It was the middle of winter and I was headed from freezing Virginia to sunny Florida! Not only was this my first time attending the annual Assistive Technology Industry Association’s (ATIA) conference, but I was in charge of leading LC Technologies team in demonstrating the Eyegaze Edge® and educating professionals and families on Eyegaze communication technology.
As an organization, ATIA’s mission is to “serve as a collective voice of the assistive technology industry to help ensure that the best products and services are delivered to individuals with disabilities.” Their mission statement reflects LC Technologies own company vision:
“We are passionate about building the world’s best eye tracking communication
hardware and software solutions and delivering them with superior customer service.
At LC Technologies, we give the gift of communication.”
As a company, how can we measure the success of our expo booth and efforts? Aside from counting the numbers of visitors we met, is there a way to conceptualize how many lives were touched? Perhaps not, but as a first-timer at ATIA, I came away with five areas where LC Technologies excelled and delivered on the vision to give the gift communication through superior product development and customer service.
1. Friendly Faces! As I wandered around the enormous exhibit hall, I noticed that not every booth had this! I shared my experience with my team members, and we agreed that each person needs to be acknowledged. As visitors and families approached our booth we warmly welcomed them with a smile and made them feel comfortable so they could make a meaningful human connection. This is where the magic happened.
2. Top-notch Educators! Not only did we get to mingle with bright minds visiting our booth over the course of the week, but LC Technologies’ Medical Director, Nancy Cleveland, taught a standing-room-only session about vital considerations to make when using eyegaze communication devices with individuals. Meanwhile at the booth, our distributors taught visitors what makes the Eyegaze Edge® unique. For these professionals, families and advocates, knowledge is power!
3. Advocacy: LC Technologies met individuals and companies doing amazing work in implementation of new technologies in the disability market. We met powerful advocates who work to connect people to the assistive technology they need to thrive. We add our voices to theirs on behalf of the families we serve.
4. Stellar sales & service skills: With the strong skillset of LC Technologies distributors, I saw new sales being made. Sales are not simply numbers, but human lives being changed. With each sale of the Eyegaze Edge®, I see an individual who can powerfully communicate and interact with their world once again. This gift of communication directly improves quality of life.
5. Teamwork: Planning for the ATIA conference booth was a team effort by our production team, software developers, researchers, speakers, and distributors. Their brilliant ideas, technology know-how, and energy brought visitors by the thousands. After conference hours, we joined with old and new friends and colleagues to network, eat dinner, play games, and talk shop about assistive technology. As booth staff, we ended our week with an exciting prize drawing for booth visitors who learned in-depth about the Eyegaze Edge® and we had quite a crowd when the winner’s name was called!
Thank you to everyone who contributed and visited. See you next year at ATIA 2018!