Some of the higher-profile tech advancements over the past year have been virtual reality devices and self-driving cars, but there’s another portion of the tech industry that’s poised to grow significantly over the upcoming years.
Beacons, or Bluetooth low energy devices, are expected to grow significantly due to their wide range of applications in personal tracking. While beacons have been a big deal in retail for some time now, the steady, unwavering need for individual, personalized tracking is a call that beacons are willing and able to answer.
From smart home applications that remind you to walk the dog or turn on the lights for you when you move from room to room, to receiving specified travel information when you’re stuck at airport security, beacons give developers the power to push real-time information or perform specific tasks based on an individual’s behavior or location.
While you may be scratching your head wondering how this affects you as a business owner or event organizer, it opens up a world of targeted possibilities for your customers or attendees. Just take a look at just some of the possible uses of beacons:
- Offer information to individuals about how full an event or venue is and/or how many free spaces are left
- Offer superfast check-in with geo-fencing
- Detect when an individual is checking their booking data in your vicinity. This comes in handy when your business or event utilizes a registration desk- you’ll be able to have any type of registration information/gift bag/passes/room keys/etc. out and ready to go before the individual gets to the desk
- On the same note, beacons give you the option of offering a “virtual concierge” service
- Automated check-in options
- Grant the ability to unlock doors or enable specific devices
- Send maps, points of interest, or a self-guided tour when an individual steps foot into your venue
- Allow employees or event organizers to know what language the individual uses based on the language settings of the user’s phone (this comes in handy for large conferences or international events)
- Show real time information that may affect the way your customers interact with your event or business, such as weather, traffic, or parking
- Send offers, coupons, or discounts to customers when they’re near a specific product or area
- Have beacons placed near important displays or items and instruct individuals to place their phone close to it for more information or discounts
- Offer prizes or rewards for completing tasks within your location
- Push content (entertainment based or relevant to your event) to individuals while they use your charging station
These are just some of the many ways beacons can augment your event or business, the sky is truly the limit with this type of technology. And remember, while beacons are established as a means to pass information along to individuals, they also are being used to gather information, such as traffic patterns or shopping behavior. Consider the potential data you could be missing out on by not using beacons at your next event.
