A visual summary of the EventTechBrief.com article, "The Impact of Cloud Computing and the Event Industry's Cloud Killer." Read the full article and subscribe to the enewsletter at www.eventtechbrief.com

1. The Impact of Cloud
Computing & the Event
Industry’s Cloud Killer
An Article by
Michelle Bruno
EventTechBrief.com

2. Defining The Cloud
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.

3. 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.”

4. 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).

5. 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.

6. 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.
The Cloud has simplified
software delivery and deployment
for event planners.

7. “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

8. 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.

9. The Cloud will be Smarter
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.

10. 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?

11. 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.

12. Read the full article
& Subscribe to the enewsletter at:
EventTechBrief.com