If you are planning an event for your company or business, imagine having the ability to interact with those attending with one simple device. With IBeacon, this is quickly becoming a possibility.

Although it is still at the beginning of its existence, IBeacon is already making waves in the event planning industry. This simple device allows businesses and event planners to send information directly to people who are attending an event via their smart phone.

This technology enables a smart phone to perform a specific function when it is in a particular proximity to the IBeacon. For example, if someone is attending an event and is looking for a specific location, an IBeacon can then recognize their location and help guide them to where they are trying to go. This is specifically helpful for those looking for the restrooms.

Another way that this can benefit event planners is it will allow them to provide a way to send information to attendees such as certain promotional items when they past sales booths. It may even help with the checking in process that typically takes up a large portion of event attendee’s time and allow them to reach festivities faster. But, probably one of the best things about this device is that it will allow event planners to gather real time information about their attendees, which, until now, has been virtually impossible.

IBeacon has a simple set of parameters that must be met in order for the signal to be set. First, the recipient must have the app that is associated with the beacon. Typically, this is the app that has been set up by the event or a vendor.

Next, the recipient must pass over the IBeacon boundary. This boundary has been set up as the maximum distance that the beacon can reach. After they pass this boundary, the person must then stay inside it for longer than 20 seconds. Once these items have been met, the message or alert can be sent.

Prices for IBeacons range anywhere from $5 to $30 and have a range of a few centimeters to several hundred meters. The average distance that the signal can transmit from these devices is about 70 meters. This technology uses Bluetooth low-energy wireless technology to transmit location based information to iPhones and iPads within this parameter.

While many will fear that they will now be overloaded with advertisements everywhere that they travel, this will not be the case. The IBeacon works with apps that have been downloaded by the iPhone user and only transmit to customers who have downloaded these apps. There are also simple ways that smartphone users can opt out of the transmission process, such as change their privacy settings on their phones.

With the ever adapting world of technology, IBeacon stands to become the breakout king of the event planning world. Although it is still in the testing phase of its existence, it will be interesting to see how it continues to change the way that we shop and interact with events that are taking place around us.