Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has announced that attendees of the upcoming 2014 International CES (CES 2014) which runs from Jan. 7 through Jan. 10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center will be able to participate in a scavenger hunt that features the iBeacon technology.
The producers of the annual technology expo will run the promotional event to encourage attendees to roam around the venue instead of just being glued to the booths of well-known brands.
CEA has collaborated with mobile proximity firm Radius Networks and Texas Instruments to gamify the iBeacon technology for this year's edition of CES. The said technology makes use of low-energy Bluetooth transmitters that are ideal for short range location awareness applications.
"This promotional scavenger hunt demonstrates our commitment to leveraging the latest in emerging technologies, making CES the most interactive and engaging technology event of the year. This promotion is a fun and novel way to introduce attendees to iBeacon technology and encourage participants to visit important exhibits across the show floor," said CEA communications and strategic relationships senior vice president Jeff Joseph in a press statement.
Attendees of the expo can download the CES mobile app that includes instructions on how to participate in the scavenger hunt. They will be able to collect badges that will indicate an encounter with iBeacons scattered around the exhibit halls.
"This is one of the coolest proximity-aware apps we have worked on. This is also one of the first, tangible applications that leverages iBeacon technology. And it is a great example of how iBeacon technology is not just about advertising as it is about bringing new and innovative solutions to the marketplace. We are very excited to be a part of it," said Radius Networks co-founder and chief executive Marc Wallace.
Of course, with the game comes prizes up for grabs. The first three participants who can collect all badges will get a prize from the organizers.
The iBeacon can send a message to attendees 100 feet away from it. The technology is seen to be an innovative solution and has been tried by several brands such as Apple, Macy's J.C. Penney and Major League Baseball. Other possible applications for iBeacon will be in museums, automatic ticketing and other location-based marketing efforts.
