Note from the Editor: Next up in our #DellWorld partner guest blog post series is from Keith Smith at BigDoor. Keith Smith, BigDoor co-founder and CEO has been working on gamification well before the term was invented. You can find him on Twitter at @ChiefDoorman. Let the games begin!
Well before the term “gamification” entered the technology lexicon, we formed BigDoor with a vision to help companies create loyalty, engagement and evangelism amongst their customers. For us, gamification is more than just adding points, badges and leaderboards to non-game sites. We build the technology that powers social engagement and loyalty through the use of game mechanics.
It is the innovative nature of gamification that fits hand in hand with the Dell World theme of “Unlocking Innovation.” Social loyalty programs like the one Dell is implementing for Dell World are truly on the cusp of innovation and creating that deeper engagement for users. Dell World is the ideal showcase to demonstrate the impact that content consumption and social amplification has on user engagement and participation. It's much more than just directing attendees to check in – which often makes for a superficial experience – adding Journeys throughout the event allows attendees to customize their own experience and also be rewarded for their achievements. Throughout the conference, attendees will find QR codes to scan with the Dell World mobile app at various booths, panels, and in all presentations. BigDoor has created multiple ways to engage attendees through Journeys, allowing Dell to see in real-time which exhibits, sessions and even food trucks are the most popular and heavily trafficked.
As an industry, gamification has come a long way since we started our company two years ago. Today we see predictions that by 2015 70% of Global 2,000 businesses will have a gamified app (Gartner, April 2011) and the gamification market will reach $2.8 Billion in US by 2016 (M2 Research, September 2011). At BigDoor we found the concept of using game mechanics to engage communities online to be really compelling. What we see as being truly meaningful to an audience and creating deeper brand loyalty is our utilization of directed user engagement experiences that enable users to earn rewards that are valuable to them.
BigDoor made a bold bet on gamification when we started our company and now Dell is making an even bolder bet for the inaugural Dell World Conference – we’re excited to be part of it!