http://nycmedialab.org/verizon-challenge-20162017/ 

How might we…

help event attendees, vendors and organizers attain the most value out of large-scale business conventions/conferences?

This was a question that we wanted to solve with the wearable that we designed for help us be “beyond being there". We delve into the problems within the convention and event industry and conducted qualitative market and user research to understand the opportunities within. We researched primarily with contextual inquiry and with interview with event attendees and vendors. Here is what we found…

Problem

We found that at large-scale business conventions/conferences, it is often a hassle for event attendees to sip through the long list of vendors to find the booths of interest, establish the right connections and exchange contact information instantaneously. Meanwhile, vendors and event organizers struggle to collect real-time visitor data for trend analysis and consumer relationship management (CRM). Interactions are primarily based on traditional business conventions such like exchanging business cards but actual relationship are made digitally post event via email or through platforms such as linkedIn.

Our Solution

Through Felix’s wearable device and data analysis platform, we are solving the above problems and creating a seamless and valuable event experience for all three stakeholders. When a person/vendor of your interest is within vicinity, Felix will alert users and prompt both parties to engage in a conversation. By pushing real-time information intelligently chosen by our algorithm, Felix supports engaging in meaningful social interactions and allows users to exchange contact information instantaneously through a handshake. For vendors and event organizers, Felix offers a data dashboard that presents and analyzes visitor data collected during events for real-time trend analysis and post-event consumer relationship management.