With the iPad celebrating the 10th anniversary of its unveiling this week, the tech world looks back at the impact of Apple’s popular tablet. The device—which has sold almost 400 million units since its launch—is an unqualified success, argues Navneet Alang in a recent article in The Week.

“Hundreds of millions of people are using them right now,” he says. “More importantly, even more people are living in its shadow and under its influence, whether they or know it or not.”

You can include the events industry in the iPad’s sphere of influence. From kiosks to tradeshow floors to note-takers in education sessions, perhaps no single piece of tech has redefined events in the past decade more than the iPad.

“Every significant advancement made in laptop technology and design owes a debt to the iPad,” Alang says, pointing out that the iPad has helped usher in a number of new hardware and software features.

But the iPad wasn’t always the feature-filled device that it is today.

“The original iPad launched in the U.S. in April of 2010, but it was a far cry from the powerful tablets Apple sells now,” says Mashable’s Alex Perry. “Features like FaceTime, multitasking, 4K video capture, AirPlay, and plenty of others we take for granted in Apple devices now weren’t available at the iPad’s launch.”

Believe it or not, the iPad wasn’t even the first handheld, touch-based computer Apple launched. That distinction belongs to the Newton MessagePad, released in 1993 at the price of $900, Perry reports. Suffice it to say that the iPad has outperformed its predecessor.

Give Members Value at Your Events

Check out 3 Ways Associations Can Deliver Value to Members at Events https://t.co/DNj3Hlb06q #associations #assnchat

— Blue Sky eLearn (@blueskyelearn) January 31, 2020

Hosting an event for your association? There are several strategies to drive member value, writes Maggie Green in the Blue Sky eLearn blog. For example, associations should make it a point to educate their audience.

“Applying adult learning principles, ultimately helping attendees turn learning into action, is key,” Green says. A memorable way to deliver information is to share stories that add context for attendees.

“Give your attendees a role to play in the event story,” Green says. “If your membership can see themselves in the narrative, taking action will come more naturally.”

Other Links of Note

What’s your digital IQ? It’s more than just knowing how to use the technology available to us, writes John Horodyski in CMSWire.

Movers and shakers. Higher Logic’s Elizabeth Bell identifies 20 high-impact people in the online community industry.

What New Year’s resolutions are marketers making this year? Sprout Social’s Katherine Kim breaks it down.

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