The SXSW Trade Show

March 30th, 2011 by Nicole Kern Posted in Collaboration, Uncategorized

Our team setting up the iMeet booth

SXSW offers an endless amount of things for people to do. So, with all of the parties, concerts and free giveaways going on all the time, I thought that the trade show would probably be the last thing on most people’s to-do list. After all, trade shows generally have that corporate, snooze-fest stigma that boring technology is going to be pushed onto you by a bunch of sales people in suits. Boy, was I ever wrong about this one.

Photo by Rick Kern

The trade show turned out to be great! So many people were there to engage in demos, discussions, performances and interact with special guests.

Photo by Rick Kern

There was such a variety of companies and projects in attendance, including yours truly. I’m happy to report that our iMeet® booth was a hit!

We had four touchscreens, as well as a laptop, set up to introduce everyone to iMeet. Our team had such a great time interacting with all of the SXSW attendees who dropped by. Sean O’Brien, Senior Vice President of Strategy & Communications, really “loved the vibe” of the trade show. “This venue was perfect for introducing a new way to meet that is counter-culture to boring, stuffy meetings.”

Todd McCormick, Vice President of SMB Sales, was also on the floor and said that, “We were able to demo iMeet to a bunch of great technology companies, entrepreneurs and pioneers. The feedback we received was fantastic. Everyone loved iMeet! We enjoyed the relaxed and engaging atmosphere, the speakers, the music and the great town of Austin.”

Todd, sporting an iMeet shirt, was so immersed in the excitement of SXSW that he even had a rock star moment while at Chevrolet’s booth:

Everyone on our team, not just Rock Star Todd, had such a great time at this year’s trade show that we’re already planning and looking forward to next year’s event!

austin, iMeet, meetings, PGi, sxsw, sxsw trade show, sxswi, texas, trade shows, tradeshows

SXSW4Japan Raises $100,000+

March 29th, 2011 by Holly Anderson Posted in Collaboration, Uncategorized

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What happens when you get thousands of techies, musicians and filmmakers in the same place at the same time? It’s called SXSW in Austin, Texas, where thousands converge from all over the world to make creative history. It also means that spur of the moment innovation can spark at a moment’s notice for a worthy cause. When the Japan earthquake and Pacific tsunami hit on the first day of the Interactive Conference on March 11^th, the organizers of SXSW stepped into action, creating a relief telethon to help raise funds to support Japan relief efforts, with additional support from Hanson Music, the City of Austin, bands, artists, consultants, teachers, speakers, thought leaders and authors.

Streaming live at http://www.sxsw4japan.org/, SXSW4Japan exceeded their donation goal, raising $104,380 by March 20th. The campaign website simply but powerfully nailed their objective including these key elements:

A quick and dirty, but onsite and genuine, SXSW cares video
Clear countdown ticker and real-time dollars raised reporting
Full integration with Facebook and Twitter
Visibility of the names and faces of individuals and how much they raised or contributed
Announcements, content and links to relevant, current news on the relief effort
Instructions on how to help
A list of corporate sponsors so you can see who cares

The SXSW4Japan campaign is still in action and accepting donations at http://www.sxsw4japan.org/. Stay tuned for upcoming events! Learn more about the campaign on twitter @sxsw4japan or make a $10 donation by texting 90999.

japan, sxsw, sxsw4japan

It’s Complicated: Why Austinites Love and Hate SXSW

March 28th, 2011 by Steve Miller Posted in Collaboration, Conferencing, Favorite Things, Video Conferencing, Virtual Meetings

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As a native Austinite, SXSW seems to roll around each year with more hype, hysteria, frenzy —pick your buzz word—than any year previous. Living here in the city, we are all hyper-aware of how many visitors come each year, and we invite them with open arms. Yet, it’s not exactly the same city that we know and love. It’s a more caffeinated, sleep-deprived, wired version of Austin. But there’s beauty in that too, even as a resident of this great town. We share a love-dislike (hate is a strong word) relationship with SXSW. As you’ll see, it’s a bit complicated:

Let’s start with the bad:

Traffic and crowds—I know we’re not singular in our hatred for our city’s traffic, but add another 100,000 (literally) other guests, bands, rental cars, taxis, pedicabs, nerds and rock stars to an already-packed city center and you have a recipe for disaster. From the Thursday before the first Interactive panel to the following weekend, the streets will be jammed with entrepreneurs, cinephiles and music-lovers visiting from out of town. It’s enough to make you want to pull your hair out—if you have any left from last year (See this infographic for a great visual of the numbers).
Not the real thing—The rest of the year Austin is a laid-back, outdoorsy place where people enjoy the finer things in life like world-class margaritas and Barton Springs. You can only catch so many glimpses of actual Austin in between parties, free drinks and panels. Thus, those who visit only during SXSW week every year have a bit of a skewed view of our town. Next year, hang around a couple days after and let a local show you around. You’ll love it even more.
What routine?—You might as well throw your usual schedule out the window for two weeks. That local taco place you go to every Wednesday? Line down the street. The bar with the amazing happy hour drafts? Those beers are $8.00 this week. Granted, it’s a small price to pay for an economic impact of over $100 million for the city (not to mention easy access to the festival itself). But still, we’re all creatures of habit.

What we love:

Meeting of the minds—If SXSW does one thing extremely well, it’s this: It reins in the greatest, most creative minds in technology, music and film, throws them in a blender, adds alcohol—and spits out a potent concoction of virtuosic ideas, connections and relationships. It’s a perfect storm that pulls people out of their comfort zone and puts them in the same room with their peers and heroes, and allows them to dream for a few days.
Austin is the center of the world—Between blockbuster world premieres (like Source Code), musical showcases (like the Strokes) and massive product announcements (like TOMS shoes) the lens of the world is at least partially focused on our city for a couple weeks. We’re proud of our city, and we love it when people talk about, enjoy it and ask us about it.
Free EVERYTHING (except parking)—Parties, food, concerts, alcohol, smiles, shirts, slap bracelets, massages. You name it, someone will hand it to you at SXSW. And in this Groupon Age, who doesn’t like something cheap? So in the spirit of SXSW, here’s a free trial of iMeet. You might dislike it (hate is still a strong word). But you also might love it. Give it a shot.

austin, sxsw

SXSW 2011 – Keeping People Connected

March 25th, 2011 by Nicole Kern Posted in Collaboration, Conferencing

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Photo by Rick Kern

Jumping from panel to panel and party to party, it was so exciting to be a part of SXSW^® 2011. Loads of creativity, brainpower and technology thrived while thousands of festival goers took to the streets, the Convention Center, meeting rooms and nearly every nook and cranny of downtown Austin.

When reflecting on SXSW and everything that happened over the course of the ten day festival, what really excites me is the main underlying reason why SXSW exists: to connect people with other people. As THE networking event of the year, it was exhilarating to see so many people interacting. People from all over the world and from all creative walks of life were socializing and exchanging information right and left.

In a span of about 10 minutes I, a web writer, was brushing elbows with graphic designers, movie producers and even CEOs of major publishing companies. Even for those of us who weren’t necessarily at the festival to “network,” it felt great to have interactions with so many different people, which directly related to my main takeaway from the panels I attended: make personal connections. Whether you’re creating personal content (Panel: The Future of Content is Personal) or interacting one-on-one with people benefitting from your product (Keynote: Blake Mycoskie, Founder of TOMS® Shoes), it’s so important to be able to connect with one another and relate as human beings.

In my post-SXSW euphoria, I’m really happy to be a part of a company that helps people connect, much like SXSW does. It’s also nice to know that people can make meaningful connections in so many ways and in such a short period of time. Social barriers, distance and a lack of technology can no longer prevent people from meeting and sharing globally, so let’s keep that SXSW momentum going and keep connecting!

austin, Austin Convention Center, blake mycoskie, conferencing, connections, convention, meeting, meetings, people connecting, personal connections, PGi, sxsw, SXSW panels, SXSW parties, sxswi, TOMS

New to Social Media? Let iMeet Guide the Way

March 24th, 2011 by Aoife McInerney Posted in Video Conferencing, Virtual Meetings, Web Conferencing

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Social media is everywhere and guess what? I’m not on Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter (as yet ). Whilst colleagues who sit close by might smile when I say I’m a private person, it’s true! I grapple with the very public nature of social media and go by the maxim that two ears and one mouth, means I should listen twice as much as I talk. That said I have two hands as well and with social media seemingly taking over the world it seems wise to get typing and set up some pages, profiles and handles!

Already though I feel faced with a challenge – how to manage 3, if not more, additional communications avenues on top of email/IM/SMS/conference calls/web meetings etc. Thankfully some of those colleagues who sit close by, along with others, who sit all the way across the ocean, came up with a truly ingenious way to meet and collaborate, one that incorporates all those tools we feel we should be using to stay on top of the game: iMeet®.

iMeet® allows you to actually meet, to connect and communicate as if you were in the same room with your colleague/client/friend/partner/child, by giving you exactly that – a room of your own to meet in. And even better your social media favourites (forgive the ‘u’ we’re attached to them in Ireland!) are all part of the package. So watch this space as I take my first steps into the world of social media. Who knows, this time next week I might even be tweeting!

conference call, iMeet, Meetings conferences, online conferencing, PGi, video conferencing, web meeting

Slam Dunking March Madness Productivity

March 17th, 2011 by Sara Pilling Posted in Audio Best Practices, Collaboration, Conferencing, Favorite Things, Meeting Tips, Telecommuting, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized, Video Conferencing, Virtual Meetings, Web Conferencing

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Bosses, get ready: March Madness ® is here, and you know what that means. Your employees’ productivity will plummet. The March Madness effect on worker productivity is so well-known that outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas produces the annual Challenger March Madness Productivity Report, which estimates the financial impact due to lost productivity during March Madness will exceed $192 million. That’s enough money to enter more than 38 million brackets at $5 apiece!

As the promoter of productivity, iMeet® has developed its own final four…tips that is…so NCAA basketball fans can balance their March madness with their need to stay productive at work.

Be on time. While this should go without saying…who are we kidding. We all know who that guy is in our office. If Steve always runs late, call, IM or text him just before the meeting to remind him to join. Then, thank him when he arrives on time. Note: This tip will also work while training your schnauzer.
Put the smartphone down. Seriously. We love the ability to check our email, use apps to find the closest taco stand and watch Charlie Sheen implode before our eyes as much as the next guy; but when you’re in a meeting, be in the meeting.
Keep people on their toes. Meetings can be boring. The blander they are the more likely people are to tune out. Collaborative presentations, discussions and unexpected content (like videos) help keep people engaged. For an example of unexpected content, see tip four.
Skip the strip search. Do we have your attention now? Avoid the TSA altogether and give attendees the option of joining a meeting virtually rather than flying in for it. Sure, attendees could be watching tournament games in a different window, but at least you can get a scoring update as you wrap-up the call.

These tips will help you beat the buzzer (who wants to work past 5:00 anyway?) so you can get back to what matters this March: gloating about the status of your bracket to your friends and colleagues.

Looking for a better way to gloat? Join the community of nearly 13,000 iMeet users and secure your own personal iMeet room where you and your friends can gather to discuss the games and rag on each other’s brackets. And, with the ability to upload files directly to your iMeet room, you have your very own, built-in “Boss Button.” With one click you can pull up that client memo, spreadsheet or investor presentation you’re supposed to be working on. When the boss is gone you can get back to “business.”

For more information about iMeet, visit www.imeet.com.

conferencing, iMeet, meetings, Meetings conferences, mobile meetings, online conferencing, online meetings, PGi, video, web cam, web conferencing, web meeting

Exploring the World with iMeet

March 4th, 2011 by Lea Green Posted in iMeet, Uncategorized

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After our “One World—One Room” meeting, the PGi team felt exhilarated. The very fact that we had shared in the experience of connecting colleagues, coworkers and friends all around the world, representing every continent, left us thrilled. We felt like explorers spreading the power of iMeet.

And news travels fast. The iMeet experience has now reached reviewer Aliza Sherman of Gigaom. Her perspective on iMeet was especially valuable as she truly understands the importance of virtual conferencing as a resident of Alaska. That’s right—Alaska. In a state that is isolated both geographically and often climatically, Sherman thoroughly recognizes how iMeet solves numerous business problems and connects individuals intuitively as well as broadens reach through social media channels.

As evaluated by Sherman, iMeet allows for collaboration and productive team experiences within a virtual meeting room, dissolving physical boundaries. Additionally, it provides multiple ways for the participants in a virtual meeting to get to know each other, including bios and social links, thus removing those boundaries as well. By erasing both physical and social/psychological barriers, iMeet helps us explore “new worlds” wherever we are meeting, whether it’s in the next office, next state, or across the world.

Have you tried iMeet yet?

To read the full product review, visit Gigaom or the New York Times.

Gigaom, global meetings, iMeet, PGi, video, virtual meetings

Get Face-to-Face and be More Productive

March 3rd, 2011 by Michael Buckham-White Posted in Conferencing, Meeting Tips, Video Conferencing, Virtual Meetings

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Workplace meetings are often described as a necessary evil, but a 2006 study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte showed that some employees actually look forward to a daily meeting, even if they wouldn’t admit to it publicly.

Even if your employees like attending meetings, it still doesn’t mean that your meetings are actually productive and efficient. A good meeting inspires collaboration – and good collaboration leads to more and better brainstorming, as well as knowledgeable, efficient and ultimately happy employees. Oh, and don’t forget that good collaboration renders a better “bottom-line”.

Videoconferencing and virtual meetings are efficient ways to get together – they cut down on travel time and expenses but still offer a personalized and often convenient method for colleagues to collaborate. Workers who can remotely access an online meeting – even if the meeting is taking place in the same city – might come better prepared and less stressed if they don’t have to fight daily traffic and parking issues. Online meetings for remote workers can have compounding effects – employees who thrive at work might be more likely to thrive at home too. And a productive workplace might demonstrate core benefits that the employee carries into their personal life.

The best virtual meetings deliver the personal nature of face-to-face meetings but encourage convenience and efficiency too. As well, businesses want online meetings to be simple; simplicity increases the likelihood that you’ll receive more employee buy-in.

iMeet, meetings, PGi, video conferencing