Article

Third Kiosk Show unites end-users, solutions providers

Unique approach ensured maximum sales and shopping time for exhibitors and attendees alike at the Boston event. New owner NetWorld Alliance brought a small army of staff to smooth the way.

October 27, 2004

Click here to see the Exhibitor Slideshow.

When the paperwork had settled this summer and the lawyers had moved on to other projects, NetWorld Alliance found itself with a couple of new babies. One was KIOSK magazine and its related Website, Kiosk.com. The other was The Kiosk Show, barreling down on them for Oct. 7-8 in Boston.

The magazine was no problem; after all, NetWorld already owns four industry-related news and information portals and publishes a fleet of executive summaries. (KIOSKmarketplace.com is a NetWorld property.) The tradeshow was the challenge. While many on staff had prior experience with similar shows and events, the company had never produced one of its own. And this one was a mere three months away.

Although the question of how the team would pull off so much work in such a short time remained up in the air, one key decision had been made by show founder Lief Larson, and it was one the new owners would keep: The event would be limited to exhibitors who brought a complete solution or partnered with others to present one, and attendees had to be end-market users.

As a result, getting on the list for The Kiosk Show wasn't easy. Greg Swistak, a NetWorld vice president, said the exclusivity benefited exhibitors and attendees who wanted more quality time to spend with one another.

"I have gone to many other shows where I spent a lot of time talking to people, but I didn't end up with many leads, and that's very disappointing," Swistak said.

The decision to make the show more exclusive, he continued, has set it apart from other trade shows, and exhibitors agree. Exhibitors from companies like Louisville, Colo.-based Kiosk Information Systems, a regular exhibitor at the show, and Raleigh, N.C.-based IBM Retail Store Solutions, a division of IBM, said they anticipate a big improvement in the show from previous years.

Tom Weaver,

The Kiosk Show was held at The Castle in Boston, Oct. 7-8.

vice president of sales and marketing for KIS, said he sees an advantage to attending a show where he's going to be put in front of the "right" people. "I think it probably will be a big help," Weaver said. "If someone shows up at your booth, you're obligated to speak with that person, and sometimes all they want to do is sell you their product."

Karla Guarino, marketing director for KIS, said she knows that this show is going to stand out, even if she reserves the right to comment on the exclusivity policy's effectiveness until after the show. "I think this year the show attracted a lot more quality prospects," Guarino said. "A lot more was done this year to get the word out to the public about the show. Â… The marketing envelope was pushed this year, and the show's going to be a lot better because of that."

An IBM Retail Store representative attending the show shared the same sentiment. "I think it's a great idea they have come up with for this year's show. You have vendors at other shows that are walking through handing out printers, and it's a real distraction because those people aren't there to buy. Â… I think the show is going to be interesting this year, too, because all of the exhibitors will be offering complete kiosk solutions, and that's a little different."

The "complete kiosk solutions" are a new part of this year's show, Swistak said, adding that he wanted exhibitors at the show to provide complete turnkey-solution displays. In order to have a wide range of exhibitors, he added, peripheral companies that aren't capable of providing "complete" solutions were paired up with other companies, so that the two could complement each other.

"When we had companies signing up for attendance, we were very careful to see how they responded to certain questions,"

We wanted exhibitors and attendees who are interested in complete solutions, not piecemeal solutions, at the show. - Greg Swistak, Executive Director, Kiosks.org Association

Swistak explained. "If they said they didn't plan to buy anything, or that they supplied certain components to the trade, red flags went up. We made this year's show more exclusive for the exhibitors. And we wanted exhibitors and attendees who are interested in complete solutions, not piecemeal solutions, at the show."

On with the show Â…

Great people, gorgeous weather and good food, plus the opportunity to visit more than 25 kiosk vendors' booths all helped to make The Kiosk Show a success. The show was held at a Boston landmark known as the Castle (and it does resemble a castle), on Oct. 7 and 8. The cocktail party, sponsored by Palm Desert National Bank on Thursday evening was well attended. Everyone had the opportunity to enjoy a variety of hors d'oeuvres (and there were plenty) while discussing the business of kiosks. Exhibitors commented on the fact that attendees were doing more than just looking that evening; it was clear that many of them had come to the show to buy. The continental breakfast on Friday morning, sponsored by KIS, was nicely done and again the food was plentiful. The presentations ran smoothly, providing something for everyone.

Entertainment kiosks Downloading music and photo printing are hot kiosk applications. It was hard to get close to some booths, they were so packed with attendees. BurnASong's Burn-A-Song CD burning kiosk is designed for grabbing music on the go in airports and hotels. The kiosks burn custom CDs in minutes, feature a small footprint and offer video e-mail capability. The kiosk also takes advantage of dynamic digital signage to attract customers. BurnASong is a sister company to TouchNSurf. Company president Shervin Rashti was on hand to demonstrate his kiosk's functionality.

Software developer St. Clair Interactive Communications in conjunction with KIS offers the SNAPTRAX Digital Media Station. The kiosk combines digital photo finishing, Internet access and music downloading. Doug Peter, president of St. Clair, and Karla Guarino, marketing director for KIS, were among company representatives available to answer questions.

Voda Digitec's Samuel Kim tries out KIS's eWiz Internet access kiosk.

KIS' e-Wiz in-store Internet access kiosk also drew a lot of attention.

Photo.Teller is Whitetech's self-service photo processing kiosk. It prints in seconds, even from cell phones, and users can e-mail photos directly from the device. It also can be used to collect film and orders for processing. Korosh Delnawaz explained that the kiosks are branded for each retail location. While they may look different, all the Photo.Teller kiosks run on the same interface.

KING Products brought its Bookshorts kiosk which uses short videos to sell books. This kiosk also takes advantage of a digital display to attract users. Each video is a visual interpretation of a book. The idea is similar to that of music videos used to sell CDs. Books can be ordered from the kiosk as well. Robert Giblett told me he expects large retailers will soon dictate to some degree how manufacturers must advertise within their stores, using such devices as digital displays and kiosks. 

Music was in the air at the Data Display Systems booth. The company featured its audio sampling station for customers who want to try before they buy. The company also offers a variety of music displays.

TAP Services also featured an entertainment kiosk for previewing movies, music and video games.

Apunix's gaming kiosk was a hit with tradeshow attendees, many of whom won big at the game.

Apunix showcased a gaming kiosk used to draw customers into a casino. Users swipe a card to play a game onscreen with the chance to win prizes. Sylvia Berens was excited to share the news that Apunix, in conjunction with Barmedia Network, recently installed a tabletop kiosk in a brew pub. Restaurant customers use the touchscreen kiosk to order food and drink. While waiting for a server to bring their orders, customers use the kiosk to play trivia games. Francie Mendelsohn, president of Summit Research Associates, tested this kiosk at its location, giving it rave reviews. The kiosk can be used for payment at the table as well, allowing casual-dining customers to more fully control their dining experience.

ATM and kiosk convergence The Livewire booth was definitely alive as representatives showcased a ticketing application kiosk that incorporates ATM functionality. This convergence of kiosk and ATM functions is predicted to grow, with Livewire being on the forefront in the ticketing arena. Michael Wentzel, VP of business development was proud to show this new breed of kiosk to show attendees.

Kiosk management Shamira Jaffer, owner of TouchPoint Solutions, was on hand to discuss her company's Catapult enterprise software suite. Catapult SVR is a Web-based suite of tools for centralized, remote management of kiosks. It tracks usage and problems, and offers dynamic content scheduling. The software helps to eliminate field maintenance by identifying and neutralizing problems automatically. TouchPoint's line of turnkey solutions is also growing with the addition of its QuickPIX digital photo processing kiosk.

Jeff Metzger, president of Rhombus Group,

WireSpring demonstrated its FireCast software at The Kiosk Show.

explained that his company provides kiosk installation and service nationwide through a network of subcontractors. Retailers, quick service restaurants and kiosk manufacturers are key Rhombus Group customers.

WireSpring Technologies' FireCast software suite is used for managing public information terminals. FireCast OS and FireCast ClientCenter work together to manage interactive kiosks and digital signage systems. To manage kiosk networks, Wirespring offers FireCast ClientCenter, accessible from any Web browser.

Total store solution Samuel Kim, Voda Digitec company president and CEO, was very animated when discussing his company's kiosk marketed under the OSM name. The kiosk can provide retailers with a revenue stream from digital display advertising. An additional revenue stream is generated by the kiosk through the sale of prepaid phone cards, Internet access and bill payment services. The bill payment service accepts payment for more than 2,000 companies. Kim told me that the kiosk will soon incorporate ATM functionality as well. The kiosk can be tied to Voda Digitec's total solution for retailers which includes security devices and point of sale systems.

Assisted selling Kiosk solution providers know that shoppers like to control their shopping experience, even when it comes to big-ticket items. Nanonation is helping people choose a Mazda car using its kiosk. Potential car buyers don't have to be at the car lot, they can use the kiosk to search for their ideal Mazda car while at a shopping

Nanonation's kioks let shoppers shop anywhere.

mall.

IBM in conjunction with Netkey showcased its solution for selling golf clubs. NetKey also had the award-winning BMW kiosk on display and well as its human resources/personnel kiosk.

Active Decisions Joe Lagana, also in the IBM booth, explained how his software coupled with IBM's display, walks customers through choosing the right cellular phone plan. This solution is also used to sell high definition televisions.

WiseVillage demonstrated its WiseStation. Deb Pare, the company's vice president of marketing, told me that the kiosk was originally designed to meet the needs of people over 50. Today the WiseStations, using the WiseNav spatial navigation software, takes shoppers through a virtual shopping mall or city. The kiosk is large, featuring a 42-inch plasma display for advertising, as well as a lamp post, giving it a small town, street corner look. The kiosk incorporates telephone services, gift card dispensing and couponing.

Smart card ID Tech partnered with Scholarchip to showcase the ID system used in corporations and schools. The large, rugged kiosk prints a photo ID badge with a smart card chip. Users insert their badge into the kiosk and the kiosk screen displays if the photo is a match in the existing database. The smart card chip can be used to store information such as student schedules, medical information and location assignment.

Self checkout Corporate Safe Specialists offers theSelf Out System for self ordering using cash, checks, credit or loyalty cards. The system features remote monitoring capabilities for more timely cash pick ups and bank deposits.

Outdoor kiosks Sandy Nix, owner of D2 Sales explained her company partnered with Nu-Way Industries to roll out kiosks in bus shelters for her customer, Yahoo. What made this project unique was that ultimately the kiosk wall and bus shelter had to be manufactured and installed (using a crane no less), in only six days. Users can access Yahoo while waiting for their bus.

Other companies demonstrating products at the show include Tri Source, Mythology Tech Express, CeroView, 5point, Cox Sales/Kioskmaster USA, Pro-Tech, Bancard Systems and SICOM Systems.

Tracy Kitten contributed to this story.

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