Auto-ID Labs Big Data Conference Competition
Overview
Everywhere you look, consumers are turning to their smartphones and social media to get more value and better inform their shopping experience. The resulting data is creating new opportunities for retailers to better understand the wants and needs of their consumers, to improve the customer experience and ultimately drive more sales.
Retail chains are complex ecosystems producing large and diverse data-sets. Object identification technologies like RFID, NFC and barcodes also create new streams of data. And numerous platforms and websites are sprouting up that offer location-based deals and sales promotions for consumers using the myriad data sources. There is tremendous potential for Big Data applications that mine and aggregate information from these data silos and merge this with Hadoop data sources to improve retailer supply chain efficiencies and enhance the shopping experience.
How can retailers improve the real-time interaction between consumers and goods on the retail floor using mobile? What can be learned to drive sales and profit for retailers – large and small? How can retailers improve the overall brand experience for consumers? Those are just a few of the questions that should be answered in the Mobile Retail App Challenge!
The Challenge
What’s the challenge? Create a mobile retail application prototype or develop a mobile retail application or service to improve the retail demand chain using Big Data.
- Developers should address how their application or service will improve some business process such as marketing, sales, or customer service.
- Developers are encouraged to point out where industry specifications would assist in structuring data and ensuring interoperability across stakeholders.
What Can You Use?
Retail ID technology, including any combination of RFID and NFC technology, Android or iOS, barcodes (QR or other), social media, augmented reality (ie. MagicMirror), and other mobile technologies (ie. contactless payments).
All applications should adhere to the GS-1/EPCglobal Electronic Product Code (EPC) standards for identifying products to ensure interoperability between retailers.
Who is Qualified to Enter? Why Should You Enter?
- Only companies less than 5 years old and either privately funded or “C” series funding or below are eligible for the Auto-ID Labs Big Data Start-up Competition.
- Companies must register to attend the Auto-ID Labs Big Data Conference Oct 9-10 where presentations to judges by the finalists will be made.
- The winner will receive a consulting session with a major retailer, and a private lunch with a Big Data investor.
The winner will receive a consulting session with a major retailer, and a private lunch with a Big Data investor.
Submit Today
Submit your completed Entry Form to MIT Auto-ID Labs by September 24, including:
- Name (with full contact)
- Team/Company
- Concept or Prototype
- How Will It Work -- What Is Required for the Consumer, for the Retailer?
- Expected Results
- Why Will Retailers Want and Need It?
- How Will It Help Improve the Retail Experience and Drive Sales?
TThe top 10 submissions will be selected and notified by October 1. The semi-finalists will present their prototypes and applications pecha-kucha style (20 slides x 20 seconds) on October 9 at the Auto-ID Labs Big Data Conference at MIT, to a panel of judges including:
- Abhi Dhar, CTO, Walgreens.com, Walgreens
- Mike Baker, CEO, DataXu
- Chris Lynch, Atlas Ventures, former CEO Vertica
- Sanjay Sarma, Co-founder Auto-ID Labs
- And other judges to be announced
Presentations by finalists occur over lunch on October 9 and the winner will be announced October 10 at noon. You must register to participate:
Register NOW to take advantage of $50 earlybird discount (valid until September 22nd).
Download the Competition Entry Form Here
For questions please contact Stephen Miles, Research Scientist and Conference Organizer at: s_miles@mit.edu
