“Beam Me Up, Scotty!”: The Future of Online Registration Software

It’s exactly 50 years since American television premiered the popular science fiction series, Star Trek. Those of us who are old enough will remember our first ever ‘encounter’ with Captain Kirk and the strange Mr. Spock, as we watched their thrilling, intergalactic travels in the starship Enterprise. Star Trek fans, or ‘Trekkies’, have abounded in number ever since.

Interestingly, this cult series was produced only nine years after the Soviets put the first living being – a dog called Laika – into orbit, says a SPACE.com article. This explains much of the series’ subject matter, and the intrigue around it, at the time.

Did you know that Star Trek had a role to play in the invention of certain digital technology?

While much of what Star Trek has dreamed up for the future of space travel still needs to be actualised, the series did play a role in inspiring real-life technological inventions like the cell phone and tablet computers, says both a Wikipedia article and this blog on gadgets inspired by Star Trek. How strange that modern online registration software, and its associated technology, has Star Trek to thank for just how far we have come!

In the light, and spirit, of this intriguing little fact, let’s spend some time dreaming about the future of event registration technology, shall we?

With a focus on events that are interactive and fully immersive, ongoing technological advancements have a very real role to play in the future of event management.

If the sky’s the limit when it comes to dreaming, let’s think very far outside of the box for a moment to describe the wonderful, futuristic world of events management and online registration software:

• Currently, most online registration software makes use of digital invitations and QR codes for on-the-day access and event registration. Imagine a world where this is taken to the next level and your guests are given access to your event using their biometrical data. Visualise using iris recognition solutions via a retinal scan to register your guests, for example. Imagine that!

• Wearable technology will likely become a norm at all events. Picture interactize eye gear (much like the failed Google Glass product) that can be used by event staff, together with online registration software, to scan event tickets. This technology could also enhance your event security, if also designed to take and store instant photographs of guests for facial recognition purposes.

• Wearable Experiments is one company that is exploring the full potential of wearable tech by “integrating hardware, software, apparel and design”.  This means that we can soon expect our clothes to be as smart as our gadgets. Imagine a world where the clothes we wear will be involved in communicating and enhancing our experiences…

• According to CadmiumCD, simulated 3D sound and hologram technology could soon be shaping your guests’ virtual experiences too. At the moment, research into 3D sound is being conducted by a team at the University of Maryland, says a BackChannel blog published last year. The blog author explains that, instead of placing speakers around a room to deliver 3D sound, this clever technology aims to combine headphones, sophisticated technology and everyday gadgets to immerse users in mind-blowing, surround sound experiences.

• Event networking apps that incorporate some of that hologram technology briefly mentioned above, could also be a new ‘thing’ at events. Instead of just creating groups in apps that allow guests at different venues to network via text, video or images, futuristic networking apps could allow guests to ‘meet’ each other in real-time using hologram technology.

Dreaming aside, there are some pretty great Event Registration Software packages ‘out there’ already that are technologically advanced enough to blow your hair back. You will be happy to know that, while we wait to see how advancing technology will continue to disrupt our lives, existing Event Registration Software has already moved us far beyond the conventional pen-and-paper approach to events management.