I want to stay on top of new technology, as it always weaves its way into the exhibit and event industry. But I can't get a handle on the Internet of Things. What is it, exactly?

The Internet of Things (Iot) takes the internet connectivity found in devices like laptops and smartphones and extends the capability of exchanging data to other objects, such as washing machines, wearables, toasters, thermometers, and lamps, to improve the products' efficiency and give users greater control. To give you an idea of the scope of this growing technology, some estimates say that roughly 10 billion devices will be considered part of the IoT by 2020, and that figure jumps to 20 billion by 2025. There are even conferences devoted to this topic, e.g., IoT Tech Expo, IoT North America, and more.