The 4th Industrial Revolution and the World of Conferencing
Our world is changing. We are in the middle of another Industrial Revolution. After the revolutions driven by steam power in the 18th Century, electricity in the 19th Century, IT and automated production in the 20th Century, this 4th industrial revolution is the Digital Era. It is a unique point in time, and it will fundamentally alter the way we live, work and relate to each other. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before.
The possibilities of billions of people connected by mobile devices, with unprecedented processing power, storage capacity, and access to knowledge, are unlimited. And these possibilities are multiplied by emerging technology breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, energy storage, and quantum computing, among others.
The impact of these changes is being felt in every industry in every part of the globe – and the world of conferencing is no different. Innovation of Virtual and Mixed Reality is changing how we can experience each other (and virtual objects) in physical spaces. Artificial Intelligence is being used to provide services from everything from realtime translation of speaker presentations to insights on attendee behaviour to drive more personalised services. The Internet of Things allows for enhanced experiences with “smart” objects and fixtures. And that’s just the start of what’s available today.
However, the most exciting part of this revolution is that these examples are only scratching the surface of what is possible. And it is only with the collaboration of industry experts and technology providers that we will figure out how best to apply these technologies for maximum positive impact. I am looking forward to introducing the audience of Connect17 to some of the latest technology trends and hopefully inspire future innovations in the world of conferencing.