A look back at a year of Engaging, Delighting and Enchanting Audiences on behalf of our valued clients!
Happy New Year! 
2013 was a watershed year for Dazzmobile.
Among the new customers we added to the stable (all of whom have resigned for future events) we added engagements across the board from Sales Meetings, User Conferences, Employee Events, Trade Shows, Individual Trade Show Exhibitor Booths, Festivals,… even a World-class Robotics Olympics that captured the eyes of the world. Among the new customers are:
- Questex Media
- Jon Taffer’s (of TV’s Bar Rescue fame) On the Rocks Festival in Vegas
- Ebay
- Computer Associates
- Clarabridge
- IDG (global deployments)
- Parature (recently acquired by Microsoft)
- GXS
- Nightclub and Bar Media Group
- DARPA’s Robotics Challenge
- Ahold (global grocery store holding company)
- Bard’s Davol Medical Device Division
We are proud of the fact that we have addressed a true pain-point in the events marketplace: a lack of engaging mobile solutions. We’ve done this not as technologists loaded with VC funding looking to fill a void we really don’t understand like many of the vendors we see in this space; but instead as events people who have a deep grasp of technology and a strong understanding of what it takes to delight audiences.
In 2013 we differentiated ourselves in the following ways:
- We offered custom-built solutions with customized features for about the same price as the generic brochure-ware
- We’ve become recognized for our simple, elegant design and user experiences that delight and engage.
- We offered cutting edge, engaging interactivity including polls, trivia, animated games and much more
- We pioneered an unprecedented use multi-screen display driven by the mobile experience
- We integrated a customizable incentive points system (gamification) incorporating any/all features the client wishes.
In 2013 on top of our highly interactive base platform we innovated features and user experience unlike anybody in the space. Here are some highlights:
- Live Musical Interaction
- Graffiti Wall-Live Crowd Sourced Content
- Audience Polling-Instant Response
- Overall Event as well as Concurrent Session Interaction that’s tied to real time video displays.
- DazzPulse-Instant Big Data access for Organizers
- Event Photography Integration
- Fan Photo
- Gallery
- Contests tied to gamification points
- Photo Booth
- In-booth and In-session Lead Capture, Retrieval and Real Time Reporting
- SaaS Registration platform with full integration to mobile and event displays
- Event and Session Check-in Activities
- Download presentations
- See who else is there and connect based on business rules the client specifies
- Submit real-time survey’s
- Submit Questions to the speaker
The end result: Dazzmobile is now recognized as a high quality provider of custom-build mobile apps for single events, multiple events as well as year round engagement. In fact, we have been told on numerous occasions, “you guys are creating the user interface for our events” and “revolutionizing new ways to engage our audiences”. We never expected this early in the game to be in a position where the phone rings and a total stranger is on the other line asking about our mobile app.
2014 will be no less exciting. Stay tuned for breaking news regarding strategic partnerships that will catapult our capabilities on both the product development and product deployment / delivery sides. Our feature roadmap (new features to be launched in 2014) will make the rest of the market look like the mobile version of the Etch-a-Sketch! And, oh yeah, we will be opening a London office too!
We want to thank our customers, our employees and so many friends and acquaintances old an new that are in our corner helping us breath new fire into the events space.
Dazzmobile Rocks DARPA’s Robotics Challenge
This weekend Dazzmobile has had the pleasure of providing the mobile app for DARPA’s 2013 Robotics Challenge (DRC) Trials at the Miami Speedway in Holmstead, FL. 
The DRC is a competition of robot systems and software teams vying to develop robots capable of assisting humans in responding to natural and man-made disasters. It was designed to be extremely difficult. Participating teams, representing some of the most advanced robotics research and development organizations in the world, are collaborating and innovating on a very short timeline to develop the hardware, software, sensors, and human-machine control interfaces that will enable their robots to complete a series of challenge tasks selected by DARPA for their relevance to disaster response.
It was about a week ago when Google made headlines by purchasing Boston Dynamics, one of the top Military robotics contractors. At DRC, Boston Dynamics will be showing off Atlas… who has a eerie likeness to those ‘Bots gone Wild’ from Terminator fame.
On site, Dazzmobile continues to wow alongside the Robot Olympians with its real-time games, polls and trivia… available in-app and visible around the Miami Speedway jumbotrons.
The robots will actually face eight different tasks that seem trivial to humans, but will pose a serious challenge to the competitors. As depicted below in the Dazzmobile DRC App screenshot, these include driving an ATV-like vehicle through a twisty course, climbing an eight-foot tall ladder, opening a lever-handled door, navigating an obstacle course featuring ramps and loose footings, cutting a hole in a wall, spinning wheels to close three air valves, unreeling a hose and connecting its nozzle to a faucet, and finally clearing debris from a doorway.
For great live coverage, tune into IEEE Spectrum here.
Eight (8) of the top teams competing here will continue to receive DARPA funding and invited to attend the DARPA Robotics Finals in December 2014 and compete, along with self-funded teams, for a $2 million prize.
This past weekend thousands of participants flocked to the Vegas Strip for three days of fun, sun and great parties at Jon Taffer’s On The Rocks. Dazzmobile powered this event with a custom app designed to help attendees get the most of their Ultimate Vegas Experience.
For a real treat, check out a photo slide show of the pics via the social share. Before, you click over… remember, this is Vegas!
If you want to check out the app yourself, go here for iOS and here for Android.
NCBShow Highlight Reel
Here’s a short video that demonstrates Dazzmobile’s engagement impact at the NCBShow last Spring.
Dazzmobile Customer Testimonials
Want to hear Dazzmobile customers? Enjoy!
Dazzmobile Is Hiring!
Dazzmobile is looking for HTML5 Coders and Top-of-Funnel Pre-Sales Pro’s. Here’s what we are looking for. Please send your resume to mike@dazzmobile.com if you think you have what it takes!
PreSales Pro’s
- Are you an accomplished B2B pre-sales door opener?
- Do you understand the B2B Events business and hold an intelligent conversation with senior execs who’s time is short and must be respected?
- Are you familiar with how mobile technology is currently being leveraged to enhance attendees’ experience at events?
- Are you comfortable drafting and sending thoughtful email communications and following up with phone calls to engage target buyers in meaningful dialog?
- Are you used to working in Marketing/Sales platforms like Nimble, Zoho, and/or Salesforce.com
If so, we’d love to hear from you. Aggressive, visionary sales professionals who understand how Dazzmobile is making a difference and what to get in early. At first, our PreSales Pros will simply set up first meetings. You will be paid a contract rate (we are looking for at commitment of at least 15 hours/week) and when deals close, you will be paid a commission.
The PreSales Role is a training role for a FT position. You will be fully trained before you do your first outreach. As you set up first meetings, you will listen in on all demos. When you are ready, you will do your own demos and move up the commish ladder toward a Full Time Sales position.
HTML5 / PhoneGap Contract Developers
- Contract developers with demonstrable experience developing mobile aps within the framework/environment described below and illustrated on the attached slide.
- The project would involve building upon our existing code-base to evolve this app (iOS here / Android here) to a Festival App deploying on Las Vegas in July. The festival app will incorporate many of the same features as will as some new ones the contractors would develop. One of the new features planned will include GeoFencing / Social discovery.
- Contractors would be able to commit a pre-agreed number of hours per week starting immediately until the project’s completion.
- HTML5 & CSS3 – interface layout
- Javascript:
- Backbone.js – javascript MVC library for managing content & views
- Mustache.js – javascript-based templates
- JQuery – javascript library for interactivity & DOM manipulation
- Cordova (formerly called PhoneGap) – wraps HTML5 app in native app for device-specific hardware access
- Amazon EC2 servers.
- Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP – standard LAMP web server stack
- Symfony2 – php MVC framework for server-side content management & API
- Node.js – interactive content server
- Sockets.io – real-time communication library for Node
- Urban Airship – hosted push messaging support
A chronic pain associated with B2B events– be they trade shows, industry conferences or other types of corporate events– is the fact that Marketing ROI is near impossible to determine. Folks who invest precious portions of their stagnant or shrinking marketing budget to participate in face-to-face events… sponsorships, speaking engagements, booth space… struggle to quantitatively generate an ROI. This is something Dazzmobile is working hard to fix. Forever.
Without being able to calculate ROI, event marketing continues to fall behind a growing number of marketing-spend alternatives that offer automated, turnkey ROI stats including email, SEO/SEM and web banner and display ads.
This morning the CMO Council published findings from its study. Customer Attainment From Event Engagement. Here are some highlights thanks to a write-up over at MarketingProfs.com
- Even as events remain a vital part of the marketing mix, and a key channel for direct one-to-one customer engagement, marketing executives—lacking visibility into the conversion pipeline—don’t have sufficiently effective methods for measuring the impact of events and tradeshows on sales and revenue (and therefore can’t prove ROI).
- Nearly 9 in 10 surveyed brand marketers (89%) say events still hold some level of importance and value for their organization, with 31% considering them essential, according to the study
- However, just 6% of marketers say their company does extremely well in converting tradeshow leads into customer business, and only 8% say their companies are highly proficient at developing relationships, closing deals, and acquiring customer insights at events, the study found.
- Marketers view events primarily as revenue-driving opportunities:
- 64% look to source new prospects and business opportunities via events.
- 63% hope to gather and cultivate leads.
- 60% seek face-to-face meetings with clients and prospects.
- Asked what they would like to improve most regarding their event marketing…
- 35% cited improved strategy, planning, and outcomes.
- 32% said data collection.
- 31% said taking advantage of speaking opportunities.
- 30% cited post-event reporting and analytics.
- Asked what they would like to improve most regarding their event marketing…
- 35% cited improved strategy, planning, and outcomes.
- 32% said data collection.
- 31% said taking advantage of speaking opportunities.
- 30% cited post-event reporting and analytics.
- Though Marketing still finds value in events, 40% are cutting back on big shows in favor of more targeted gatherings, and 44% are choosing to host their own customer-centric events.
If you are a B2B Event Organizer, this study should come as no surprise and it comes with some good news: The vast majority of Potential Attendees still see events like yours as a great place to source new prospects and business opportunities. But here’s the bad news: until you can offer solid means to determine ROI, their ranks will continue to thin.
Let us know when you are ready to discuss how Dazzmobile’s platform can light up your event’s dark leads. We’re dying to tell you about it.
Our Newest Deployment…
This week Dazzmobile deploys its audience engagement solution for Clarabridge at it’s C3 Conference at the HardRock Hotel in San Diego where attendees came 
to…
…become a Customer Experience Rockstar at C3, the leading industry event for Customer Experience Management (CEM) professionals. Learn from industry analysts, product experts and network with peers who are revolutionizing the way companies listen to and build lasting relationships with their customers.
Dazzmobile is proud to have the privilege to serve Clarabridge and its C3 Conference attendees with it’s latest audience engagement solution. Below are some screenshots.
Wearable Computing Round-up
The “Glassholes” – See below
Yesterday BI Intelligence released Wearable Computing: From Fitness Bands To Smart Eyewear, A New Mobile Market Takes Shape. It’s a great roundup of the space that includes growth projections, categories, current consumer awareness, and barriers to adoption.
Overall consumer awareness is still low.
Speculation on the future market for wearable devices is a confusing mix of skepticism and hype.
Different categories of wearables are at different stages of consumer adoption. One category of devices — fitness and health-oriented smart bracelets — have already gained wide acceptance among consumers.
- Despite tech press and crowdfunding enthusiasm for products like the Pebble smartwatch, it is not clear that the consumer mainstream will take to Internet-connected watches.
- Google Glass and other eyewear devices are still moonshots — albeit with great potential in areas ranging from advertising to gaming and photography.
- Smart fitness bands and medical bracelets are well on their way to becoming mainstream connected devices. They excel at a variety of applications — from glucose monitoring for diabetics, to tracking the workouts of fitness buffs — and are already generating significant revenue for manufacturers and app developers.
- Smartwatches are more obtrusive and likely won’t have anywhere near the mass appeal of smartphones and tablets. That said, smartwatches that double as fitness bands — basically, fitness bands with a time display — will likely do well.
- Until designs improve, it’s unlikely that consumers will take to eyewear devices like Google Glass, given their strange appearance.
- Augmented-reality eyewear does hold out the promise of a new environment for immersive marketing and ad campaigns. We expect large advertising and media organizations to push Google Glass and similar devices.
Agree with the conclusions or not, some very smart –in fact, visionary– investors are making big bets on Google Glass. Click here and here to read about the “Glassholes”. Like we first saw with the iPhone ecosystem, followed by Android, as useful apps become available, mobile eyewear will offer transformative experiences and the ‘look’ will quickly be irrelevant or perhaps become a cool status symbol. And designs will evolve rapidly.
One area of profound concern associated with Google Glass, its terms of service and the legality of who owes the content of public spaces. This piece breaks the issue down in all its glory. It aint pretty.
We are watching this space with eager anticipation. Are you? What do you think?
Dazzmobile Speaking at “TechSandBox: Mobile, Mobile Everywhere: from Mistakes to Success”
We are both honored and excited to participate in the TechSandBox’s inaugural event: Mobile, Mobile Everywhere: from Mistakes to Success. First a bit about TechSandBox, a new tech innovation center and incubator in our backyard here in MetroWest Boston:
The Mission of TechSandBox is to accelerate the success of science and technology entrepreneurs based in the 30+ cities and towns located near the I495, I90, Rt.9 corridors of Massachusetts. TechSandBox catalyzes the Innovation Economy in Metrowest, delivering convenient access to information, education, resources and community in order to accelerate success for science and technology companies and their entrepreneurs. In its initial phase TechSandBox offers:
- Shared office bullpen
- Events, seminars, SIGs,
- programs & workshops
- A place to collaborate, innovate & connect
- Advice and Mentoring for Members
- CxO Peer Group
Here’s more on the event:
TechSandBox Gaming, Mobile and UX Special Interest Group (SIG) Panel Discussion — the first!
Event Description:
Join us for an evening of lively discussion with mobile entrepreneurs.
1. Hear about their challenges and strategies in market assessment, solution design and development.
2. Ask your most important questions, and then network with experts and fans of mobile, gaming and UX.
3. Come learn about TechSandBox, created specifically for local technology entrepreneurs, providing office space, mentoring, and educational programs and networking opportunities.
Light food/ beverage will be provided.
Speakers
Mike Kozub, Co-Founder/CEO Dazzmobile, Partner, LaunchPad Venture Advisors
Lily Li, Founder & CEO, Hancock Software
Sanjay Patel, Founder & CEO, Perpetuating Ventures
Event Location: TechSandBox at Becker College, Southborough Campus, 337 Turnpike Road, Left Entrance (Ste 102) Southborough MA 01772 April 15, 2013 6:00PM-8:15PM; Registration starts at 5:30PM
Note that due to space limitations, walks-ins may be SRO.
Click here to register. It should be a great night. Hope to see you there!
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