EIBTM, an exhibition for the incentive, business travel, and meeting industry, is in its sixth year sponsoring the Worldwide Technology Watch, a competition to find the most innovative new technology in the meeting industry. The 2005 winner, announced in advance of the exhibition in Barcelona November 29 to December 1, is a 3-D room-diagramming software called Vivien that hopes to change the way that event designers communicate their ideas to clients and suppliers.

Launched last spring by Cast Software, Toronto (www.cast-soft.com), Vivien allows meeting and event space designers to render realistically all the elements of an event setup — tables, chairs, stages and podiums, linens, lighting, audiovisual equipment, etc. — in a 3-D meeting room built to match the actual space, depicting windows, doors, architectural elements, carpet color, wall color, and so on. The virtual room can be viewed from various angles and manipulated to reflect changes in lighting, seating, linen color, etc. The equipment inventory is tracked, and detailed floor plans and layouts, in two or three dimensions, can be shared electronically.

Carol Moxam, CSEP, CSEM, president of Eventedge, a Toronto-based special event company, orchestrated her first event using Vivien in early October, and is enthusiastic about the results. Replacing traditional 2-D floor plans and renderings with a 3-D model of the event space — in this case an unusual train roundhouse with high windows — ensured that her corporate client and other players in the planning process — lighting, décor, entertainment, AV providers, and the venue — all had the same concept in mind. “It was amazingly realistic,” Moxam said. “It actually allowed you to see the reflections of the tables on the windows.” Vivien also revealed, early on, the limitations of the space. “It generated accuracy,” she said. Moxam, who describes her self as nontechnical, says the system took time to learn, but that she's not looking back. “We've been waiting for something like this for a long time.”

For Cast Software, the award includes a free stand at the MPI Technology Village @ EIBTM 2005.

Honorable Mentions

Vivien was among 30 entries in the WWTW competition this year. They were judged on their innovation/uniqueness, impact on the meeting industry, and completeness of concept. Six finalists were also recognized:

• Travent and American Express released MEETINGVIEW EXPRESS, a solution combining OnVantage, an online planning and spend management product for events, and the American Express Corporate Meeting Card. www.travent.com

• AMBASSADORS, LLC produced an enterprisewide workflow system to help planners manage meetings through a full life cycle. The system captures meeting and performance objectives, plans, and budgets. www.ambassadors.com

• LASER REGISTRATION was noted for a number of innovative Radio Frequency Identification developments for meetings. www.laser-registration.com

• The Convention Industry Council's new APEX MEETINGS TEMPLATES are designed to improve communication between planners and suppliers, and are hoped to lead to electronic standards. www.conventionindustry.org

• EXPOCAD SMART DRAW combines Web and database technology with smart board technology to provide an interactive environment for on-site exhibit space selection. www.expocad.com

• SPOTLIGHTMOBILE allows exhibitors to showcase products and services on mobile devices while capturing detailed lead information. These PDAs can display full-motion video, stereo audio, and more. www.spotlightmobile.com

The Innovators

Previous winners of EIBTM's Worldwide Technology Watch:

2004: INTRONETWORKS (online networking portal for meetings)

2003: NTAG INTERACTIVE (interactive name badges)

2002: THROUGHLINES by Static & Motion (training videos that had various outcomes based on audience response via wireless keypads)

2001: EVENTS INTERACTIVE by Amlink Technologies (a fast-build event registration system)