The digital pop-up panel

Last night we had a fantastic gathering of some of Brighton’s best technical gurus. The event was held in conjunction with Brighton Chamber of Commerce and the Brighton Digital Festival.

15below chaired and sponsored the event which included some great speeches on everything from wearable tech, eye tracking, VR, AR, and even contactless electrical field detection.

There were also opportunities to float in orbit around the earth in virtual reality with an Oculus Rift and play games hands free with a Leap Motion. The goal of the evening was to debate how best to approach the adoption of new technical innovations and see what considerations need to be made before investing in the ‘Next big thing’.

Obviously cutting edge tech is very close to our hearts but what really struck me throughout the event was that in a lot of respects the decision on what technology to use always takes a back seat to understanding the needs of the end user. Customer service and empathy were at the heart of most of the speeches and certainly the panel debate.

Ultimately it all boils down to anticipating our customers’ needs and providing the right help, perfectly timed and personalised in the very finest detail possible. A happy customer doesn’t care how this has happened and certainly isn’t interested in the technological innovation that created the experience. People are so used to adopting new technologies these days that they barely notice them. What really leaves a lasting impression is the impact they have on their day to day lives. Has the experience this time been noticeably different from the experience last time?

For the millions of passengers we communicate with every week the important thing is just being kept informed of what is going on. For the thirty five airlines we currently look after, its pretty much the same deal. They trust us to configure our technology in just the right way, personalised to their needs so it all happens without any stress and with a minimum of technical input from them. The speed and clarity of digital communication ultimately results in a great passenger experience which in turn results in happy customers.

Maybe instead of talking about the ‘Next big thing’ in technology we should actually be talking about a revolution in customer service?

Special thanks to everyone involved including Ed at The Cyclist for hosting us at his frankly awesome venue and our fantastic speakers;

Jenni Lloyd, Strategy Director at NixonMcInnes on 'Innovation Mindset - What to Think About Before Adopting New Technology'

Mike Herd, MD at Sussex Innovation Centre on 'New and Emerging Technology - What's Happening Locally'

Pete Jenkins, MD at e-Advantage Solutions on 'Gamification - It Can Work for Business'

Adam Lee, MD at No Pork Pies on 'New Eye Tracking Technology - How it Works'

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk