CompTIA BoothTag: Gamification

Gamification. It leverages our desire to play and compete in order to generate higher levels of activity and interest. At CompTIA Breakaway 2011 in Washington, D.C ., BoothTag 'gamified' the traditional vendor expo at this premier education event for the IT channel.

Every conference breakout session, every attendee and every exhibitor booth registered received a Microsoft Tag mobile 2D barcode. Attendees used Tag Reader to scan barcodes displayed at each exhibitor booth. They also scanned each other's personal barcodes, displayed on their smartphone in the BoothTag app.

BoothTag staff were on hand to help those who needed to access hotel WiFi, complete BoothTag signup, or just become more familiar with their new smartphone.

For every scan of a barcode, whether displayed on presentation projection screens, on printed display in a booth, on a smartphone or on self-generated printouts, attendees gained points towards winning a prize. CompTIA smartly understood the value of providing attractive prizes attendees would be eager to win, and established a "Sweet 16" list. The top 16 point-leaders received prizes including Tumi luggage, an outdoor grill, an iPad 2, and many more. All attendees were eligible to receive recognition prizes as they racked up points during the game - making everyone a winner.

As the game progressed, everyone watched the two leaderboards prominently positioned in the vendor expo and charging-station lounge area, which displayed current activity, top points leaders, and a Tweet-stream of comments with the @CompTIA and #BKWY11 hashtag.

The result of the activity? The game did evoke its share of a few ultra-competitives. What was undeniable was the record-breaking level of overall scan activity - a grand total of 10,659 scans, in just over 2 days!

As the numbers mounted, some important trends emerged. While booth tags received the majority of scans, they were closely followed by person-to-person tag scans. This strong interpersonal interaction was a testament to the networking activity and value of the event.

After the game ended on day 2 of the conference and BoothTag staff were boarding the plane home, CompTIA texted to say: "All went well! Nice crowd around the prize center. Please thank Chad also, I didn't get a chance to thank him personally. Safe trip home!" Nice job, Chad.

For the record, high marks go to the entire CompTIA staff - they were exceptionally friendly, unfailingly professional and produced a conference that exuded class and value at every step. Thanks to all!

Score a gamification success for CompTIA Breakaway 2011, and big win for BoothTag too!