Last week at the CETW Show we set out to get as many interviews as possible with the companies that are revolutionizing the way that communications are delivered in different locations around the world. What we found at the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco at the Customer Engagement Technology World show was a collection [...]
Last week at the CETW Show we set out to get as many interviews as possible with the companies that are revolutionizing the way that communications are delivered in different locations around the world. What we found at the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco at the Customer Engagement Technology World show was a collection of companies eager to change the way that people communicate and engage with customers.
A week of unusually nice weather was inaugurated by the Digital Screenmedia Association boat cruise, a floating buffet which traveled around San Francisco bay by Alcatraz, Belvedere, and even under the Golden Gate Bridge. Definitely memorable, the cruise provided an exciting environment to kick off the show and shake a lot of hands. It would be a great tradition to continue next year.
As the show got underway on Wednesday, exhibitors started their pitches and answered questions about what technology they had and where it was being used. The former Digital Signage and KioskCom show, CETW featured companies making locks for commerce-oriented kiosks, custom manufactures, all the way over to the digital signage companies, like software providers and the big screen companies.
Social media was a central theme to many booths, with X2O Media setting up a Twitter Cube on a screen at the entrance to the show floor which caught #CETW tags and displayed them in an interactive environment. On a functional level, Insteo utilizes social media rewards programs to build customer loyalty and increase spend. The show organizer, JD Events, run by Lawrence Dvorchik and an incredibly helpful team, created a SocialSphere for bloggers to connect to the internet and get the word out in real time for those who could not attend.
Since engagement is a central theme to the show, it made sense that many exhibitors were touting social media as the channel through which to engage with customers. This led to very interesting discussions on ways to monetize these social groups.
Wednesday evening saw VUKUNET and NEC host a party on the terrace at the Intercontinental hotel. Another great networking event, mercifully screened off from the wind by a giant clear tent, rumors had it they even flew in the band.
Thursday morning the mood was a little more cautious. Some reported that the event seemed slow and that they had seen few qualified prospects at their booth. Though with extremely high registration numbers, it seemed that a few people did not make it. However, many people did report getting many high quality leads and shaking hands with the right people. As CETW fits into its new name and San Francisco is stabilized as the venue, attendance should rise. Strong compliments abounded regarding the educational sessions, and this will be a big drawing point in the future as trends change so rapidly in this space.
We recorded over 30 interviews all in our player on DOOHsocial’s video log or at our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/doohsocial
If you are interested in being interviewed please email: tony@dooh.com
