Screens around the venue, driven from the same program data as everything else — so a session that moves on the agenda grid moves on the wall.
How it works
You design templates — the layout and content of a screen — and then create instances of those templates for particular places. Each instance has its own web address; point any browser-capable screen, stick, or smart display at it and the screen is live. No software to install.
Screens are paired using a short code, so a technician can set up a display without being given an account.
Kinds of screen
- Welcome — branding and general information.
- Room screens — what is on in this room now and next, drawn from the session list.
- Wayfinding — directional and orientation information.
- Poster sessions — what is on which board.
Screens can be put on a rotating schedule, so one display cycles through several layouts.
Every screen type except Welcome and Wayfinding draws its content from your sessions. A Beacon screen on an event with no sessions in rooms will render, but it will be empty. Build the agenda first.
Running late, and announcements
Two things make signage worth having on the day. Marking a session as running late adjusts what the screens show without touching the program. And announcements — informational, warning or emergency — can be pushed to screens immediately, which is the fastest broadcast channel you have in a building.
Knowing when a screen has died
Beacon checks its screens every five minutes and can email managers when one stops reporting in. Set the threshold in the alert settings. This is the difference between finding out from a delegate and finding out from Rostrum.