astrologer who strove to show that the earth revolves, not the heavens of the firmament, the sun and the moon ... This fool wishes to reverse the entire scheme of astronomy; but sacred Scripture tells us that Jashua commanded the sun to stand still, not the earth." - Martin Luther, about 1540
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"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." -- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), arguing against the PC in 1977.
SUGGESTION BOX:
Please send along any questions, ideas or suggestion on how to make this newsletter more useful for you: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CORBIN'S SPEAKING CALENDAR
My May/June 2017 travel schedule brings me to Havana, Las Vegas, Milwaukee and a few other places as well via webinars. Click the link above for specific details and links. I would love to make your city one of my destinations as well, so please contact me and let's set a date. CORBIN'S CONSULTING AND WRITING SERVICES
SPONSORSHIP: Want to help sponsor Corbin's Tech Talk Newsletter sent to nearly 11,000 subscribers in more than 70 countries interested in meetings, events, trade show and hotel technology? Find out the details at the TechTalk Sponsorship Page. PRIVACY STATEMENT:
Your, e-mail address and any other information will never be sold, traded, rented, bartered, or given away. Nor will it be used for any other purpose than to communicate with you. PAST ISSUES OF TECHTALK: LIST DIFFICULTIES? Check out the TechTalk FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) File or send a message to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. PASS IT ON: Know someone who would like to stay current on the latest in meetings technology? Please forward them this newsletter or send them to the TechTalk Subscription Page. CONTACT INFO:
Corbin Ball, CSP, CMP, DES, MS Corbin Ball & Co. 506 14th Street, Bellingham, WA 98225 USA Phone: 360-734-8756 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.corbinball.com Facebook: facebook.com/corbin.ball Twitter: www.twitter.com/corbinball LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/corbinball Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/corbinball Skype: corbinball ©2017 Corbin Ball & Co.
This newsletter and its content are proprietary products. All rights reserved. Please forward the entire letter to anyone you feel may be interested.
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