Interactive floor plans, what’s the big deal? by: James Lemke CEO, BoothBoss

Ok, so you’ve been successfully running your trade show with an old PDF floor plan. Your Exhibitors seem happy, and your show generally sells out every year. Why go through the pain and change of adding floor planning technology to your event? Here are your top 10 reasons why it’s becoming increasingly important to have an interactive floor plan.

1. Exhibitors are becoming more technology savvy, and they want the marketing advantages with attendees that only an “live” floor plan can provide. It demonstrates to your Exhibitors your commitment to making your event a successful one, for not only you but them as well. That helps insure exhibitor loyalty in good times and in bad.
2. A live floor plan will drive traffic to your web site, and who doesn’t want more traffic on their sites? More traffic means more promotional opportunities for your organization and that means greater efficiencies and revenue opportunities leading to profit.
3. Live interactive floor plans allow for “live” URL web site addresses for your Exhibitors. Having a direct link to Exhibitors web sites promoted to attendees prior to and after the show puts your show front and center.
4. 365 days a year exposure. Smart event managers have learned to keep their floor plans up, promoted and “live” after their shows are over. Spread that interesting fact to potential Exhibitors and watch your Exhibitor booth sales explode.
5. With interactive floor plans, come social media opportunities. You can’t promote your show with Twitter, QR bar-coding and Facebook, with an old antiquated floor plan, it’s contradictory. Social media and information gathering is all the craze, and your exhibitors are drawn into that hype as much as your attendees.
6. Do it for yourself. Interactive floor plans partnered with an online registration system makes administrating your show more efficient, helps make sales and provides you with back office support meaning less administrative headaches and ultimately a better bottom line.
7. Speaking of profit, how valuable would it be to make immediate floor plan changes for free? Most interactive floor plan companies, like BoothBoss allow for numerous floor plan changes without delay and without cost, including adding more space because you’re sold out! No delays and free, that’s a partnership any event organizers can get behind.
8. Promotional opportunities within the floor plan. Interactive floor plans allow for sponsorship ads directly on the floor plan itself. Sponsorship ads (with live URL’s) means revenue for your event.
9. Attendees are the key to Exhibitor happiness and your bottom dollar. Attendees can search out Exhibitors prior to the show to better plan their experience at your show. Interactive floor plans allow attendees search options for exhibitors, specific products and services, including printing out promotions to attend your event. That’s a fact that will help drive attendance.
10. A live interactive floor plan indicating sold space, available space and who’s exhibiting often creates a sense of competition and urgency among exhibitors. Competition for space means more immediate sales and quite often upgrades in booth selections.

Technology is coming, don’t fight it, embrace it and prove to your Exhibitors you’re on the leading edge of their success. Change doesn’t have to be painful, embrace the technology of an interactive floor plan and you’ll quickly wonder how you ever managed without it.