Urbandale Chamber Rolls Out - Mingle360
January 12, 2010
If you are in business or you network or do trade shows you've got stacks of business cards sitting around the office or in the desk or in your business card holder. What if...what if, when you met somebody and wanted to exchange contact information all you had to do was pull out a small device, push a button and swap data in an instant? That's what the Urbandale Chamber brought to their members this past Tuesday evening.
It is the "magic" of Mingle360. While the technology isn't all that "new" (those of us who have attended "closed" trade shows have, for years, swiped a credit card device that included our contact information at booths) it is a handy way for a closed group of people to keep track of each other. Think of it as a hyper-local LinkedIn tool.
Besides, when you "touch" MingleSticks...it's...well fun.
OK, there are some drawbacks. For example, if nobody other than the 175 people who were present at the roll out use the service...well, then there are 175 people who have shared data. Some of the people who picked up a MingleStick may not activate their account. And, it could easily fade in usage among even these folks. Old habits are hard to break. At $19.95 each the MingleStick isn't cheap. If you buy 100 of them the price comes down to $17.95 each.
However...and I think this is the plan. Imagine business people all across the Des Moines Metro hooked up with Mingle360. Imagine using the device at OPEN trade shows where one can use a stand alone device and interested people simply walk up and click.
Some may think it is too costly. But, when you figure that 70% of trade show leads go unanswered...yes 70% then an investment in a tool like this might make sense. But, again the folks who get the MingleStick must activate their account...
We like it...even if it does have limitations. And, we hear Mingle360 will soon roll out a Twitter App....hmmmmm
For more information contact Tiffany Menke at the Urbandale Chamber Office - 515-331-6855 or [email protected] Very cool...