IMEX Frankfurt on Digital Navigation: “It has been a game changer”

IMEX Frankfurt 2023 is over, but we are still looking back at our productive work with Crowd Connected at the event. Attendees benefited from digital navigation thanks to indoor positioning technology from Crowd Connected and an interactive floor plan from ExpoFP. This combination of technology enabled visitors to find the booths easily, focus on networking and plot a route from their current location to any destination at the show.

Digital wayfinding delivers better visitor-exhibitor interaction and improves customer experience, as people don’t waste time finding what they need. This is especially true for big trade shows such as IMEX, where between 30 and 50 percent of all visitors can be first-timers.

The IMEX interactive map got 13,664 total views. In comparison, a typical show’s floor plan with double the number of points of interest would usually receive around 15,000 total views, according to ExpoFP’s data. These statistics highlight the popularity of digital navigation among IMEX participants.

According to IMEX’s post-show report, 51% of attendees (6,000 from 11,764 attendees) used the mobile app. Of these, almost three-quarters (4,443) used the interactive map, demonstrating the value of digital navigation. 43% of total users performed at least one search. On average, a person consulted the map three times, which proves its popularity. The total number of routes that people made during the three days of the expo is 1,445.

One of the crucial features of the show was QR wayfinding. Visitors could scan QR codes with their smartphones to access an interactive floor plan. This helped them find exhibitors and show features easily and plan their route with estimated walk times. On average, a QR code scan resulted in four subsequent map views per user, demonstrating the value of the navigation prompt.

“It is our second year with ExpoFP, and digital navigation has become a game changer,” said Oli Bailey, Head of Interaction Design at IMEX Group. “We received a lot of positive feedback from visitors on how much easier it was to find booths and we’re always focused on year-on-year improvements. We strive to provide participants with the best experience and want them to spend their time effectively. Easier wayfinding is one of the keys to that.”