Groqit can take you beyond the pile of business cards, the printout and clipboard.
People gather together to find out what's new, meet one another to exchange information and make new contacts.
How do you handle all this contact information?
The more successful your event, the more likely it is your attendees want something a bit more helpful than an exchange of business cards.
By using a unique barcode for each attendee, you can track them from the time they purchase a ticket, to registration or badge pick-up, to follow-up after the event with electronic files of full contact information for those they want to stay in touch with.
A Groqit is a small (pocket-sized) device that reads barcodes and stores them in its memory in lists. It can be used to read these unique barcodes issued to your guests for the duration of the event.
Exhibitors: You can assign (rent or loan) a Groqit to anyone who displays or exhibits and is hoping to find new customers. Attendees wishing contact present their badge for the exhibitor to scan. After the event, exhibitors hand in their Groqits, and the barcodes they have scanned tell you which attendees' contact information to give them. They get an electronic file of full contact information for each of the people who want to hear from them. Because a Groqit is very small, people who are working the floor can also scan badges.
Guests: The data can also be used to offer each of the attendees a full list of those who have accessed their contact information. This serves the purpose of giving the attendees their own "Who I met" file, with complete contact information. It reinforces the likelihood that future contact will take place, as either party can now initiate a contact call or email.
Groqit-based barcode event tracking compares well with the alternatives; in simplicity, in ease of setup, and use. And it provides a much more useful finished product (electronic files rather than piles of paper).
Cost, simplicity, ease of use: Groqits can be used over and over. They don't require plastic cards, imprinting machines, stacks of carbon paper, electrical power, or any assistance from other devices. They only connect to a computer after the event, when the data collection is done. Creating, assigning and printing barcodes on event badges is a minor additional expense, compared to alternatives. (Compare with Alternatives *, below)
Groqits read basic UPC/EAN-type barcodes, and store the data on internal flash drives (so they require no computer connections). UPC/EAN barcodes are easy to print and very reliable. If each name-badge carries a barcode, a quick scan is all that's needed to ensure future contact.
No one likes long lines while checking into a conference or meeting. Adding a barcode to each attendee's confirmation allows people to check-in with nothing more than a scan of the barcode.
Groqits are completely independent, fully-functional, battery-powered inventory computers. They require no power, no network or wireless connection, and require very little training to use. They have virtually unlimited capacity (millions of barcodes). Because they have a built-in display, people can see that a scan was performed correctly and either verify it against an internal list or store the number for later use.
The USB flash drive is easily accessed by any computer and any operating system. The data file can be copied for future use or attached to an e-mail and sent to another location for post-meeting processing. (Compare with Registration Alternatives **, below.)
Because each Groqit has a unique ID number, they can be turned in to a central point without any confusion. This simplification can reduce the inevitable chaos during the break-down of a conference. Post-convention, each Groqit can be plugged into a USB port on a computer, the ID and scanned barcodes read, and the information passed to program that matches ID's to vendors and barcodes to attendees. Because Groqits are small, they can be mailed in by vendors who neglected to turn them in before leaving.
Post-convention, vendors want to contact attendees quickly and attendees want contacts restricted to those companies they are actually interested in.
Not only can each vendor be supplied with a clean, precise listing of all people interested in their product electronically, each attendee can be sent a reminder of the products and services that caught their attention. This two-way handshake greatly increases the chance of a completed connection. Vendors don't lose opportunities, attendees can verify the information they are receiving was requested, and it can all be waiting when they get back to work.
Clearing the data off of a Groqit is no more difficult than erasing a file, leaving it ready for the next conference.
Solutions range from plastic name badges that could be run through imprinters to sign-up lists and asking attendees to fill out forms. These approaches require data transcription, either from fuzzy carbon copies or hastily scrawled handwriting. Data entry errors can be a major problem. Imprinters are heavy, expensive and many people are not familiar with the operation.
Magnetic badges could be used to eliminate transcription problems. Magcards can be cheaply printed on paper, which is easily damaged, or more expensively printed on plastic. But the machines for reading them are expensive and require computer hookups. Magcards are also subject to invisible damage due to stray magnetic fields.
2D barcodes printed on name badges offer a tempting approach. This solution has the advantages of being simple and inexpensive to print and can be read by web cameras or cellphones .
Disadvantages of the web camera: they require a computer connection and unique software for each camera/operating system combination .
Disadvantages of cellphones: There is no universal "Cellphone Operating System." Different brands have different OSs. Multiplying the large number of cellphone brands is the constant turn-over in technology. Ensuring that vendors receive the correct software in a timely manner, for their exact phone is nearly impossible. And what happens if you don't even have a version for a vendor's phone? They are now left out of the data gathering process.
**Registration Alternatives; downside of: Web-cams or tethered barcode readers require computers to process the scan. This means power and/or network connections at the registration desks. Portable barcode readers have limited capacity and have to be dumped to a computer when that capacity is filled. All of them require proprietary programs for downloading. Even with good training, it can be difficult for people 'processing" your attendees to use the equipment efficiently enough to avoid frustration.