Event Technologies

June 10, 2013

Electric Slide

Electric Slide launched in February and allows presenters to wirelessly transmit PowerPoint slides, documents, and videos to any screen without the need for a laptop or cables. Users swipe a finger across their smartphone or tablet screen and the presentation is displayed on any screen—across the room or across the Web—in real time. The app creates a unique URL from which the speaker begins and attendees watch the presentation. The app also allows multiple devices to work in sync through Bluetooth. "As a presenter in front of a room of people, you’ve got enough on your plate without worrying about why you can’t get your computer connected or whether those on the phone can see your slides. We’re also seeing users who just don’t want to lug a laptop around anymore," said Jim Phelan, co-founder of parent company Elucidate.

Photo: Courtesy of Elucidate

Slide.li

Slide.li is a plug-in for PowerPoint and Keynote that allows presenters to add extra content such as Web links, images, and quotes to each slide. Attendees then use the Slide.li mobile app to view that content as the speaker advances each slide. Co-founder Cedric Deweeck said the purpose is to provide engaging content as an attendee’s “second screen,” so they listen more and drift off less. After the presentation, attendees can access the content and supplementary materials through the app.

Photo: Courtesy of Slide.li

Presentain

Presentain is a new iPhone and Android app that generates a unique ID, which the presenter types into a laptop connected to a projector. The presentation is displayed on the screen, and audience members can follow along on their personal devices by accessing the URL. They can watch the slides on their devices, send questions to the speaker, participate in polls, and share slides on social networks. After the session, the app automatically creates a video that combines presentation slides with the speaker’s voice to create a “slidecast” which can be emailed to the audience, posted to the Web, or shared on social networks.

Photo: Courtesy of Presentain

Epson BrightLink Pro

Available since April, Epson’s BrightLink Pro turns a traditional whiteboard, wall, or virtually any flat surface into a digital presentation space. Speakers can present and annotate on content and then save it, print it, or email it through the network without the need for a computer or special software. The projector can be connected to most tablets, smartphones, documents cameras, and DVD players to share content. The device creates a 100-inch widescreen display area, so users can display presentations and a live meeting at the same time with the split-screen option. In addition, users can connect as many as four BrightLink Pro units that all reside on the same network, regardless of location, for remote collaboration.

Photo: Courtesy of Epson

SlideShark

SlideShark, an app for viewing, presenting, and sharing PowerPoint presentations on iOS devices, launched a new version in March that enables meeting attendees to access slides on their own device, whether they are in the same room or across the globe. SlideShark Broadcasting creates a unique URL for the presentation so guests can view the session in real time from any Internet-connected device. Presenters receive visual alerts when someone enters and exits the broadcast. After the meeting, speakers can share the slides online and access analytics to track viewing. The new version of SlideShark also adds drawing capabilities that gives presenters a choice of six colors and three sizes to highlight elements of the slides.

Photo: Courtesy of SlideShark

Moxtra

Moxtra is a collaboration app that functions as a mobile binder. Presenters can collect various multimedia files into the app and then record their voice and annotations on top of the files to create a video or real-time presentation. Multiple users can collaborate on presentations using Moxtra Meet. Evernote, Salesforce.com, and Kaffeine are also integrated into the platform, so users can access content from those applications for presentations, as well. Moxtra launched in January.

Photo: Courtesy of Moxtra

Prezi

Zooming presentation platform Prezi marked its fourth anniversary this spring by passing the 20 million user mark and adding sound capabilities. Other new features added in the past year include the ability to create 3-D backgrounds from a 2-D image. Users can load as many as three background layers and the system will cross-fade as the presenter zooms in and out.

Photo: Courtesy of Prezi

Camtasia

Camtasia is screen recording software to save presentations. From parent company TechSmith, Camtasia has an extensive library of music, animated backgrounds, and graphics that can be added to recorded presentations using the system’s editing tools. Videos can also include Web links, a table of contents, search functions, and quizzes. Once it is saved, presenters can post the video on YouTube, embed it in a blog, or share it on social networks. Another option: record the presentation in advance and deliver it to attendees before the meeting, then use the time together to discuss the content as a group.

Photo: Courtesy of TechSmith

Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck is a free iPad app to create presentations. The product launched in August 2012 and released version 2.0 in March. The update adds more photos to the image library, better image management features, new list layouts, and enhanced options for creating charts and graphics. The app automatically offers image suggestions based on keywords in the slide (pulling images from the photo-sharing site Creative Commons), or users can import their own photos. The free app provides five free themes with the option to purchase additional themes for $1.99 each. Once created, a Haiku Deck can be viewed on any browser. It can also be shared on social networks and through email or embedded on a Web site or blog.

Photo: Will Foster

Doceri

Doceri is an iPad whiteboard and remote computer control app. Presenters can remotely access, project, and annotate over presentations, images, and other content on a host Mac or PC while still being free to move around the room and interact with audience members. Annotated presentations can be saved as Doceri files and reused or emailed to attendees as a PDF file. Version 2.0, released in July 2012, added audio and video recording functions so the presentation can be uploaded to YouTube or Facebook right from the app. It also added better drawing capabilities for handwritten presentations and graphics. A dual-screen model also allows the platform to be used in conjunction with Webcasting platforms.

Photo: Courtesy of Doceri

Brightbox

Charging stations are hot commodities at conferences and trade shows, but they can also be a distraction as users stand by waiting for their phones to charge. Brightbox eliminates that issue. The charging station is secure, so users can leave their phones—for a few minutes or a few hours—to go about their business. Each unit has six compartments that are unlocked with the swipe of a credit card. At events where the units are provided by the host or sponsored by a vendor, charging is provided for free to the attendees, so the credit card simply acts as a key. Brightbox launched in early 2012 and has been used at the Democratic National Convention and the New York Times Travel Show. To recognize sponsors, the company can add custom wraps on the unit or add logos or other information to the user interface screen.

Photo: Courtesy of Brightbox

PSAV's Interactive Video Wall

CNN used this type of interactive video wall during its election coverage and now it's available for events. PSAV offers two standard sizes, each using 46-inch square screens configured in either a two-by-two or three-by-three format. The company can also create custom screens of any size. The wall operates like a large iPad with about two dozen apps to create maps, presentations, and games. The product can be used as a presentation screen in educational sessions or in common areas as interactive digital signage, for example to provide venue maps and sponsor information. At a trade show, the wall can display exhibitor logos and information when users click on a specific booth. Within a booth, users can input their email addresses to receive additional information, creating an instant lead retrieval system.

Photo: Mitra Sorrells/BizBash

NiceMeeting

Audience members at conferences and meetings are likely to have their smartphones and tablets out during presentations, so why not use those devices for engagement? The browser-based service NiceMeeting allows users to view presentation slides on their devices in sync with the presenter. Attendees can flip back and forth through slides at their own pace, submit questions to the speaker, and chat with other guests. Presenters can use it to conduct polling and share files in real time. A new feature allows users to add notes to the slides and then save the files to their device or to a cloud-based service, creating a fully paperless solution for presentations. Planners can upload their registration lists so NiceMeeting access is only available to registered attendees, or they can choose to leave access open.

Photo: Courtesy of NiceMeeting

Logitech's Broadcaster Camera

Planners looking to do small-scale live-streaming can use Logitech's Broadcaster camera and app as an affordable, do-it-yourself solution. The camera uses a Wi-Fi connection to stream high-definition video via a Ustream account. Users control and preview the video on an iPad or iPhone using the related Broadcaster app. The video stream can be shared with others by posting to a Web site, Facebook, YouTube, or other social networks. The camera itself is small—less than five inches long and two inches wide—and portable since it’s not connected to a computer, so it could easily be moved around a room to provide a variety of angles. The carrying case doubles as a small stand, or the unit can be mounted on a tripod. The camera retails for $200 and the app is free.

Photo: Courtesy of Logitech

Eventstagram

The Web app Eventstagram creates a real-time slideshow of photos taken at an event and shared on Instagram. The product launched last fall, and both the Los Angeles Auto Show and the Houston Auto Show have used it to share photos from their events on large screens. Planners create a free account on the Eventstagram Web site, indicating the event dates, its hashtags and location, and the desired speed and animation of the photos. At the event the Evenstagram feed can be displayed on monitors or large screens. It’s free to display as many as 100 photos for a total of one hour (the time can be allocated in increments). For $50, planners can display 1,000 photos for six hours and also have moderation capability. Eventstagram will soon offer an option that accommodates more photos and time, a higher degree of moderation, and an online editor so users can fully customize the display with logos and sponsor slides.

Photo: Courtesy of Eventstagram