As per the Center for Exhibition Research, approximately 9400 B2B tradeshows and exhibitions were held in 2019 in the US. These trade shows contributed 101 billion US dollars to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
In these exhibitions, organizations showcase their latest products or services and salespeople meet with many new individuals plus strengthen their bond with the old customers. All in all, exhibitions include networking and learning opportunities.
Integrating some popular technologies into these events makes them all the more alluring. As technology has stepped into every aspect of our lives, we cannot deny the fact that it facilitates growth and connectivity for business. But what are these top technologies that are ruling the trade shows in the present times? Keep reading to know more!
Electronic Floor Plans and Routing
Electronic floor plans have existed for about 20 years. Initially, they came up with the basic computer-aided design. But now, they have become more advanced with better user interface tools. Now they have better searchability if we talk about exhibitors, products, or press releases.
Talking about the routing features, they have witnessed major improvement in the last 3-5 years. Including these features in the exhibition helps the users find the products they are looking for and also helps in navigating the educational sessions.
Heat Mapping
Heat mapping has gained a lot of recognition in the last 5-7 years. It is a tool to visualize the individuals giving a fine snapshot of traffic flow and the interest of the audience. If you are organizing an event, heat mapping offers you superior information on how to design a floor plan, leading to the best-priced locations based on return on investment. But if you move between the cities, it becomes harder to provide actionable information.
Event Management System
In this category, include things such as exhibitor lists, attendee matching tools, and financial management of an event. This gives you the ability to do reporting and analytics from the back end.
Audience Polling
Audience polling is now very popular. As technology is advancing, many cool systems provide real-time interfaces. These interfaces are reliable and will continue to grow in the long run.
High-Tech Surveillance
You are hosting a trade show or an exhibition. Hence, maintaining its surveillance is essential. In earlier years, surveillance cameras were embedded into the poles and fixed to the buildings. Today, a trade show and exhibit video guard” is there to protect the valuable equipment and supplies in the exhibit booths.
Businesses frequently use this video surveillance to protect their company’s property or any event. It is the pathway to real-time monitoring and is essential in preventing theft and vandalism.
Kiosks
Kiosks are small and stand-alone booth-like structures placed in high-traffic areas for business objectives. It helps provide information and applications in the fields such as education, entertainment, and other different topics.
Chatbots
Chatbots are regarded as software applications that make use of artificial intelligence to understand human needs. It is like a virtual assistant for a better customer experience. A well-built chatbot includes the following features:
- Use existing data to understand the questions of the individuals.
- Assess the correct answers to these questions through a training period.
- Use Neuro-Linguistic Programming and machine learning to learn the context of these questions.
Beacons
Beacons are devices with small and wireless transmitters that use low-energy Bluetooth technology to send signals to nearby smart devices. It is a recent technology in the field of marketing.
Beacons could be used in numerous ways. For instance – heat mapping, measuring check-ins at a trade show, or giving a proximity alert from a nearby exhibitor to an attendee walking down an aisle that prompts them to stop by.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented reality was there in the past, but now it is becoming more popular. Augmented reality means the addition of something more to the real world with the help of technology. This is done through mobile applications, smart glasses, or computer-generated graphics.
As per the figures, spending on the AR industry hit 60 billion US dollars in 2020. It has transformed the way we learn and make decisions in the real world. To show more information about any product, AR is there to help you as it is now the real business-to-business accelerator for exhibitors.
To Sum It All Up
Technology is changing rapidly. With its advent, the scenario of trade shows and exhibitions has changed completely over the last decade. If you are planning for an upcoming event or trade show, these technologies are worth paying attention to. Do not forget to include them.
