conferences « Zerista

Zerista’s Releases Mobile Social Networking Application at Mobile World Congress 2010

February 14, 2010

We’re really excited to announce the release of Zerista’s Mobile Social Networking Appication for Events at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. What’s more, not only are we releasing the application at MWC, but MWC is also using the application as the mobile version of myMWC, the event social networking portal.

The mobile application enables event managers to protect and extend their core event business by transforming attendees and sponsors into interactive mobile communities. Zerista’s mobile application provides clear benefits to the entire event ecosystem – attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers and event organizers.

We’ve designed our application to be unique in its ease-of-use, the intelligence of its content-sharing and collaboration features, and the aggregation of public media in one integrated feed.

Zerista’s application provides an event feed that uniquely captures and communicates the buzz off what’s happening at the event — in real-time. The immediate value of Zerista’s mobile application can be recognized in real-time on the show floor as attendees can read and post updates that can be shared with the event community and immediately to the broader social net.

Zerista’s event networking platform integrates web-based and mobile content, providing value through multiple touchpoints with attendees, from their desktops to their mobile handsets.

FEATURE SUMMARY
Zerista’s mobile application provides access to the My MWC portal and its features, including:
•   Smart real-time mobile feed that combines filtered public social media channel with private event follower channel, with dual-publishing options
•   Personalized feed that provides real-time event updates and check ins from personal contacts at the event
•   Event organizer feed to provide real-time updates on schedule changes and other event-wide announcements
•   Personalized messaging and networking tools
•   Advanced attendee and exhibitor search
•   Personalized schedule builder with public events and personal meetings
•   Integration with and aggregation of popular social tools like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube

For a presentation with screen shots click here.

SCREENSHOTS:

Example Home Screen View (iPhone Safari Browser)

Example All Chatter View (Event Channel + Public Social Media)

Example Attendee Directory (iPhone Safari Browser)

Example Attendee Profile (iPhone Safari Browser)

Example Exhibitor Search (Multi-Handset Opera Mini Browser)

Example My Schedule View (Multi-Handset Opera Mini Browser)

2 Comments | Events, Mapping, Mobile Social Network, conferences, location based mobile applications, mobile applications | Tagged: conferences, event networking, event networking software, exhibitors, social media at conferences, social media at events | Permalink
Posted by John Kanarowski

Press Release: Mobile World Congress Participants Are First to Experience Zerista’s Powerful Mobile Social Networking Application

February 14, 2010

Mobile World Congress Participants Are First to Experience Zerista’s Powerful Mobile Social Networking Application

Solution Enhances Event’s “My MWC” Network With Real-time Features

BARCELONA – 2010 Mobile World Congress, February 15, 2010 – Zerista, the leading provider of next generation event networking software, today released its mobile social networking application at the GSMA’s 2010 Mobile World Congress, the preeminent event for the global mobile industry. The many thousands of Mobile World Congress participants are the first to take advantage of the new application, which is an extension of My MWC, the show’s official social networking portal created and powered by Zerista.

Visit Zerista in Stand 7G14 at Mobile World Congress to view a demonstration of its platform and mobile application. The event is organized by the GSMA and is being held this week from February 15-18, 2010 in Barcelona.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

- Zerista’s mobile social networking application is unique in its ease-of-use, the intelligence of its content-sharing and collaboration features, and the aggregation of public media in one integrated feed.

- Zerista’s event networking platform integrates web-based and mobile content, providing value through multiple touchpoints with attendees, from their desktops to their mobile handsets.

o Both attendees and exhibitors can use Zerista’s technology to accelerate their networking experience at the conference.

o Exhibitors and organizers can offer richer content and establish more meaningful connections with attendees, who are able to access content whenever they want, wherever they want, on whichever device they want.

o Both can manage their schedules in real-time with personalized productivity tools.

- Zerista’s application is device-agnostic: Because the application is cloud-based, a user does not have to download anything to his smartphone, iPhone or other mobile device in order to take advantage of My MWC’s mobility features.

FEATURE SUMMARY

According to a 2009 survey on behalf of the Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF), 61 percent of event organizers are targeting senior-level attendees with multiple innovative strategies to attract them to events, including social media, redevelopment of conference programming, and more. GSMA is at the forefront of the industry in enriching the experience for its attendees and sponsors before, during and after the show by leveraging the social media capabilities of the Zerista platform as part of the overall event.

Zerista’s mobile application provides access to the My MWC portal and its features, including:

- Smart real-time mobile feed that combines filtered public social media channel with private event follower channel, with dual-publishing options

- Personalized feed that provides real-time event updates on personal contacts at the event

- Event organizer feed to provide real-time updates on schedule changes and other event-wide announcements

- Personalized messaging and networking tools

- Advanced attendee and exhibitor search

- Personalized schedule builder with public events and personal meetings

- Integration with and aggregation of popular social tools like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube

The immediate value of Zerista’s mobile application can be recognized in real time on the show floor, and participants will continue to benefit from it after the event as well. For example: Months after an event, an attendee could access archived content on his iPhone while he rides the train to work, listening to a speaker’s presentation that he was not able to attend during a conference.

Screenshots are available upon request.

QUOTE

John Kanarowski, President, Zerista: “GSMA is the leader in the mobile industry, so it’s a huge honor to have them select Zerista as a true event partner. With the launch of our mobile application, Zerista is redefining the gold standard in event management software, and in the coming months we will continue to develop and integrate powerful functionality that so far has been left untapped by others. ”

RELATED LINKS & CONVERSATION

Zerista solutions and features

Zerista blog

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Zerista customers and case studies

About Zerista

Zerista is Changing the Way the World Meets. Zerista is the provider of an easy-to-use, cloud-based event networking platform that enriches the event experience and creates a persistent connection between the event producers, sponsors and the audience. Zerista develops highly customized and branded social networks for events, enabling event management companies and exhibitors to get more out of their investments while empowering attendees to engage in a more meaningful way with content, exhibitors and other attendees throughout all stages of the event. The Denver-based company works with event management companies, associations and Fortune 1000 companies on events of all sizes across a variety of industries. For more information, please visit http://www.zerista.com.

Leave a Comment » | Events, Mobile Social Network, conferences | Tagged: case studies, conferences, event networking, event networking software, social media at conferences | Permalink
Posted by John Kanarowski

Media Coverage: Meetings & Conventions Magazine Covers My MWC Launch

February 11, 2010

Technology: Zerista Builds Site and Mobile Solution for Mobile World Congress

Michael J. Shapiro, February 10, 2010

Zerista, a provider of event networking software, was selected to create a customized event and mobile social networking solution for the GSMA’s 2010 Mobile World Congress, a mammoth event for the mobile industry to be held Feb. 15-18 in Barcelona, Spain. Read the entire article here …

Leave a Comment » | Case Study, Events, conferences | Tagged: case studies, conferences, event networking, event networking software, exhibitors, social media at conferences, social media at events, social networking | Permalink
Posted by John Kanarowski

Zerista Creates Customized Social Network for GSMA’s 2010 Mobile World Congress

February 7, 2010

We recently launched our largest event social network to date. The network is for the roughly 50,000 attendee and 1,300 exhibitor Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. We’re really excited to provide our platform to the largest community of mobile technology and innovations professionals in the world.

“Mobile World Congress attendees and exhibitors recognized the value of Zerista immediately. That’s fantastic validation of the desire for an event-specific, open social network that facilitates a greater flow of content and communication among attendees and exhibitors. With My MWC, attendees and exhibitors alike have a central place to find information and make Mobile World Congress into a very individual and personalized experience.”

- Steve Russ, VP of Marketing

The event social network — called My MWC — matches the event’s unique personality and enriches both the physical and virtual aspects of the show for everyone. My MWC maximizes the networking experience for attendees and exhibitors, which ultimately helps increase their satisfaction, customer loyalty, repeat attendance, and revenue.

SOLUTION SUMMARY:

Zerista’s easy-to-use, intuitive platform integrates social networking, real-time communication and community-building to provide a richer experience for attendees, exhibitors and sponsors.
My MWC centralizes and aggregates all of the relevant content for Mobile World Congress and makes it easily accessible to the different audiences involved in the event.
Zerista connects the event ecosystem, creating a trusted customer relationship.

FEATURE SUMMARY:

Zerista’s platform delivers event-specific functionality that general-purpose social networks cannot provide, and it provides a balance of features that bring value to a number of constituencies, including attendees, exhibitors and event organizers.

Attendees:

Personalize their event experience by networking with other attendees and exhibitors, scheduling meetings, creating a conference session schedule, and more – all in advance of the event. Networking also can continue long after the physical event has ended.
Aggregate and filter event-related social media and web content in an intuitive, easy-to-find way.

Exhibitors & Sponsors:

Create “social presences” for themselves and connect with attendees in multiple, more meaningful ways. This contributes to a better experience, brand awareness, and repeat participation.
Extend the shelf life and value of their exhibition investment far beyond the show floor, both before and after the event.
Generate additional connections and leads by participating in online event conversations.

Event Organizers:

Offer a solution that maximizes networking opportunities beyond the physical event, enriching the experience for both attendees and exhibitors, and encouraging repeat – or even increased – participation in the next event.
Establish attendee and sponsor contact to support customer relationship and community.
Enterprise-class real-time API and XML integration to a wide variety of data sources and types (attendee, exhibitor, CAD/floor plan, social media, etc.).

The web-based My MWC portal includes features such as:

Advanced search and matchmaking based on common interests
Integration with and aggregation of popular social tools like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube
Meeting schedulers
Networking tools
Exhibitor profiles with aggregated social media, web content, and news feeds
Embedded video and audio
Exhibit hall and venue maps

For a presentation with screen shots click here.

SCREEN SHOTS:

My MWC Homepage:

Attendee Directory with Advanced Search and Social Profiles:

Example Attendee Profile:

Example Attendee Twitter and Blog Aggregation:

Example Exhibitor/Sponsor Profile (with Social Media assets embedded):

Exhibit Hall Mapping (XML feed from CAD System):

Schedule Builder – Multiple Agendas (Main Agenda, Seminars, App Planet Agendas):

1 Comment | Events, Mobile Social Network, conferences | Tagged: conferences, event networking, event networking software, exhibitors, social media at conferences, social networking | Permalink
Posted by John Kanarowski

Enterprise 2.0 – Extending the Event Ecosystem

January 5, 2010

“Networking is core to Enterprise 2.0, and Zerista’s solution enables our entire ecosystem – attendees, subject matter experts, exhibiting companies, and sponsors – to interact before, during and after the event. We’ve seen hundreds of members of the ecosystem using the site. What’s more, the initial feedback has been really positive. Zerista provides our core stakeholders a great way to enhance their experience at the inaugural Enterprise 2.0 Conference San Francisco.”

- Alex Dunne, Executive Producer, Live Events Group, TechWeb

Many events we work with are interested in protecting — and equally important, extending — their core franchise. Our platform enables them to do this by providing a next generation platform that integrates and aggregates the most relevant attendee, subject matter expert, exhibitor and sponsor in one easy-to-access place. The conference networking represents a highly interactive node within the broader social network. This enables key event stakeholders to get more value from the event, leading to increased event satisfaction, attendance, and loyalty.

Conference Social Networking Site Homepage:

Exhibiting Company Profile with Embedded Slide Presentation:

Leave a Comment » | Case Study, Events, Matchmaking, Uncategorized | Tagged: case studies, conferences, event networking, Matchmaking, networking, social media at conferences, social networking | Permalink
Posted by John Kanarowski

Event Matchmaking Success Story – Cleantech Forum

October 28, 2009

“The Cleantech Group Forum is really excited to be using Zerista this year. The event networking solution looks great. Hundreds of Forum attendees have been using the solution extensively for weeks allowing them to network more effectively. The feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive. It definitely surpassed our expectations.”

-Jeff Pinegar, Cleantech Director of Events

We recently completed an exciting matchmaking event site for the Cleantech Forum in Boston, MA. The Cleantech Forum is the world’s premier clean technology industry event. The company’s events bring together a network of investors, entrepreneurs, and services providers. A key focus of the event is matching up cleantech invetors and entrepreneurs.

Zerista provided a custom solution for the event that included a host of innovative profiling, matchmaking, and advanced search capabilities. Specifically, the solution included custom in-depth profile questions that enabled attendees to provide highly specific information about their background, focus areas, and industry interests. This information, in turn, was used to enable highly targeted matchmaking recommendations as well as advanced search capabilities. As a result, entrepreneurs and investors could connect before the event.

Example Custom Advanced Attendee Search:

Leave a Comment » | Case Study, Events, Matchmaking | Tagged: case studies, conferences, event networking, Matchmaking | Permalink
Posted by John Kanarowski

Case Study – Financial Services Conference

April 16, 2009

“The finished product looks fantastic, and the best part is people are already using it. We’re really excited and hope that this rubs off on the membership and makes the event that much better.” -Conference & Trade Show Organizer

We recently completed a successful project for a leading financial services conference and trade show. Given the turmoil in the financial services industry and resulting cutbacks in event attendance at financial services events, this client was focused on differentiating their event vs. competing events. Since attendees and exhibitors are reducing the number of events they attend, this client wanted to make sure that their event stands out and, as a result, remains the preferred event within their industry niche for attendees and exhibitors.

The client perceived the use of social networking as a key point for differentiation. This client took a multi-platform strategy that includes both general purpose social networks (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) and event-specific social networks (Zerista). They decided to use Zerista to meet a significant functionality gap within the general purpose platforms: in-depth event-specific social networking and scheduling functionality.

Key functionality provided by Zerista included the capabilities to:

Search a complete attendee directory
Schedule 1:1 meetings with other attendees
See who else is attending specific sessions, keynotes, and workshops
Build and export a personalized schedule and itinerary

The solution had a significant impact on the conference experience:

More than 3,000 messages, contacts, and meetings were created within the solution
More than 475 attendees created event-specific profiles to share with other attendees
Strong positive feedback from users

To read more about this case study, please click here: Financial Services Case Study.

Leave a Comment » | Case Study, Events | Tagged: conferences, event differentiation, financial services, social media at events, tradeshows | Permalink
Posted by John Kanarowski

Driving Attendee Loyalty and Repeat Attendance Case Study

December 17, 2008

We recently completed a project for a leading clean alternative conference. The event organizer’s key goals were increasing attendee loyalty and repeat attendance. We helped the organizer achieve these goals by enabling each attendee to get more value – both networking and informational value – from attending the conference. The Zerista software tools extended the event online, enabling each attendee to be more productive onsite.

The results were highly positive:

“Zerista was an excellent resource for our conference attendees. They could find out where things were happening, connect with each other before they’d even met, and start discussions about the conference proceedings in real time. It was an online destination that boosted the value of our conference far more than our static website ever did before.” -Event Organizer

“I really liked being able to see who else is attending the conference. I set up 3 meetings via the system – these were meetings that I otherwise probably wouldn’t have happened.” -Attendee

The Zerista software tools were broadly adopted and received overwhelmingly positive reviews. To read more about this case study, click here.

1 Comment | Mapping | Tagged: case studies, conferences, event networking software, international conferences | Permalink
Posted by John Kanarowski

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Event Matchmaking Success Story – Cleantech Forum

Driving Attendee Loyalty and Repeat Attendance Case Study

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