INTRODUCTION
Celadin is an international company that specialises in information services for conferences and other events. They offer their clients a full package of conference exhibition support, including attendee registration, badge printing and information kiosks. All this makes conferences and events run smoothly, for organisers and attendees alike.
THE ISSUE
At recent conferences, Celadin has been offering an iPad service to conference delegates. This service proved to be ideal for busy attendees who could view all relevant conference papers and articles from the convenience of their iPads. However, from a security point of view, such high value assets needed to be tracked and accounted for, to minimise abuse of the system.
THE SOLUTION
Celadin turned to using NFC tags for a secure and convenient solution to this problem and every iPad had an NFC tag attached to its surface. When an iPad was issued to an attendee, it was linked to the attendee by means of RFID scanning. This meant the issue of the iPad was recorded in a database, which meant ownership could be easily tracked. At the end of the conference, the iPads were returned to the registration desk and scanned back in. Again, all the information was sent to the database and an email receipt was sent to each attendee, confirming the iPad had been returned.
THE OUTCOME
There were several benefits to using this system:
- It cut down on paper, printing and transport costs
- Delegates had access to the most recent conference papers (assuming a wi-fi connection)
- It reduced admin time, both from the conference organisers and the speakers.
- All iPads were trackable, meaning peace of mind
- Delegates enjoyed the high-tech solution and it added value to the conference experience.