Trade shows are excellent places to connect with new clients and educate consumers. But up until recently, they’ve had one glaring limitation. As an exhibitor, you are always dependent upon an attendee’s route.
What if there was a way to make personal connections with attendees on the show floor even when they aren’t at your booth? You would have a chance to spread your message to more prospects, and it would make your investment in trade shows more valuable than before. With innovative beacon technology, this concept is no longer just an idea, it’s a viable option.
The Basics of Beacon Technology
Beacons, put simply, are a type of location-based technology built around Bluetooth. Most commonly used in the retail space (and favored by companies like Macy’s and Lord & Taylor), this technology allows users to transmit app notifications to mobile devices that are within a specific proximity to the beacon itself.
Over the last several years, beacon technology has expanded to new sectors, including sports and hospitality, and it shows no signs of stopping. In fact, it’s one of the fastest growing sectors in the tech industry with market value projected to reach $58.7 billion by 2025.
How Beacons Can Revolutionize Trade Show Experiences
Just about everyone is walking around the trade show floor and on their phone, so why not take advantage of that? With the help of beacons, companies that are exhibiting can send customized information to prospects via a push notification.
Say your company is hosting a live demonstration and you want to drive attendance. With beacons, you can send an alert straight to trade show attendee’s phones with a message that entices them to stop by the booth to learn more. Other examples of messages that companies can send include special offers or unique facts about products and services, but the reality is your messaging options are virtually endless.
Where to Buy
Beacon technology is reliable, easy to use, and inexpensive, which makes it an ideal tool for companies that want to increase their event presence and ROI. The cost of beacons is about one-fifth the cost of traditional real-time location systems (RTLS), and the number of manufacturers offering beacons continues to grow. Google offers their own brand of beacon technology known as Eddystone which retails for less than $20 per beacon. Kontakt, BlueSense, Gelo, and Estimate are among other manufacturers that offer a wide variety of devices to accommodate the unique needs of companies that want to take advantage of this technology.
At Rockway Exhibits + Events, we are passionate about helping our clients create exceptional trade show experiences through the use of innovative technology such as beacons. With a combination of industry expertise, creativity, and integrity, we work to ensure our clients have the resources they need to thrive. Contact us today to learn more about how Rockway can help develop a trade show strategy that guarantees results.