Taking it on the Road: a Guide to Mobile Tradeshow Apps
Posted by Jessica Davis on Fri, Feb 11, 2011
Thanks to the incredible proliferation of the Apple iPhone and its many clones, the market has been flooded with an enormous number of amazingly sophisticated, full- featured and surprisingly inexpensive mobile apps. There are apps for everything. Literally. Tradeshows are no exception. Let’s take a look at some of the apps hitting the market that might make trade shows—organizing them, exhibiting at them, and attending them—easier than ever before.
Courtesy of AppleNever get lost again. There are many apps now available for the iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry operating systems that offer users interactive maps of trade show venues and enable users to search for specific vendors and exhibitors of interest to them. These apps include SwiftMobile, ChirpE, and EventMobi. The SwiftMobile app offers a few extra perks such as links to local restaurants, hotels, and merchants; local transit information; and a calendar with Twitter event hash-tag links. EventMobi enables users to poll attendees and provide analytics for mobile and in- person engagement.
Swapping business cards is so yesterday. Mobile business card reader apps might make the swapping of business cards a thing of the past. These apps, such as CamCard and CardMunch, let users take a photo of any business card with a mobile phone. The contact information is then automatically stored in your phone’s address book. An app called Bump lets users share contact information and instantaneously connect on social networks and share calendars and media files, by simply “bumping” one phone to another. Bump is currently available for the iPhone and Android.
Stay organized amid chaos. Apps, such as Grupio, enable users to upload content via a Web-based interface or spreadsheet program to access event schedules, personal schedules, sponsor and exhibit information, and speaker profiles. It also features push notifications and SMS messaging, Facebook and Twitter integration, surveys and instant polling, floor plans and banner ads. Works with iPhone, Android and Blackberry phones.
Greener trade shows. A new app from Vertiglo—touted as the first app developed specifically for show organizers—will help trade show organizers make their shows more eco-friendly by eliminating paper kits and packets for exhibitors and attendees. Users of the app will be able to directly access order and display information; add equipment and supplies in real time; and pay fees and balances. This app will make its debut this summer.
Retrieving leads has never been easier. The whole point of exhibiting at a trade show is to obtain a high number of qualified leads that can ultimately generate after-shows sales. New apps like iLeads and NewLeads enable exhibitors to easily capture leads anywhere by simply entering an attendee’s badge number into their smart phone. Leads are uploaded to a secure website for easy retrieval and lead management. Currently iLeads is only available on Apple iPhones and iPads; NewLeads is available on iPhones, iPads and other smart phones.
Equip your team with smart phones and apps that will help them stay in touch with key prospects during the show. Get ideas on How you can make sure you use social media and digital marketing to drive trade show sales with our FREE Social Media & Digital Marketing Report!