Report: AEO/AEV/ESSA Technology Working Group Meeting, June 28 2017

The AEV/AEO/ESSA Technology Working Group gathered at the NEC Birmingham on June 28 2017 for its first meeting of the year with Murray Dickson of NEC in the chair and 15 members in attendance.

Dickson welcomed group members to the meeting and the NEC, and then initiated round table introductions for the benefit of new members. Following the reading of the apologies, the minutes of the last meeting in November 2016 were approved before the group moved on to the main discussion topics of the day.

Members began with a detailed discussion about connectivity, and particularly the most common exhibitor questions about it prior to events. The group debated how these questions might be incorporated into future editions of the eGuide.

Members then considered Wi-Fi visitor tracking, and the possible benefits and issues it could bring and resolved to explore this novel application more fully at the next meeting. Data security consumed the next part of the meeting, with members sharing their experience of simulated data breaches and the new GDPR regulations governing data security and privacy.

The group then moved on to discuss points relating to online ordering platform, digital networking tools and services, and improving network speeds and internet bandwidth. After the regular round-table news session, the group agreed the agenda items for the next meeting, and set the date as Thursday November 9th, at the QEII Centre, London.

With no further business, the chair thanked all the members for their time and closed the meeting.