Convention Data Services Launches Contactless Event Tech Toolkit

June 17, 2020

As face-to-face trade shows and conferences begin to resume, it goes without saying that event organizers are going to be paying extra-special attention to health and safety practices. With social distancing among the top safety practices for the foreseeable future, event registration and lead management solutions provider Convention Data Services is offering a new Touchless Toolkit.

Launched in early June, the Toolkit includes DigiBadge, which allows event registrants to check in safely and securely using their own mobile devices. Event participants download the DigiBadge link provided by the organizer, add it to their device’s Apple Wallet or Google Pay, and can then use it for convention hall and session access instead of a physical badge. 

“Ultimately, we want to make the on-site planning process painless for show management while giving confidence to state agencies to reopen convention centers,” said John Kimball, president and CEO of Bourne, Mass-based CDS, a Freeman Company. 

In addition to DigiBadge, other components of the Touchless Toolkit include: 

Density Tracker: Allows on-site event teams to track event density and manage crowd control at various locations throughout an event. Besides scanning and reporting on warm body counts entering and exiting different locations via real-time metrics, it can also track multiple entrances and exits. Scanning teams are alerted when maximum density is reached and an entrance must be temporarily suspended. Additional features include dashboard access and entrance scanner leads that track density management trends. The density or capacity of each hall can also be reported to event participants to help them plan where to go next.  

Lead Retrieval: A contactless lead collection tool that exhibitors can use via the CDS Connect App on their personal mobile device, eliminating the sharing of devices and removing contact at equipment pick-up areas. Exhibitors can also take advantage of the self-scan feature, which allows attendees to scan their own badges and maintain social distancing.

Digital Backpack: This hands-free, self-serve content distribution and lead collection device distributes requested information to attendees. Attendees scan their DigiBadge or printed badge at a touchless mobile station to instantly have specific product information added to their personal portal, after which the attendee badge information is collected and provided to exhibitors.

All three of these features can be integrated into the DigiBadge, depending on what makes sense for each individual event, and hybrid registration solutions marrying DigiBadge with traditional printed badge options are also available. 

CDS also offers the following self-service offerings to support touchless registration at events:

Mobile Badge Print: Allows attendees to print their badges directly from their personal mobile device via an on-site Mobile Badge Print area with a printer code prominently displayed on nearby signage. Using a link provided in their check-in email, attendees enter the code to print their badge. Print stations can be set up in hotels, airports and throughout the show venue. 

Online On-site Registration: Enables show managers to remove registration counters for new registrations to ensure the safety of registrants while cutting equipment costs. Attendees can scan a QR code using their own mobile device displayed on signage and register via the live registration page. Once registered, they can check-in via their personal device using Mobile Badge Print and move directly to a badge pick-up station. 

CDS also offers touchless badge options including mobile check-in for hotel and transportation.  

 

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.