Our quest for a paperless conference is coming to an end. The weekend was quite productive, and we found solutions for badges and signage, for both demo pods and meeting rooms. We are now ready to order 60 iMac computers and 60 flat panel displays. We will keep the displays for future events, but the iMacs will go on sale immediately after the conference. If you want to get one (or more) for 15% off retail, please feel free drop us a line.

For name tags, we will use PVC ID cards, printed with the Fargo DTC550 Card Printer. Using this system, name tags can embed a magnetic stripe, a smart chip, and an RFID chip. While I cannot think of any useful application for the first two, the idea of using RFID for localizing participants within the conference’s facility is quite intriguing. If you have experience with RFID and would like to help us take advantage of this technology during the event, please contact us.

For displaying sponsor logos on demo pods, the solution we described yesterday based on a flat panel display and Neo-Flex arm seems to be addressing all our requirements. Next, we looked for a networked alternative to the printed posters that are usually put on easels in front of meeting rooms. The best solution we found so far would be to use a large flat panel display hung on an Ergotron LX Large Display Cart and connected to an Apple Mac mini. The mini would be setup to display a web page in full screen mode, allowing us to change the display’s content remotely. The page could include the schedule of sessions to take place in the meeting room, as well as a well video feed of the current session, allowing participants to take a peek without disturbing the audience by opening the room’s door. For the display, the Vizio 1080P 47" LCD HDTV sold at Costco seems to be the most cost effective option.

At this point, it looks like we’re pretty much set from a hardware standpoint, except for the video equipment we will need to record and broadcast all the sessions. So before I get some rest, here are some details about the iMacs that will be available for purchase after the conference. They will be bought directly from Apple, used for only two days, and sold with all accessories, documentation, and original packaging. All spnsors are being briefed to take the utmost care of the computing equipment we will provide, and we expect these computers to be in pristine conditions when we sell them. At present time, we are planning to buy the very same iMac computers that we used last year. But if rumor websites are to be believed, we might get an upgrade to brand new models to be released in a couple of weeks. I will make sure to keep you posted on this topic.