ExpoPlatform and Crowd Connected Ignite IMEX App Experience

One ‘star of the show’ at last month’s record-breaking edition of IMEX America was its location-aware mobile app, the result of an expanding partnership between ExpoPlatform and Crowd Connected.

The collaboration delivered an unparalleled ‘blue dot’ navigation experience integrated into an interactive floorplan supplied by ExpoFP, to the delight of attendees at the global meetings show held at the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. The functionality addressed a challenge familiar to anyone at a large indoor event: where am I, how do I get to my next appointment and how long will it take me to get there?

By bringing the ‘blue dot’ experience – familiar to all, courtesy of Google or Apple maps – to the show floor, the IMEX mobile app elevated experience and productivity for the whole event ecosystem. Attendees could find what they came for. Exhibitors benefited from additional footfall, thereby generating more meetings. And the IMEX management team gained invaluable insight into attendee behaviour across the entire show footprint, with Crowd Connected processing almost 130 million location data points.

“I do really like the map because the show can be difficult to navigate. IMEX changes every year. I’ve been doing this 11 years and I think the map is great because it tells you where everything is,” said Adam Lawhorn, CEO, Meeting Incentive Experts

“All of my appointments were able to find me, communicate with me and get here on time," said Meredith Gills, Complex Senior Sales Manager, Highgate

In the context of its own high-profile partnership announcement with IMEX, ExpoPlatform had selected Crowd Connected as the leading provider of indoor positioning technology for events.

Tanya Pinchuk, CEO of ExpoPlatform, commented: “We strive to delight all our users but function comes first, hence the importance of wayfinding – and crucially, getting it right.

“I’m delighted that Crowd Connected helped us to achieve this goal to produce a terrific end result. It’s clear we are working with a best-in-class partner, and we look forward to building on this success in the future.”

Gary Coombs, CIO of the IMEX Group, said: “We value working with high calibre tech partners like ExpoPlatform and Crowd Connected. They demonstrate an impressive ability to come together and help us bring real improvements to the event. I’m genuinely excited by the data that this delivers too, providing invaluable behavioral insight we’ve not had previously.”

Oli Bailey, Head of Interaction Design at the IMEX Group, added: “The feedback from everyone who used the interactive navigation has been fantastic. By combining the digital with the physical, we can raise the bar when it comes to enhancing the experience for all participants at our shows. We’ll continue to embrace that as we plan for the 2024 edition of IMEX Frankfurt.”

Mark Maydon, Director of Crowd Connected, said: “Our mission is to help forward-thinking organisers transform their events. Navigational ability might seem like a small detail, but actually translates all the way to the bottom line for any show organiser.

“The ability to successfully find your way to each exhibitor or session makes a big difference to your visit and effectiveness as a visitor. For exhibitors, this is the difference between a good or great show, ultimately affecting ROI which translates directly into a willingness to pay for their booth space.”