Like any buzzword before it, the Internet of Things is mired in misunderstanding and misuse. Seeking to do rather than say, Imagination has crafted a session that is part discussion, part social experiment. We’ve hacked together 100 badges and made them aware of the world around them – reinforcing the idea of a connected world of communicating objects – with the goal of making an abstract idea more tangible.

Part one of this experiment happened in London (see a short video here). In New York, part two pushes things further with live data visualizations and a direct link to Twitter, which allows us to share contact information at the touch of a badge.

Social connections are not like they used to be and this session, via the considered opinions of experts from Google, New York Times and Metropolitan Museum of Art, explores how they have moved on and what this means for us.

So come wear a badge, interact with fellow attendees and see how the data generated from a few small exchanges can alter the way we see the world – and each other. Following our panel discussion, stick around for more debate, experimentation, and an ice-cold beer.