Flying Colors
Whether you need to print thousands of adhesive badges for a private trade show or scores of custom labels for giveaways, the LX3000 Big Ink color label printer has you covered. Capable of printing up to 7,500 labels per day, the Big Ink printer holds an impressive 222ml of ink in its easy-to-replace tanks and reusable thermal inkjet print head. All-new dye and pigment inks are optimized for brightness, durability, and optical density, and files can be printed at resolutions up to 1,200-by-4,800 dpi. Interfaces include Ethernet and USB 2.0 wired ports, and wireless connectivity can be achieved via an adapter. Contact: Primera Technology Inc., Plymouth, MN, 800-797-2772, www.primera.com Live Action
Video conferencing became a daily activity for many of us during the pandemic, and by all accounts, it's not going away anytime soon. The predicted staying power of virtual and hybrid happenings means that marketers will need to continue to rely on this medium when planning events. But how does one make a video chat more than just a bunch of people sitting in front of a computer or mobile device? To solve the problem of Zoom fatigue, Livestorm Inc., an online meeting and webinar portal, released its Video Engagement Platform. This virtual software development kit (SDK) makes it easy for users to build their own plugins or browse the marketplace for premade enhancements. In effect, the platform allows marketers to customize their video conferences with just a few clicks and drive engagement by adding features such as quizzes, surveys, chats, social-media feeds, shopping-cart integrations, emojis, virtual backgrounds, and more. Contact: Livestorm Inc., Woburn, MA, 857-800-8217, www.livestorm.com The Magic Touch
Exhibitors' reliance on touchscreen-based activations hasn't gone away, but many showgoers are now cautious about putting so much as a fingertip on anything that hasn't been sanitized. That's why Reality Engineering Solutions LLC developed the RE:nvent Touchless, an easy-to-install device that can be mounted on any monitor and turn it into a hands-free interactive experience. Measuring just under 6 inches tall and 7 inches wide, the RE:nvent Touchless uses a suite of sensors to detect users' hand movements from distances of up to 39 inches from the monitor and translate them into on-screen commands, e.g., a swipe brings up the next presentation slide while an "air poke" taps an icon. The devices work with any PC application. Contact: Reality Engineering Solutions LLC, Camas, WA, 360-448-6361, www.realityengineering.com The Write Stuff
There's no denying the impression a handwritten missive can leave on a client or prospect, but who has the time – or the penmanship? Enter Handwrytten, a service that uses pen-wielding robots to write thank-yous, post-show follow-ups, and more that are virtually indistinguishable from the human hand. Marketers can choose from 23 handwriting styles or upload a sample of their own writing for a truly personal touch. Notes are written on luxury cardstock, and marketers can design their own stationary with custom logos and other graphics. Handwrytten can even add gift cards to more than 20 popular retailers, business cards, and other collateral. Plus uploading contact info is a breeze thanks to new integrations with multiple CRM systems. Contact: Hand-wrytten, Phoenix, 888-284-5197, www.handwrytten.com Map Quest
As the face-to-face marketing industry picks up steam after more than a year in COVID-19 slumber, exhibit and event planners are understandably curious about where and how mass gatherings are taking place. Eventible, an online-review site that bills itself as the TripAdvisor of the events industry, has made it easy to keep on top of the latest reopening in key cities around the globe with its interactive Event Tracker map. Using their own vast library of events, Eventible staffers monitor where in-person gatherings are proceeding. (The map only reports on face-to-face/hybrid events and not virtual happenings.) Cities where large gatherings are prohibited are marked with a red dot, and locales where events are taking place are flagged green. Moving a cursor over a green circle pulls up an info box listing the name of the event, a link to its homepage, and a link to the COVID-related guidelines put in place by local health authorities. The map is updated on a weekly basis. Contact: Eventible, New York, www.eventible.com