Professional Documents
Culture Documents
information supplied by the organizer, such as room dimensions, Exhibitors can submit their requests via the Internet or fax and
aisle dimensions and booth increments. The show organizer can comprehensive confirmations are sent immediately. “GES Intel-
then combine and assign booths as well as determine the exact likit transforms the way exhibitors learn about the exhibition
amount of materials, such as carpet and pipe and drape, that will and order services by replacing standard paper manuals with an
be needed. intelligent, interactive, electronic manual,” said Steve Moster,
For instance, organizers can specify one color carpet for the GES executive vice president of products & services. The prod-
aisles and the program will automatically calculate the amount uct uses technology similar to tax software and was selected as
needed. As that figure changes, so will the material calculation. a finalist in the Adobe 2007 MAX Awards, which recognize the
As the general service contractor, Freeman can download this best uses of Adobe software.
information in real-time, increasing accuracy and reducing waste.
To help with sponsorship tracking and sales, Freeman offers Reach Steve Moster, executive vice president of products and
Plan Tour. The web-based tool is customized for each show and services, GES, at (702) 263-1500 or smoster@ges.com
displays the offerings, price and availability of the sponsorships.
Exhibitors can browse it to search for opportunities; show orga-
nizers can use it to track availability and revenue.
The Global Executive
The Global Executive has introduced eTouches 2, the newest
To encourage greater use of online exhibitor services, Free-
version of its meeting and event management technology. The
man increased the prominence of its web-based Exhibitor Wiz-
update features two new applications: eBudget and eSeating.
ard and Material Handling Estimator. The wizard guides exhibi-
eBudget allows an organizer to set up the initial budget for
tors through the ordering process, filling their online shopping
an event; estimate costs; and track quotes, expenses and revenue.
cart with services they order as they go. The Material Handling
“The program draws up-to-date numbers from sponsor sales,
Estimator helps them estimate their material handling budget
exhibitor sales and delegate revenues to let show organizers
more accurately. “Material handling is often the area that many
know where they are at in regard to their target at any time,” says
exhibitors report difficulty with,” says Mike McCool, director of
Leonora Valvo, CEO of The Global Executive.
technology services for Freeman.
The information can help with decision making, for instance,
Show organizer transactions have also moved online. iPlan-
determining whether a supplier quote fits into the budget or ex-
ner by Freeman, launched this past fall, permits show organizers
ceeds cost expectations. The program will also track percentages
to collaborate with the general service contractor online. Orga-
and make adjustments as participants register or cancel.
nizers can specify their requirements for a show (e.g. registration,
“Organizers most often use Excel, which is just a blank
cybercafe, aisle carpet, signage, etc.) and manage the project
spreadsheet. Even if adept with the program, it can still be diffi-
(such as design reviews and approvals) from their own offices.
cult for a team to use,” said Doug Macdonald, managing director
Reach Mike McCool, director of technology services, Freeman,
of eTouches for The Global Executive. “We see many situations
at (773) 379-5040 or mike.mccool@freemanco.com.
where event managers really don’t have a good idea of costs or
revenues as the event comes together. It’s only afterwards that
GES Exposition Services they can understand the financials,” he said.
GES Exposition Services receives 1,200 exhibitor orders ev- Users do not need programming knowledge to use the
ery day. To bring these interactions online, and to save everyone program. Organizers set up the agenda, fee structure and other
time, money and paper, GES created GES Intellikit software. segments using simple forms (most selections are made by
The electronic exhibitor’s manual simplifies the ordering process, clicking on boxes and drop-down menus) although The Global
helping users to track budgets and orders electronically. Executive will also perform this task if requested.
Interactive forms feature automatic calculations and pre- The eTouches 2 program is designed to be flexible, with a
population of data (users have to enter information only once). dashboard permitting easy access to all modules for an event. Other
Continued on page 34
Keeping Money, People Organized. The Global Executive’s eTouches2 was launched with two
new features dedicated to budgets and seating plans. eSeating is an adjunct to the eTouches 2
registration and scheduling tools. eBudget gives organizers a means of managing their budgets for
an event in real time. The tool tracks revenues and expenses, records cost estimates, tracks price
quotes without using Microsoft Excel.
Knowing the Customer. Experient helps show organizers with their data-mining
operations with its newly released Attendee Customer Relationship Management
(ACRM) solution. ACRM collects and stores data on attendees and analyzes it for
useful demographic and even psychographic trends. The result is marketing that is
more agile and focused on particular customer groups.
says Donnelly. and average visit durations. Show floor, conference and spon-
sored-event attendees can be tracked in addition to staff. Traffic
Reach Terence Donnelly, vice president of tradeshow markets, Ex- analyses, scatter maps, behavior profiles and continuing educa-
perient, at (603) 926-5060 or terence.donnelly@experient-inc.com. tion credit reports can be developed.
There is no charge to the organizer. Fish supplies the infra-
structure and exhibitors pay for it. Collection of the RFID tags
ExpoTools at the end of the show mitigates their high cost, while informa-
ExpoTools has debuted RFID tracking posts that are shorter in
tion about high-traffic areas can help to more fairly set fees and
physical height but not in stature. Only 58 inches high, the posts
justify show floor positions that cost more.
ship fully assembled (set up in five minutes, tear down in three,
according to one company representative) and provide greater
Michael Gilvar, president, Fish Software, at (866) 287-7019 or
than 99% accuracy tracking bi-directional movement of attend-
mgilvar@fishsoftware.com.
ees through the posts. The compact devices can track visitors as
tall as 6 feet 7 inches.
Scan data includes the date, time, location and direction and
can be downloaded to CSV and Excel file formats. Standard re-
ports illustrate information such as the number of tags scanned, MeetingMetrics
peak attendance, average time on the floor and attendance Justification has become increasingly important and often
change over time. Summaries and graphs provide the data in an takes the form of ROI, which can be difficult to track. To help
easy-to-understand format. show participants with this task, the Professional Convention
The RFID portals can track movement into and out of a Management Association (PCMA), MeetingMetrics and the ROI
show floor, but many organizers (particularly association show Institute, Inc., have partnered to create a post-meeting ROI survey
organizers) have expressed interest in using them as tools to and related reports. The information can be used to accurately
track session attendance and continuing education credits. Users demonstrate the financial status of an event as well as provide
can then get lists of who attended the session and how long they attendees with justification for attendance. A module in develop-
stayed—information that can be shared with speakers and spon- ment will address exhibitor ROI.
sors if desired. The portals also provide sponsorship opportu- “Show participants, including sponsors and attendees, can get
nity; full-color printed skins are available. individual and average ROIs,” says Ira Kerns, managing director
of GuideStar Research, developers of the MeetingMetrics online
Reach Kurt Gehmlich, president, ExpoTools, at (514) 337-4554 service.
or kurt@specialtysensor.com. The toolkit is based on the expertise of the ROI Institute,
which compiles methodologies, measures and report formats on
ROI. The program offers electronic templates to build surveys
Fish Software from a bank of more than 1,000 meeting measurement questions
Fish Software uses RFID to track individuals as they move plus those created by the user for previous surveys.
about, not simply as they enter or exit a room. Scalable from a few The system uses information about costs as well as gains and
hundred attendees to 15,000, the system tracks badge-wearers to can illustrate a successful show visit as well as point out areas
within four inches of their actual location in real-time (high-per- for improvement. The toolkit uses five levels of measurement,
formance RFID tags transmit constant signals to ceiling-mounted including people’s attitudes, perceptions and skill levels. The pro-
sensors). The resulting data provides insight into attendee behav- gram automatically provides question options associated with the
ior that can illuminate the customer experience and identify areas particular metrics the organizer has selected for the survey. “Every
for improvement or expansion. meeting has different financial objectives that can be monetized,
Using measurement zones (ranging from the size of a chair such as job performance and productivity,” says Kerns.
to a room), reports can be created that measure total unique Reach Ira Kerns, managing director, GuideStar Research/Meet-
visits, repeat visits, aggregate time spent by attendees in the zone ingMetrics, at (212) 426-2333 or kerns@guidestarco.com.
Continued on page 38
Mapping searches and printed maps outlining their agendas, including ses-
sion schedules. A kiosk option brings these benefits to the show
floor.
EXPOCAD
EXPOCAD has expanded its mapping capabilities outside
of the show hall. Its new geomapping function permits attend- Reach MapYourShow at (888) 527-8822.
ees to view maps broader than the venue, such as those of the
city, and marking relevant information, such as hotels in the
room block, bus routes, off-site events and area businesses (who You Are Here
pay to participate). All are identified with icons. You Are Here by MarketArt, Inc., presents an alternative to
Map users can turn these icons (such as those for restaurants the printed show floor map. Set up on eye-catching flat-screen
or hotels) on and off; they can obtain directions to any destina- devices (the company avoids the term ‘kiosk’), the system pro-
tion; and they can gain access using their typical method of web vides not only the location but also a marketing opportunity.
surfing. Desktops, laptops and web-enabled cell phones all work. Company representatives point out that not all attendees pre-
Organizers can generate revenue by selling placement on plan their show visit. Some will plan on-site, and will therefore
the map to area restaurants, nightclubs and other entertainment want to search by product and category as well as by exhibitor.
venues. Sponsorships can also help to boost the bottom line. When an attendee initiates a search, relevant ads and pro-
Seamless integration maintains the show branding. motions appear down the side. Exhibitors have the option to
enhance their listing with ads and promotions. Fees for these
Continued on page 40
Total and Divide by Two! SMART-reg International, Inc. has a new welcome
mat for exhibit halls that doubles as a crowd counter. The concept of the new
SMART-mat is simple. The device records footsteps as attendees walk across it
and updates the crowd count every minute. Yes, SMART-mat can tell when more
than one person steps on it simultaneously.
options are shared by MarketArt and postcard service. Exhibitors can use the ness cards, take notes, complete feedback
the show organizer. Exhibitor costs are service to develop and deliver postcards forms, track continuing education credits,
justified by the highly targeted opportu- to targeted groups from the show orga- control access to ticketed or VIP events
nity: the method presents prospects with nizer’s lists, without the show organizer and create interactive sessions.
marketing information at the exact mo- having to actually share the list. The devices are personalized at the
ment they are interested in the product or Exhibitors select the layout and beginning of the show with the par-
service driving traffic to the booth. colors, add logo and copy and proof the ticipant’s business card, photo, schedule,
Show organizer clients have the op- postcard. Printing, addressing and mailing and in-box; they are collected at the end
tion to use MarketArt’s customer service are handled through the service. of the show and the information is sent
to handle the exhibitor sales component. electronically to the participant who can
The company will also help to determine Reach Alan Danenberg, director of easily upload it to another system. A cen-
the on-show configuration, manage the marketing, CompuSystems, Inc., at (708) tral server handles updates and backup.
data, supply the equipment and install it. 344-9070 x285 or alan.danenberg@Com- The system can be learned in one minute,
puSystems.com. according to Samuel J. Smith, Spotme
Reach Rob Hamlin, MarketArt, Inc., at marketing manager for Shockfish.
(703) 256–4669 or Rob@MarketArt.com. Smith notes one of the universally
Spotme popular features (cited by show organizers,
Participants of the 46th ICCA exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, and buyers)
Communications Congress & Exhibition in Thailand sent
more than 21,000 messages, exchanged
is the radar. First developed as a network-
ing tool, the device recognizes those in
CompuSystems, Inc. 13,000 business cards, completed more the near vicinity. “It really tells you who is
Registration contractor CompuSys- than 2,000 electronic feedback forms standing around you,” says Smith.
tems, Inc., has introduced a new client and wrote more than 1,000 notes using Two economic models make the
services interface for access to real-time Spotme devices. Only one user reported devices affordable and even potential
information and reports on events. “It’s not using the device; the majority loved it. revenue generators: sponsorship oppor-
more user friendly and intuitive,” says The handheld tools, produced by tunities (such as banner ads and surveys)
Alan Danenberg, director of market- Shockfish SA, are wireless communication and lead retrieval (exhibitor fees).
ing for CompuSystems. Features include devices intended to facilitate interaction
chronological show lists, multiple autho- among show participants. The Spotme Reach Samuel J. Smith, Spotme marketing
rizations, a categorized opening screen device can be used to store show infor- manager, Shockfish SA, at +41 (0)21 693
and a report scheduler with which report mation, send messages, exchange busi- 85 15 or sam@spotme.com. TSE
types can be saved and run routinely or
singly.
The company’s TrafficMax service,
an Internet list marketing system, has
also expanded with a new customized