Looking for a specific conference room, or exhibitor while attending large conferences or trade shows? I have found that when I am looking for a specific vendor exhibit booth or conference meeting room, the good old hard copy pdf just does not cut it. First, I have to look up the vendor name in the conference proceedings. Then, I can find out the vendors booth number. Next, I have to scan a palm sized pdf map for the booth number. What a pain! So, I decided, why not use a Geographic Information System to provide an interactive way to find out where that elusive vendor or meeting is located. The result:
Using a simple Google Maps mashup, conference or trade show planners/organizers can easily publish an interactive trade show/conference floor plan map. The floor plan map does not need to be labeled using a CAD system as Google Maps labels on the fly. Attendees can now type a few letters of the meeting room/exhibitor, and, the location is automatically displayed on a floor plan, right in Google Maps. The attendee can then click on a vendors booth to get more vendor information.
The beauty of this system is in its simplicity and cost. Most internet users are comfortable with Google Maps, Mapquest, or Yahoo Mapping experience. This conference floor plan mapping system (Expocad) boggles the mind. Which is fine for a CES type of conference I suppose. But what about the thousands of other conferences out there that require a simply way for attendees to navigate the facilities?
As for cost, to implement a Google Mashup for a trade show exhibit floor plan will run you anywhere from $150 -$750. To use one of the established trade show floor mapping products like ExpoCad, BoothBoss or A2Z will run you at least five to ten times that amount.
Keep it simple and cost effective. Most bang for buck I figure. What do you think? Is a conference/trade show floor plan mapping system useful? I would love to hear your comments!
Posted by: MapsRus
Categories:
Google Maps Mashup