Social Media Activations

For the first time, Cisco placed the Social Media Hub near the registration desk, a prominent position that allows for continual access during the conference. Last year, social media monitoring took place from inside the event’s trade show, which had limited hours.

Behind the hub’s front desk, event staffers monitor and respond to comments and questions posted to Twitter and Facebook. Because the volume of social activity is so high throughout the event, those assigned to monitor it are each focused on specific content.

Cisco is using the Social Media Hub to host events such as a tweet-up Sunday night attended by more than 300 people.

Attendees lined up outside four soundproof booths in the lounge to record a 10-second video in response to the question, “What would I like to connect to the Internet of everything?” The company will post some of the videos to its Web site.

Monitors behind the Social Media Hub's front desk display the volume of tweets over time, a leaderboard of the most active people tweeting with the event hashtags, photos shared on Twitter and Instagram, a word cloud of trending topics, and more.

A live feed of Twitter comments about the event scrolled on vertical monitors on either side of the main display.

Behind the front desk, high-top tables provided a place for attendees to relax or work.

For attendees without a smartphone, Cisco provided a camera mounted in a stationary column with the capability to take pictures and post them to Facebook or Twitter accounts or email to attendees.

The Social Media Hub included a variety of seating areas where attendees could gather.