For years, when asking people what they print from the web, they often say travel related items: itinerary, hotel receipt, boarding passes, maps, lists of restaurants and attractions. They might bring other pre-printed artifacts, like business cards, travel guides, and large maps. At a conference, a schedule guide might be needed.
At SXSW Interactive this year, I used none of these.
- I used Google Maps on my blackberry to locate businesses and restaurants, get directions, and view maps.
- I used the SXSW online schedule of events from my phone to plan my days at the conference and add desired events to my Google calendar.
- When I met someone I want to talk to in the future, I followed them on Twitter (again via my phone), and can look up their contact information later, or simply Google their name.
Even though I had made a small travel packet before I left home, I never used anything in that travel packet except the initial boarding pass I printed.
If I am already carrying my phone, I don’t want to carry paper. Especially when the digital equivalents (like twitter, online schedules, and maps) offer so much more value in digital form.