3 Ways Tech Is Transforming Political Conventions

The Republican National Convention is noteworthy for much more than the official business of bestowing the title of 2012 Republican presidential nominee on Mitt Romney. Technology has truly transformed the political landscape in 2012. The RNC, as well as the Democratic National Convention (DNC) scheduled for next, bears little resemblance to the last nationwide gathering held just four years ago.

• CNN correspondent Wolf Blitzer hadn’t yet joined Twitter when the 2008 political conventions took place. Contrast that with 2012, when Blitzer has 540,000 Twitter followers — evidence that social media will make 2012 the year of the truly interactive convention.
• Tampa Bay and Charlotte have experienced a surge in cellular network growth in the months leading up to this year’s conventions. Conventioneers, media and speakers will surely flood the area’s bandwidth in their efforts to share first-hand observations via their smartphones and tablets.
• A new weapon in the arsenal of Tampa police is getting a fair amount of attention as law enforcement aims to keep convention activities secure. Dubbed by one news outlet as a “profiling” tool, behavior recognition software will help local police proactively identify potential threats to security.