RFID Industry Converges In Phoenix For Top Event

RFID2018 335RFID Live was held in Phoenix Arizona this year, April 2nd-4th, and it was a great place to see the latest in RFID technology. The event was kicked off with a keynote by RFID Journal Founder/Editor Mark Roberti, and followed by a panel discussion on the implementation experiences of several companies.

RFID Live 2019 was the 17th annual conference and exhibition and the most comprehensive RFID forum anywhere! Over 200 exhibitors, and thousands of attendees made this event a must for those companies seeking to adopt and perfect their use of RFID technology.   

The program offered eight concurrent learning tracks including:

● Retail/Apparel

● Manufacturing

● Health Care/Pharmaceuticals

● Defense/Aerospace

● Supply Chain/Logistics

● Innovation

● Internet of Things

● Technology and Infrastructure 

The show also included the presentation of 2019 RFID Technology Awards:

● Best Retail RFID Implementation

Grupo Boticário—for its use of RFID to improve the flow, identification, tracking of and management of goods in its distribution centers and stores.

● Best Manufacturing RFID Implementation

BAE Systems—for its use of RFID to track tools, saving 1,248 hours that workers previously spent annually searching for missing items and performing work-in-process, resulting in a reduction of approximately 2,400 hours per year of time tracking WIP.

● Best Logistics/Supply Chain RFID Implementation

HP—for its use of RFID, combined with new printing technology called Link, to quickly identify counterfeits and product diversions.

● Best Health-Care RFID Implementation

The Adventist Health–White Memorial Medical Center—for its use of an active RFID-based real-time location system to increase operating room utilization by 18 to 22 percent, and to reduce staffing costs by $500,000 per year.

● Best RFID Implementation (Other Industry) 

The Airport Authority Hong Kong—for its use of RFID and a flexible robotic arm to revolutionize the baggage loading and reconciliation process.

● Best Use of RFID to Enhance a Product or Service

Close Brothers Brewery Rentals—for its use of RFID and a new software platform to track and monitor 2.2 million casks and kegs rented to suppliers.

In addition, RFID Journal presented the Best New Product award to RF Controls for its overhead reader system which enables companies to track tagged goods between zones, as well as update tasks and workflow based on real-time location data. Furthermore, the editors gave this year’s RFID Special Achievement Award to the IEEE Council on RFID for its work in producing the annual IEEE RFID event and promoting the work of RFID researchers from around the world.

“The projects and products submitted this year were among the most impressive the judges have ever seen,” said Mark Roberti, RFID Journal‘s founder and editor. “We are certainly seeing how RFID has matured into a technology that is delivering real value to companies in different industries and different areas of the world.”

The next show will be held April 28-30th, 2020 in Orlando Florida. Hope to see you there!