The GSMA NFC & Mobile Money Summit took place in Milan at the end of October 2012 and attendees of the event were afforded some unique NFC-based experiences. Each attendee was presented with an NFC-enabled handset and encouraged to use them during the event to pay for public transportation and taxi rides, make purchases in stores and collect information from smart posters. Attendees, with a mere tap of their handset on an NFC tag or reader, were able to easily experience the capabilities of NFC-enabled technology. The GSMA also developed an exhibition-wide NFC-enabled treasure hunt entitled “The NFC Code”, in which event attendees were able to win a prize by finding all the posters and tapping the content in order to crack the NFC Code.
In addition, the GSMA stand featured innovative SIM-based NFC demonstrations provided by Telecom Italia and Etisalat. These included a Smart City Bike Sharing Station and a ‘Supermarket of the Future’ demo. Another highlight at the Summit, an NFC-enabled Alfa Romeo 159 allowed attendees to unlock and start the car using NFC technology; the NFC-enabled car was provided by Centro Ricerche FIAT in collaboration with Telecom Italia. The exhibition and conference venue also featured additional interactive collateral including NFC-tagged smart posters and conference session feedback posters.
The GSMA also hosted a VIP NFC tour around central Milan, allowing attendees to experience NFC in real-world environments, using their handsets to pay for items, download information and use public transport. The day culminated in an evening reception where the winner of the NFC Challenge Essay, Alessandro Marelli of the Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, was presented with his prize by the GSMA’s Director General, Anne Bouverot, for an essay that demonstrated his innovative and futuristic vision of NFC.
The GSMA issued two new white papers at the event, underlining the importance of mobile NFC for both the retail and transport sectors. These new reports reflect views of the broad NFC ecosystems and are designed to help retailers, transport operators, mobile operators and their partners deploy mobile NFC solutions to improve consumers’ shopping and travel experiences. The papers outline the potential benefits, possible obstacles and key considerations relating to the deployment of mobile NFC services in these two industries.
Check out these event highlights http://www.nfcmobilemoneysummit.com/event/event-highlights.php and pictures from the event http://pinterest.com/gsmaonline/gsma-nfc-mobile-money-summit-2012/