A year after its acquisition of Klik, an interactive badge system, Bizzabo relaunched the tool on November 10. The wearable devices are now integrated with the company’s event-management platform and have been updated to improve performance and to scale their manufacturing.
The upgraded SmartBadge has multiple functions. Central is the ability for attendees to exchange contact information with other attendees or exhibitors. Attendees can also use it to check into sessions and download content. Exhibitors capture lead data on their attendee interactions, and event organizers can access data on attendee behavior. This data can be visualized as heat maps that show attendees’ movement at the show, which could reveal popular locations or bottlenecks in traffic patterns. The badges also have lights that organizers can activate to signal all or groups of attendees.
The relaunched devices are aimed at large-scale, flagship events. However, Bizzabo is currently working on a version the company says will “democratize access to the wearable experience to more event types, like internal events and roadshows.”
In addition to the SmartBadge system, the Bizzabo platform has a variety of tools for managing, promoting, and producing branded events, including an e-mail marketing platform, speaker portals, a one-on-one networking platform, and mobile applications. In addition to buying Klik last year, Bizzabo acquired x.ai, which automates meeting scheduling; TeeVid, a video production suite; and Whalebone, a virtual-event engagement tool. Last November the company announced a partnership with American Express Meetings & Events, one of the country’s largest third-party planning organizations.
