Article

Dicey decision pays off for KioskCom

The industry's most significant trade show moves to Las Vegas April 7-10, and based on preregistration numbers, the new venue could result in a jackpot for the event.

April 2, 2003

It appears a new Vegas venue, and a different approach to kiosk education, will pay dividends for organizers of KioskCom, the industry's largest annual event.

Lawrence Dvorchik, executive director of KioskCom, said a record number of attendees are scheduled to attend the show April 7-10 at Las Vegas' Riviera Hotel and Casino.

Dvorchik said more than 1,400 people have preregistered for the event, already more than attended last year's show in Orlando, Fla.. He said the change of venue is proving popular with kiosk professionals, and that business is picking up overall.

"From the questions I've gotten from people coming to the show, I think they're more serious about projects and know what they've got," he said. "The general feeling is that people coming are more in tune with what they need to do, so they're not going to be wasting people's time."

That there are signs of renewed life at KioskCom is certainly welcome news for the kiosk industry in general. The economic downturn of the last several years manifested itself at last year's KioskCom event in Orlando.Declines in attendees and exhibits at KioskCom 2002 reflected the down economy.

Optimists said kiosks were ready to pick up steam after some setbacks, from companies going out of business to projects that never got past the pilot stage. Pessimists were well armed with evidence of the industry's doom.

Dvorchik said at least 92 exhibitors will present displays at the show, up from 82 in 2002.

A new approach

Dvorchik said the strategy of show organizers is significantly different this year.Educational seminars this year will focus on applications and making them work, a departure from last year's seminars which analyzed specific kiosk segments.

For example, seminars were positioned on tracks that included Retail, Government, Business Strategy, Marketing and ATMs.

This year, the focus is on applications, and how to make them work.

"We're also focusing on human factors, going beyond the technology," he said. "Our strategy has changed in the way the information is presented."

Bob Fincher, executive vice president of sales for NetWorld Alliance (the parent company of KIOSKmarketplace), will give a presentation on the human dynamics involved in kiosk projects.

Keynote speakers are scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The first two of those will showcase successful kiosk projects -- first from Bob Edington, director of interactive media services for Borders Books. On Wednesday Jay Giesen, vice president and general manager of the Vcom program for 7-Eleven Inc., will offer a keynote address on the success of his project. On Thursday, one of the most popular panels from 2002 will return. "The State of the Kiosk Industry" will feature analysts Francie Mendelsohn of Summit Research and John Purcell of Purcell and Associates.

It's not the Technology

The technology portion of the show will be on Tuesday, the first full day the exhibit floor is open, instead of the tail end. Dvorchik said the change reflects a request by several exhibitors that the exhibit floor is open so that guests can go speak to vendors immediately after hearing presentations.

"People are saying they've got this great information and now they need to go and talk to people about it," Dvorchik said.

Among the subjects to be addressed during the Technology Day are software, input devices, enclosures, touch screens, photo kiosks, printers and hardware.

Red Carpet

Organizers envision the annual awards show, entering its second year, becoming one of the most anticipated and popular parts of the conference. There are 32 finalists in eight categories for the second annual "Interactive Kiosk Excellence Awards."

Several of the categories feature multiple high-quality nominees, such as the Best Retail Kiosk Applications category. In that group are projects operating at BMW, Circle K, Oki Data Americas, Travel Centers of America and LiveWire International.