The Impact of Cloud Computing & the Event Industry’s Cloud Killer

An Article by Michelle Bruno

EventTechBrief.com

Some  event  planners  rightly  associate  the  “Cloud”  with  easy  and  universal  access  to  so9ware.      Others  think  of  it  as  a  sort  of  hamster  wheel  in  the  sky,  powering  apps  and  keeping  the  lights  on  at  Google  and  Facebook.      While  both  camps  are  correct  (for  the  most  part),  such  characterizaFons  fall  short  of  what  the  Cloud  is,  what  it  has  enabled  for  event    planners  and  its  potenFal  for  the  future  of    the  industry.      Moreover,  planners  may  not  understand  what  stands    between  them  and  realizing  the  true  potenFal  of    cloud  compuFng.  

Defining The Cloud

There  is  an  official  definiFon  of  cloud  compuFng.      The  NaFonal  InsFtute  of  Standards  and  Technology  (NIST)  defines  the  Cloud  as  “a  model  for  enabling  ubiquitous,  convenient,  on-­‐demand  network  access  to  a  shared  pool  of  configurable  compuFng  resources  (e.g.,  networks,  servers,  storage,  applicaFons,  and  services)  that  can  be  rapidly  provisioned  and  released  with  minimal  management  effort  or  service  provider  interacFon.”    

Defining The Cloud

Benefits of the Cloud

Geek  speak  aside,  what  event  planners  should  know  about  the  Cloud  is  that  it  delivers  a  number  of  benefits:      •  RelaFve  cost  savings  (the  potenFal  to  access  

tremendously  powerful  so9ware  at  a  lower  price).  

•  Rapid  deployment  (so9ware  that  took  months  to  install  and  configure  now  takes  hours).  

 •  Empowerment  (an  expanding  number  of  technology  

offerings  and  the  ability  to  access  some  or  all  of  the  features  of  a  so9ware  product  whenever  and  wherever  the  planner  requires  it  to  be  available).    

 

Cloud technology is behind much of the technology innovation in

the event industry to date.

For  example,  Catchtalk.tv,  a  UK  startup  that  hosts  archived  video  from  hundreds  of  business-­‐to-­‐business  conferences  so  it  can  be  viewed  on  demand  by  prospecFve  aVendees,  is  supported  by  cloud  services  from  Amazon  Web  Services  (AWS)  and  others.  “The  Cloud  makes  maintaining  the  plaXorm  infinitely  easier  for  us  and    lowers  the  cost  of  delivering  services  in  a    way  that  wouldn’t  have  been  possible    seven  or  eight  years  ago,”  says    Henry  Embleton,  the  firm’s  founder.    

The Cloud has simplified software delivery and deployment

for event planners.

Cloud  infrastructure  allows  Balluun,  the  So9ware-­‐as-­‐a-­‐service  developer  of  scalable,  b-­‐to-­‐b  social  commerce  plaXorms,  such  as  Shop  the  Floor  and  Toy  Fair  365,  to  deploy  digital  marketplaces  and  communiFes  (accessible  on  and  off  the  show  floor)  easily  and  cost  effecFvely.  In  fact,  the  mulF-­‐tenant  cloud  architecture  of  its  Balluun  365  plaXorm  makes  it  possible  for  users  to  set  up  a  marketplace  or  community  in  a  maVer  of  days  or  hours  and  add  or  subtract  features  in  minutes.    

“From  the  front  end  side,  all  you  need  is  a  computer  with  a  web  browser.  You  can  use  [the  plaXorm]  without  installing  any  local  so9ware  on  your  device  and  you  don’t  have  to  worry  about  upgrades.  From  the  back  end  side,  rather  than  having  to  start  from  scratch  building  the  ecommerce,  product  porXolios  and  social  architecture  for  each  show,  you  just  have  to  flip  a  couple  of  switches  and  you’re  basically  done.”    

Larry Chao, vice president of marketing at Balluun

Cloud Computing has revolutionized mobile application delivery at events.

Iris  Goldman,  CEO  of  On  LocaFon  Engagements,  the  developers  of  a  cloud-­‐based  mobile  applicaFon  that  delivers  content  to  “engagement  zones”  defined  by  beacons  placed  near  areas  or  objects  of  interest  within  a  venue,  explains:    

“Without  the  Cloud,  you  would  have  to  carry    auxiliary  storage  and  a  large  baVery  with  you  in  addiFon  to  your  mobile  device  because  instead  of  

linking  to  a  300  megabyte  (MB)  app  in  the  Cloud,  you  would  have  to  download  the  enFre  300  MB  app  even  if  you  only  needed  10  MB.  Imagine  hundreds  of  people  downloading  a  300  MB  app  at  the  same  Fme  right  

before  the  show,”  she  says.      

Going  forward,  cloud  technology  could  make  event  management  and  the  event  experience  beVer  for  everyone,  Goldman  adds.      “I  think  the  Cloud  will  offer  us  more  security  opFons  and  beVer  reliability  as  our  networks  and  cellular  services  grow.  The  Cloud  will  be  smarter.      For  example,  AWS  will  know  that  hey,  there’s  150,000  people  at  the  Las  Vegas  ConvenFon  Center  in  January  for  InternaFonal  CES  and  we’d  beVer  ‘beef  up’  our  capabiliFes  around  that  region  because  a  lot  of  our  customers  will  require  cloud  services  during  the  show,”  she  explains.      

The Cloud will be Smarter

Despite  event  planners’  cursory  understanding  and  possible  disinterest  (a9er  all,  who  wants  to  know  how  the  event  technology  sausage  is  made?)  in  cloud  technology,  it  will  become  foundaFonal  to  the  industry,  experts  say.      There  is  however,  a  cloud  “killer”  naFve  to  live  events  -­‐  inconsistent  wireless  internet  connecFvity  in  convenFon  centers  and  other  faciliFes.    

Who wants to know how the event Technology Sausage is made?

What  good  is  having  access  to  millions  of  apps  or  virtually  unlimited  compuFng  and  storage  capacity  on  site  if  the  “pipe”  connecFng  the  trade  show  or  conference  to  the  Cloud  is  weak?      “It’s  a  huge  problem.  If  the  bandwidth  is  not  robust  enough,  none  of  the  cloud  services  will  mean  anything  to  you.  All  of  the  components  that  allow  content  distribuFon  or  relevant,  real-­‐Fme  social  media  communicaFons  have  to  be  in  place  and  powered  or  else  you  can’t  take  full  advantage  of  the  Cloud  or  provide  customers  with  a  good  experience,”  Goldman  says.      

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