Thank you iPhone

"Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything." Ten years ago, on January 9, that's how Steve Jobs began a conference launching the iPhone. Little did we know how significantly the smartphone would change consumer experiences at events.

If we consider what today’s events look like, people are no longer only talking, dancing and enjoying the moment.

Today you will see phones in the air capturing memories, people taking selfies, fingers tapping screens furiously as people hashtag and post across social media. We’re creating FOMO. 

In the age of technology we are sharing and researching upcoming events be they conferences or gigs, and booking tickets from our phones. We’re engaging with presenters and event organisers using dedicated hashtags; event organisers are sharing and storing information on the go. And we’re leaving the wallet at home and making payments using Zapper and SnapScan.

One of the biggest impacts smartphones have had on our lives, is the ability to condense various applications into a single device, it is the main way people across the globe access the internet and interact. Apps continue to influence the experience at events – allowing consumers to interact with brands they love and hate directly.

So we thank Steve Jobs for spurring the adoption of smartphones in our personal and professional lives and how it has changed how we create our futures, how we connect with the world around us and how we experience life.