Get Ready for Knowledge Quest at SAP TechEd Las Vegas!

Get your game on! 

We’re excited that 2011 will be another year of innovation at SAP TechEd. This year we are bringing games to SAP TechEd Las Vegas – in the form of Knowledge Quest at SAP TechEd! 

As you know, Jane McGonigalwill be speaking at TechEd Las Vegas on Monday night.  Jane is Director of Game Research and Development, Institute for the Future and is a leader in how games help us learn in better and more powerful ways.  In addition, we are holding an SAP InnoJam on Sunday and Monday with the theme “Gamification for Enterprises”.   

We’re going to prove the point by building the Knowledge Quest game into TechEd Las Vegas itself!  Beginning at Jane’s keynote on Monday night and concluding at the OneRepublic concert Thursday night, Knowledge Quest games will be integrated into many aspects of TechEd this year.  To make it all happen, we’ve partnered with The Go Game, a leading organization specializing in integrating fun and educational games into events. 

KNOWLEDGE QUEST AT SAP TECHED LAS VEGAS: THE CONCEPT

We’re designing some fun game elements, customized for SAP TechEd that will be accessible from your smart phone, your laptop or from TechEd info kiosks.  You’ll visit Knowledge Quest online at various times during the event to receive challenges and submit answers for points.  (Only registered SAP TechEd attendees are eligible to play.)

Your goal with Knowledge Quest is to learn, network, have fun, and hopefully earn enough points to win some really cool prizes on Thursday night!  (Can you say “iPads”?) 

We’re also going to challenge everyone who attends SAP TechEd Las Vegas to join Knowledge Quest – and based on the total number of points everyone earns during the week, SAP has set aside $10,000 to donate to an education-based charity we’ll announce in the coming weeks.  So even if you don’t win one of the many great prizes, your points will be going to a good cause. 

HOW WILL WE GAMIFY SAP TECHED?

Our objectives with Knowledge Quest is to bring some elements of fun to TechEd while making it part of the learning experience.  We also wanted to be very careful not to have the game be disruptive in any way.  We want it to be fun and educational, but not overwhelming.  So we are focusing on two main types of games: 1) Educational & Networking and 2) Fun, Light-hearted Challenges. 

Here’s a short description of what we have planned: 

Education & Networking Types of Challenges

• Session Questions: Our main “learning” challenges will be around TechEd education sessions you join.  After completing a TechEd session, you’ll have the chance to answer between one and three multiple-choice questions prepared by the speaker.  Answer the questions correctly to earn Knowledge Quest points.
• Exhibitor Interactions:   You can also earn Knowledge Quest points when you interact with TechEd partner exhibitors.  Each exhibitor may be using different kinds of challenges from just providing a passcode for visiting, to something more elaborate – all earning you points.
• Interactive Station Challenges:  We will also have a number of SAP Interactive Stations at TechEd where you can earn Knowledge Quest points. Plan to stop by to talk with SAP representatives on a variety of topics and earn points by successfully participating in challenges. 
• Keynotes and DemoJam:  We’ll also have some questions about the TechEd keynotes and the DemoJam that will help you earn Knowledge Quest points. 

Fun, Light-Hearted, Challenges

• Head-to-Head Challenges:  Every day we’ll have a challenge that’s just fun and lighthearted.  No sweat.  Just take on the challenge and earn points!
• Group Challenges:  We’ll also have some fun challenges on Wednesday night that you can participate in as you’re out and about in Vegas. While you’re living it up and socializing with friends, you can earn points by working together in teams that you form on your own. Solve fun, creative problems and puzzles like a scavenger hunt, or a challenge where you need to do something like take a photo, post a tweet about something, etc. 
   

We’ll have more details over the coming weeks, so be on the lookout for more information and be ready to have fun, connect with others to solve challenges, and maybe win Knowledge Quest at SAP TechEd!