he new year has officially begun and we can’t wait to see what it holds. If it’s anything like the last, there’s sure to be some exciting new developments and events!
Photo by The Verge
We thought we would start the year off by sharing with you all some of the things PopUp Play is most excited to see in 2017. Between new technology, partnerships and more, this year is looking to be very exciting:
New Ways To Incorporate Tech Into Daily Life
At PopUp Play, we love finding ways to incorporate modern technology into everyday life, and we’re anticipating seeing more of this trend this year. We’re off to a great start with the Consumer Electronics Show occurring in Las Vegas this week, where a number of automated cars, artificial intelligence assistants and more will be making debuts. One debut we’re excited to see: Kuri, the kid-friendly robot nanny. An AI robot designed to assist home life, Kuri is just one of numerous devices being debuted this year that can allegedly answer trivia questions, run your smart home and even take cat videos when you’re away. It seems that there’s a new gadget or app for everything: from organizing your work life to assisting in keeping a tidy house, and we’re excited to see how they all work!
Photo by PC Mag
While there’s no limit to the amount of new technology we’ll see in 2017, we’re excited to see individual businesses and thought leaders bring their innovative ideas to the table. We’re especially excited to see tech that flows seamlessly into the physical world, just as our PopUp Play platform does!
More Opportunities For Makers
Near the end of 2016, we saw some exciting new developments for creators and innovators, such as the development of a nation-wide Maker Space for collaboration and a plethora of opportunities for entrepreneurs of all walks of life to debut their ideas and small businesses. With predictions of an increase in IPO activity and investor funding for small startups, we’re excited to see the growth of not only our own business, but our fellow makers and business owners as well!
Mini Makers, Too!
Photo by Makezine
Another exciting development: some of those entrepreneurs are getting younger and younger. Kids have more opportunities now than ever before to create, learn about and launch their own mini businesses. Maker Faires, for example, have seen exponential growth since their launch in 2006, and have doubled the amount of feature and mini faires in the past five years. Between events and opportunities like Children’s Business Fair, Maker Faires and school and summer camp initiatives, there’s no stopping the next generation of thought leaders and business owners, and we’re excited to give today’s youngest a taste of what it’s like to create their very own toys.
Our Partnerships
While we’re definitely excited about nation and world-wide developments in the tech, business and kid-friendly industries, PopUp Play is also thrilled about some brewing internal developments of our own! If you read our very last blog post of 2016, you may have noticed our mention of a couple exciting partnerships in the works. We’re just weeks away from launching our newest partner initiative, and we can’t wait to show the world what the PopUp Play platform is capable of. So keep an eye on us this year–because we’re not the only ones who think we’re on the cusp of something huge.