BLE Beacons are still at a nascent stage of technology in the real world but what capabilities this perfect device has in the exhibit industry is beyond imagination. Bluetooth Low Energy Beacons are being called the IT thing in the exhibit industry where every sector starting from defense to pharma and textiles can utilize this technology and gain maximum return on their investment. Imagine being connected with your prospects the entire time and having to send them notifications during the exhibitions. Sounds such a picture perfect scenario, right? That is exactly what beacons are for!

HOW IT WORKS?

Although you can skip this part if you do not want to go into technicalities of how a beacon function but if you want to use it in your next exhibition then you must understand it as a 1st time user of a technology.

As the name suggests, BLE beacons work on Bluetooth and use the proximity settings of the device to send notifications. In exhibition industry, every exhibit during the show must have a beacon placed inside the trade show booth stand to maximize the device’s potential. Once the beacons are installed, the smart devices that are in range are monitored by the device and are connected to Bluetooth are now accessible by beacons for sending out notifications or signals once the app is installed. These signals are sent out to the connected devices via built-in radio signals. One of the important things to know is that beacons are only used to transmit the signals out; it cannot receive or answer any notifications. So, this is one of the biggest advantages in protecting the privacy of the visitor. Also, since it is GPS enabled, once you are out of the range of the beacon, it cannot track you or send you any messages.

USE-CASES: EXHIBITIONS

Beacon technology is set to revolutionize exhibition industry, with its ability to engage visitors more accurately than any other technology has allowed before, giving them information that will benefit them at an exact moment. So, as it is said that the visitor should always be your 1st preference, you must think of beacons as an investment to benefit your customers. How to use beacons during exhibitions:

Notifications: As an exhibitor as soon as a prospect who is in your database approaches in the proximity of your exhibit, you can send a welcoming push notification to them that you had registered for a visit to our exhibit. This way the visitor also knows that the company in which I showed an active interest, is nearby, and they are sending a reminder to me.

Communication: When in proximity you can also share with your prospects certain communications to lure them to visit your stand. If you have arranged for a freebie or competition, then send your visitors a communication informing them about the ongoing things around your stand. The interested visitors will visit you for the same.

Networking: In case you have been chasing an important business connect, you can that happens to be in the vicinity of your exhibit stand then you can chase them without them knowing and pitch them your product or service during the exhibition.

Navigation: One of the biggest problems during exhibitions is when the visitors lose the track of their presence and where they are supposed to go. With beacon installed in your exhibit stand, you can help them by sending them on the route to your exhibit and guide them with the directions as well.

Graphics: Now go paperless as you share your brochures, flyers or graphics directly to the visitors by sending it across through your beacon. This way whosoever happens to cross your exhibit receives your flyer automatically without having to go through the trouble of managing folders and files.

Hall Plans: For organizers also, beacons can help them by sending across the hall plans and directions of the entire exhibition. As soon as a visitor reaches the registration desk, you can send them the entire hall plan and share with them the navigating directions with floor heat maps.

Ease of Management: Beacons are simply a technology built to ease up the management of the entire exhibition show. Starting from the registration process to delivery of communication and data management; there is nothing about beacons that won’t lure the exhibitors.

So go a step ahead on the tech front and explore the infinite possibilities of the future of exhibition industry: BEACONS.