CTIA Super Mobility Week Launches to Success in Las Vegas

September 10, 2014

Connectivity was supercharged at the CTIA Super Mobility Week, a trade show and conference for all things wireless that took place Sept. 9-11 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center.

The inaugural Week brought together CTIA’s consumer and enterprise-focused events that used to run in the spring and fall, as well as 4G World,  IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin (via online portal) and Competitive Carriers' Association annual conference, which ran at the Cosmopolitan hotel and shared badges with CTIA.

“We are a very dynamic industry. We have to start from scratch every year,” said Robert Mesirow, vice president and show director for CTIA. “The mantra for this year’s show has been Ctrl + Alt + Delete.”

The reload mode paid off with 20 percent higher square footage, about 1,100 exhibitors and approximately 40,000 attendees.

Commenting on the thought process behind creating this new event, Mesirow said, “What we really wanted to do was to convene the new wireless ecosystem. As a result, every metric is up year over year.”

As if innovation on the floor and the new product launched from Apple streamed into the keynote weren’t enough, the show also positioned itself on the cutting edge of wireless. With industry partners, it created a “heat map” of the floor and began to tap into the potential of indoor mobile engagement technology.

Mexia Interactive installed more than 125 sensors around the floor. Supporting Apple’s iBeacon and Android devices through an open-BLE antenna, the platform allowed CTIA to instantly monitor and analyze locations of mobile devices on-site in real-time, show where attendees are lingering on the Big Data Wall.

But what’s even more fascinating is that at next year’s show, the technology will allow to deliver contextual proximity messages to attendees who’ve downloaded the official show app and opted-in to receive notification. Attendees also have a choice to opt out.

“You’ll walk into the Samsung, and it will ask you questions about what you’d like to see and offer to schedule a meeting and send information to your phone,” Mesirow said. “It makes it a lot more efficient for exhibitors as it automatically does their lead generation and follow-up.”

Another new aspect of mobile engagement is the SocialRadar component of the app that gives real time information about the people around. It also alerts the user when one of their connections appears nearby.

“I can be walking in New York next month and it will ping me that one of my CTIA connections is within a mile and ask if I’d like to connect,” Mesirow said.

Noting how hard it is to create a 365 community around a show, he said, “Maybe this is it.”

On the floor, much excitement was around the cars connected to the internet as well as wearables and mhealth solutions. The new format of the event seemed to work for both attendees and exhibitors. Exhibitor Seth Dare with Gadget Guard said, “We’ve had great traffic. We love this show.”

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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.