ICCA is using some of the latest meetings industry technology during its upcoming Congress in Rhodes, Greece on 28 October - 1 November 2006.

Spotme, a device to facilitate networking and business exchanges, will be given to all delegates at the congress. Spotme is a handheld device which will facilitate networking and business exchanges as follows:

• Throughout the event delegates will be able to access information and photos of all attendees in the people database, as well as the events they wish to exchange information about. Using customizable search criteria, delegates can browse the list of participants.
• The device has a radar function which displays the photos and details of all people standing up to 30 meters away. It provides a completely new way to discretely decide who to meet during coffee; to personally identify the people sitting nearby at lunch; or simply to look up forgotten names.
• The device can be set to discretely alert users when a target contact comes within 10 meters. A pop-up description and photo appears and the user can then decide whether to take the plunge and make that crucial handshake.
• Messaging, much like text messaging on mobile phones, lets delegates handle the logistics of where and when to meet. Each attendee can reach every other attendee to set up appointments and to confirm meeting requests. For every message received, the sender?s photo and details can be immediately viewed at the simple press of a button. Appointments made and congress programme are all saved to the device for easy access.
• Delegates can exchange electronic business cards in a simple point-and-shoot action. At the end of the event, a personalized contact log, with the collected cards and photos, is e-mailed to every participant. The contacts can then be copied and pasted directly into any personal
  information management software.

Spotme will be sponsored on Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday by Korea Tourism Organization. On Sunday, Spotme will be sponsored by the Mexico Tourism Board.

LOG ON and IMEX are offering the ICCA Mobile Event Assistant as an additional service to delegates with internet-enabled mobile phones. LOG ON specialises in the creation of mobile applications and products, especially for the event- and tourism industry.

Starting the week before the conference, ICCA Congress & Exhibition delegates will have access to the following services through their own mobile phone:

Programme: Full programme listing; Check session details; Find out more about the presenters

Networking: Identify participants of interest; Get in touch with participants at the event; Retain contact details

Exhibition: Identify and find exhibitors of interest, Order exhibitor brochures, Request to be contacted by exhibitors

ICCA info: Hotel and transport information; Event support information; City Guide

The ICCA Mobile Event Assistant Service is available to anyone using a mobile phone or PDA with an Internet connection. ICCA plans to extensively promote registration in the weeks before the conference starts. All delegates will also have the chance to sign-up during the show.

ICCA is expecting over 700 attendees from over 60 countries at this October's annual Congress on the island of Rhodes, Greece.

"The last time our congress was in Europe was in 2002, when in Copenhagen we had our last record attendance of just over 650" said Martin Sirk, ICCA CEO. Over the last three years we have boosted ICCA membership by over 20%, and of course 2002 was at the height of the economic fallout from the 9/11 attacks, so I will be extremely surprised and disappointed if we don't smash all previous attendance records."

Sirk highlights "the strongest speaker programme ever" and innovative technological tools.