Social Media Dialogue Adds Digital Element to MBA Annual Experience

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Face-to-face meetings and conversations are only half of the discussion that will happen at the upcoming MBA Annual Convention in Las Vegas.

There is a whole other conversation going on via social media and other electronic communications used to do business while at the show, so attendees should make sure they have assembled and keep secure all the hardware, software, cellular phones, charging devices and hash tags they need for the convention before they go.

A more portable and lighter alternative to the laptop computer, such as a tablet with a stand and detachable keyboard and a portable phone charger for times when an outlet isn't available are examples of some of the tools that can help attendees stay in touch with mobile communication and information during the show.

The hashtag for the MBA Annual this year for use on Twitter or Instagram is #MBAAnnual14, and its website is events.mortgagebankers.org/101st_Annual

Readers who want to get information from National Mortgage News and its staff on hand at the convention can check out tweets from the following handles:

National Mortgage News: @NatMortgageNews

Origination News: @OrigNews

Editor in Chief Austin Kilgore: @austinpkilgore

Originations Editor Brad Finkelstein: @ONMEBrad

Reporter Kate Berry: @kateberry1

Editor at Large Mark Fogarty: @mortgagenewz

There's also a mobile app for the MBA Annual Convention for Apple iOS and Google Android smartphone and tablet devices.

The MBA also plans to have two mobile charging stations (one on the second floor and one on the third) and a Wi-Fi zone in the exhibit hall.

The hotel has wired and wireless Internet connections for guests in the rooms included as part of a daily resort fee they pay, and free wireless Internet service at two Starbucks coffee shops on the property, according to Vegas.com, which lists the availability of free Internet in the city at vegas.com/traveltips/vegas-internet. The Mandalay Bay business center offers wired and wireless Internet service for an additional charge. Reviews of the Mandalay Bay convention center's free and guest Internet and cell service are mixed. A couple Yelp reviews are critical of its reliability and speed. But a TripAdvisor review, in contrast, speaks highly of it.

Wi-Fi users should be aware of associated information and systems security risks and take precautions if they have any concerns about them.

A Wi-Fi connection makes it easier to introduce malware or access a user's information. Also note that in a recent European study that received wide global media coverage, researchers found that people often fail to read public Wi-Fi agreements closely enough — to the point where they failed in the study to detect that a company was jokingly asking them to sign away the rights to their first-born child in exchange for the service.

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