Earlier this month, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and Swift Mobile released the “myBCEC” and “myHynes” applications for the iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android. The free downloads—which can be accessed at swiftmobile.com/apps, the iTunes store, and the Android Market—give visitors to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in-depth, interactive information about the two venues.
The applications are Twitter-friendly, embedding an event’s hashtag in all related Twitter feeds, thus allowing attendees to stay connected. Other selling points for the applications include maps of the convention centers’ surrounding neighborhoods (with Web links and phone numbers to nearby restaurants and hotels); real-time transportation (including Logan flight statuses) and traffic updates; searchable maps of the center floors; and basic user guides to each venue. Detailed information about specific events at the convention centers is also available, where users can share Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages, create personal session itineraries, send private emails to other attendees, and create favorites lists for sessions or attendees.
“We are connecting with people on a device they already own and use daily. We’re removing distribution challenges,” said Mark Michaud, the M.C.C.A.’s senior director of IT. “The release of these latest apps before any other convention center allows us to remain ahead of the curve, a competitive advantage we plan to maintain, and one which allows current and future meetings in Boston to network and conduct business smarter and faster than anywhere else in the world.”
An advanced feature not included in the free download is a premium content module that can dole out event-specific information, such as advertising, session schedules, or any real-time updates.
