Article

KioskCom 2002 preview

Program changes, a new awards ceremony, and Kiosks.org Association's first meeting are among the highlights of this year's show.

February 28, 2002

With more than 80 exhibitors scheduled to display their wares and seminars/workshops planned covering four days, KioskCom 2002 opens on March 4 in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

But this year's version of one of the kiosk industry's largest trade shows promises to be notable for more than the usual reasons.

For one thing, tracked sessions will cover six different kinds of kiosk deployments, offering attendees the chance to discuss a broader range of deployments.

"There's a lot of diversity in what's going to be discussed and the knowledge that will be shared," said Lawrence Dvorchik, KioskCom executive director.

Beyond the conference rooms and exhibit hall, two new events scheduled for this year promise to add sparkle to what is already regarded as one of the industry's leading summits.

The first is the inaugural Interactive Kiosk Excellence Awards, which will honor the kiosk industry's leading deployments in seven different categories. That event is scheduled for March 5 starting at 7 p.m., Eastern time, at the Rosen Plaza Hotel near the convention center.

Also scheduled is the first meeting of Kiosks.org Association, the kiosk industry trade association. The meeting is scheduled for March 6 at 6 p.m. in room 330 of the convention center.

"Our meeting at KioskCom will provide a means for us to brief everyone (in the kiosk industry) on our plans and the ways they can help pitch in to assure that we provide meaningful results Â… that we really make a positive difference," said Dick Good,

Kiosks.org Association chairman.

Talk amongst yourselves

Five workshops - three on March 4 and two to end the conference on March 7 - and 38 seminars are scheduled over the course of the four-day event. The seminars have been split into six different tracks: retail, ATM, government/non-profit, general business strategy, financial, and marketing and branding.

As the track lists suggests, the speakers cross a broad spectrum of financing, government, and business interests. The speakers include Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE:EK) director of worldwide digital retail systems - consumer imaging Rick Rommel, PNC Bank (NYSE:PNC) senior vice president of retail networking Frank Dilenschneider, and Riviera Hotel and Casino executive Mark Boyer.

There will also be seminars and panel discussions focused on the state of the industry. Kiosk Businesswill present the findings of its first benchmark study of the industry on March 5, while industry consultants Rufus Connell of Frost & Sullivan, Francie Mendelsohn of Summit Research Associates, and Scott Young of Perception Research Services will be on a state-of-the-industry panel on March 6.

Dvorchik said the lineup for this year's seminars reflected a desire among past attendees and kiosk deployers for diverse discussions and idea sharing.

"I'm hoping for a lot of questions from the attendees for everybody (speaking) about how they can succeed with their projects," he said. "It's important that their projects succeed and people are looking for help in advance of launching their projects."

The exhibit hall will feature between 80 and 90 exhibitors, down slightly over last year, when nearly 100 groups showed at KioskCom. But Dvorchik said he expects this year's exhibit hall to exceed last year's performance.

"A number of people this year have taken larger booths and we've sold out in a larger hall than last year," he said. "Last year, we still had some room."

Gold medals and inaugural meetings

Both the awards ceremony and Kiosks.org meeting have the promise of being show highlights due to their newness factor and the impact that awards and trade associations normally have on industries.

KioskCom received about 30 nominations for the Interactive Awards. The categories covered the best applications in the fields of retail, government, financial services, hospitality, and public communications, along with most innovative/creative software applications and enclosure designs.

Judging was done by a panel of industry experts: Connell, Dvorchik, Good, Mendelsohn, Jupiter Media Matrix analyst Heather Dougherty, Kiosk Businesseditor Mary Carlin, and Kiosk Magazinepublisher Lief Larson.

"We fully expect a lot more nominees next year," Dvorchik said. "All of the judges were very intrigued with this entries and there's some very interesting stories in this group."

The Kiosks.org Association is an open meeting for members and non-members alike. The organization is using the meeting to highlight its accomplishments to this point and look ahead to the future.

Good said he would also be encouraging current members to become more involved in the organization.

"The executive committee of Kiosks.org Association has been conferencing weekly for several months now to structure our membership program and the other committee activities necessary to move the association forward to deliver tangible benefits to our members and the entire industry," Good said. "It is now important for more of our members to join our working committees to help make things happen."

Kiosks.org Association executive director Craig Keefner said the show and the meeting together were proof of just how far the kiosk industry has evolved.

"For me, when I hear Rick Rommel of Eastman Kodak as president of the association deliver the keynote (at KioskCom), it's going to be the culmination of many, many years of work - early mornings and late nights - in the basement," Keefner said.