A Message from Founder and Editor Mark Roberti

By Mark Roberti

Some people think they don't need to attend an RFID event to deploy a solution. They may be right, but here's why you'll get a big return on the time and money you invest in attending RFID Journal.

I hear from some readers that they don't need to attend RFID events. They say they can simply find a business that installs radio frequency identification (RFID) or other Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, then ask that company to deploy a solution for them. While I am admittedly biased, I think this is a mistake. Here's why.

Most conferences feature consultants and solution providers selling products and services, so I understand that these events don't deliver a lot of value beyond hosting exhibits. But for our annual RFID Journal LIVE! conference and exhibition, RFID Journal has always spent the time and money to bring in speakers from companies like yours to educate you on how to use RFID and other IoT technologies to improve your business.

At this year's event, which will take place on May 17-19 in Las Vegas, we will feature speakers from such companies and organizations as 3M, Argonne National Laboratory, BAE Systems, Carter's, City Furniture, Delta Air Lines, Harvard Medical School, Johnson & Johnson, Kloeckner Metals, Lockheed Martin, Macy's, Perdue Farms, Reading Hospital and many others. I have no doubt you will learn a lot from these speakers. You'll hear about mistakes to avoid that could save you tens of thousands of dollars.

You can, of course, search for RFID products online. But it's difficult to search for products that you don't know exist. Many attendees have told me throughout the years that as they strolled the aisles of booths at LIVE!, they discovered products they didn't know about, which helped them to solve business problems with which they had struggled for years.

Another big benefit of attending the event and visiting the exhibits is that you get to interact with potential partners face to face, look them in the eye and evaluate them. You'll get a sense of what kind of people you are dealing with and whether you think they are the right partners going forward. And you'll likely bump into people and have interactions that will prove valuable in ways you never expected.

Many of the companies that are now using RFID successfully started their journey by attending an RFID Journal LIVE! event. I hope we can help you get on the right path, too. I look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas from May 17-19 for LIVE! 2022.

Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal.

Exhibitors at RFID Journal LIVE! 2022 will offer a wide variety of RFID and other IoT technologies that can help you improve the way you do business. To learn more, visit the event's website.