New Tools

By Gary Tufel -- Tradeshow Week, 5/3/2004

Today, show managers can get more than just floorplan-design software to help them do their jobs more efficiently. From the broad selection of programs that help with everything from exhibit sales to attendance verification, Tradeshow Week contributing editor Gary Tufel takes a look at a few recent arrivals.

Media Services Group's EventWorks software is useful for both exhibit and event management, and can help operations personnel handle multiple shows from start to finish. According to MSG Vice President of Sales Alan Mendelson, the software covers floorplan design, client relations, registration and all other operations, as well as providing tools for sales opportunities on items like electrical services and sponsorships.

The software can also be used to work with outside vendors, and the entire program flows through to a full back-end accounting program. Users can track everything from who's attending to what's needed at each venue. They also get databases of attendees, venues, speakers and conference components, each with extensive demographic and marketing capabilities.

WingateWeb's Conference 3.5 offers end-to-end management. "Our systems integrate multiple vendors, which is especially useful for managers with large events, because it provides many pieces, such as registration, lead retrieval, content management and scheduling," said Jason Mitchell, WingateWeb director of marketing. "Conference 3.5 basically aggregates all the vendors in a single database."

He said having a single point of contact, as opposed to several separate systems and databases, is critical for measuring and tracking sales and return on investment, because it simplifies the way a producer looks at a show. WingateWeb's clients include Sun Java I, HP World and Intel events.

Each of the software's modules represents a different aspect of the event – content management, for instance. The software offers its own registration system, but can also be used to access other registration companies.

AR Systems Intl.'s ShowLead Mobile system provides a full set of exhibitor lead management and session access/attendance tracking applications using mobile handheld devices. It is based on Microsoft Windows Mobile software.

ShowLead has common features over hundreds of shows, and provides immediate access to lead data for exhibitors, enabling easy download of attendee leads at their booths. Clients using the system include AAIM 2003, ASI! Show, Medtrade, SmithBucklin and VNU Expositions.

John Berton, president and CEO of AR Systems, said show producers need "more flexible, more mobile and less intrusive technology" to accomplish their lead-management goals. The product offers data storage and faster badge-scanning capabilities than older, proprietary bar code and magnetic strip systems, he said. And the platform provides faster access to and centralization of scanned badge data.