Articles

The team at RefTech has developed a reputation for a no-nonsense approach to technology in the meetings and exhibitions industries. As a result, Simon Clayton, our Chief Ideas Officer, is constantly in demand to analyse and comment on technological developments that may or may not affect the industries. You can see some of the articles he has written here.

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• Data protection in the events industry
  What you need to know to stay within the law
• Analyse this
  Google Analytics has become the most widely used analytics service on the web, but is it time for companies to review how they use it?
• Friendly Fires
  When it comes to technology, events often get compared to the world of retail.
• I'm HTTPS…
  The transfer of data is encrypted between the web server and your machine.
• Why you should attend a mental health first aid course
  Making mental health an acceptable topic of discussion is the first step for every employer, and a positive benefit to an employee who is suffering.
• Live action required
  Video has the potential to seriously impact on the events industry in a positive way.
• Automation, yes, but not in the MICE sector ...
  According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), around 1.5m people in England are at high risk of losing their jobs to automation.
• Data breach:
  Marriott and British Airways pay the price
• The rise (and fall) of the machines ...
  A few industry commentators have implied that robots could soon be used at events to replace staff.
• Fair day's work for a fair day's pay
  We became a Living Wage Accredited Employer in 2015 and I believe we were the first event industry supplier to do so.
• 7 steps to a secure event management system
  Events capture a lot of data and protecting the personal information of delegates should be of utmost priority for all event managers
• Remember AI isn't new
  AI is now creeping in to the events industry with some citing it as a game changer
• Talking to the microwave
  On the face of it, it sounds like a silly idea
• Dangers of public Wi-Fi
  Are you aware of 'Man-in-the-Middle' attacks?
• How to cut through the hype
  How many things have truly transformed the events industry?
• Is facial recognition the new RFID?
  Some commentators are saying that facial recognition speeds up your event badging process
• Real Life not Real Time
  Wearable tech is now back in the events industry
• Visitor vs Marketer
  Why the average exhibition app doesn't work
• The new kid on the block
  Is Blockchain a solution in search of a problem?
• Lies, damn lies and GDPR
  Are you fed up of reading conflicting information about GDPR?
• The beginning of the end for social media?
  Corporate backlash against social media
• GDPR: Land of Confusion
  GDPR is complicated and in some ways, really confusing.
• GDPR: Take it to the limit
  Storage limitations; i.e. how long you are able to store data for.
• My Working Life
  Simon Clayton's working life.
• GDPR: too good to be forgotten
  Make sure that your unsubscribe mechanisms are as easy as possible and crucially – are working correctly
• An introduction to GDPR and what it means for you
  GDPR is our once in a lifetime opportunity to do the right thing; for organisations to review how they collect, store and use personal data because they have a responsibly to the people whose data they use.
• Simon Clayton talks GDPR: Consent
  If you have a legitimate business reason for storing personal data then you don’t actually need a person’s explicit consent.
• GDPR: Reasons to be Lawful
  There are six lawful reasons to store and process data.
• RefTech announces free GDPR Masterclasses for the events industry
  RefTech is running a series of GDPR masterclasses across the UK to help event organisers to create their own GDPR strategy.
• In your face:
  Is facial recognition needed in the events industry?
• Big data
  Nobody in the exhibition industry has big data.
• Facing the facts
  The launch of Apple iPhone X has brought facial recognition into the news. Simon Clayton of RefTech looks at its impact on the exhibition industry.
• Life is simple
  Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
• BTHA awards RefTech three-year Toy Fair contract
  RefTech to handle visitor registration and badging for the annual Toy Fair event
• Is your website really attracting delegates?
  Assume that your delegate doesn't know your event very well and build your site to help them find their way
• Cyber attack: Be prepared
  The survival of every company of any size depends on its IT system
• RefTech launch EventReference Mobile App at The Meetings Show 2017
  The app is part of the EventReference by RefTech cloud based event management platform
• GDPR and its impact on event registration
  EU data protection rules will become dramatically stronger in 2018
• IMEX to use EventReference Event Management Tool
  IMEX will be extending EventReference with custom built modules and will use it to manage all online interaction with visitors, hosted buyers and exhibitors
• Cyber Attacks - what you can do to reduce your risk
  Our check list sets out simple steps that will help individuals and companies reduce the risk of cyber attacks
• Exhibition Apps - about as useful as a...
  How hard can it be to create a fast loading and truly useful exhibition app?
• Get Lost!
  Stand numbers are there to help visitors find their way around a show – so it's about time they actually did
• Seriously?
  Having a secure password is one very simple thing that everyone can do to help themselves
• Are you ready for the GDPR in May 2018?
  The EU's new data protection regime will come into force in May 2018 and make EU data protection rules a lot stricter.
• Interesting Vs Useful
  Suddenly the events' world is obsessed with analysing its data
• Hacking a Fridge
  The internet of things (IoT) has suffered some bad press of late due to the current lack of any security standards
• 2017 - keep it simple
  Look for the simplest ways to make delegates lives easier and don't worry about the very latest gadgets
• Exhibition websites: walk a mile in your visitor's shoes
  For around 362 days of the year, the only presence that an exhibition has is their website
• Don't blame the visitor
  50 percent of pre-registered visitors are not showing up for their free events
• Making Headway?
  Don't believe everything you read on the internet
• AI or not AI?
  AI has now reared its head in the events industry
• "Your call is important to us..."
  Companies need to nurture their customers - not use technology to keep them at arms length
• In Good Hands
  The future of the UK events industry is in good hands
• Big Data? I don’t think so...
  Don't be blinded by Big Data
• How do you get a Pikachu on a bus?
  Will 'Pokemon Go' (and gamification in general) impact on events?
• Understanding the technology 'Hype Cycle'
  The five key phases of a technology's life cycle
• Take out the papers and the trash
  The importance of tying up lose ends post event
• International event registration
  Why badging and registration for international conferences is more complicated than you might think
• What's your data worth?
  You have data and you have probably never considered how much that data is worth
• Data retention:
  Just how long are you allowed to keep that data?
• Ten years...
  Looking back over the last ten years
• Back it up, Back it up
  Focus on three key points