2017 Tech Trends: Sneak Preview

1. Virtual and Augmented Reality

In our 2016 event tech trends infographic, we had virtual reality as a top trend. For 2017, we have added augmented reality (AR).

The biggest reason for this addition was the release of Pokemon Go. If you're unfamiliar with the app, Pokemon Go is an AR mobile game. Released in July, the app has more downloads from Apple's App Store than any mobile game in history.

As virtual and augmented reality technologies expand into the consumer space, their uses will be found across industries. Think virtual tours of travel locations and conference venues, creating art in a 3d space, and detailed anatomical models in AR for enhanced medical classes.

Prototypes, physical models, and detailed illustrations are all extremely expensive to produce for lectures, seminars, conferences, etc., but AR apps can be accessed by all members via almost any device.

2. Gamification

Gamification is a trend we have seen grown in interest throughout 2016. We've seen success when event professionals add mobile app games to their events, but gamification can go beyond that.

In a recent survey by Talent LMS, they found 79% of respondents would be more productive if their university/institution or work was more game-like.

Consider adding badge levels to accompany your CAE study group testing to enhance learning. Or host a trivia game during your annual review session to reinforce key insights.

3. Big Data

Although this is a new trend on our 2017 list, big data has been around for a while now. However, it's importance has recently seen significant growth.

According to IBM, we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every single day. Even more so, 90% of the data in the world has been created in the last two years alone.

With access to an almost unlimited amount of data, it is a daunting task to make sense of it. Ensure your organization's data collection and reporting is not only consistent but makes sense with what your end goals are.