Find Me in the Exhibit Hall! Using Geolocation on your Tradeshow Floor (Part 2)

Last week, I blogged about the basics of FourSquare. If you read that post you may be thinking that FourSquare sounds fun but wonder what application it really has for the conventions industry.

And really, I must admit that when I first started using the program, I thought "This has no value for my life." But as my friends and I started using it, it became entertaining to jockey for mayorships and badges, and it's really fun to get notifications about where my friends are hanging out so I can decide whether to join them.

Though its roots are in social networking, I think there is a real place for FourSquare at a convention and specifically on the tradeshow floor. Show managers could pre-populate the meeting facility with points of interest such as the internet café, association booth, bookstore and/or stage area. Exhibitors could create a FourSquare record for their booth, and advertise a special just for FourSquare users. Individual users could add tips about a specific location, telling other attendees what's cool there and who they enjoyed speaking with. And the possibility of badges is endless – what about badges for visiting 10, 25 or 50 exhibit booths or for checking in at specific locations?

There are, of course, technical considerations; the area must have decent cell phone density from a variety of carriers or wireless internet coverage. This may be a problem in some meeting facilities, especially if the meeting rooms or exhibit hall are underground. Pay special attention to cell phone coverage on your site visit if you are considering using any sort of GPS navigation platform.

It’s a brave new world out there in meeting technology. FourSqure is free – why not give it a try for your next meeting?

Find Me in the Exhibit Hall! Using Geolocation on your Tradeshow Floor (Part 1)

One of the biggest issues challenging convention planners and exhibitors is how to drive more traffic to the exhibit show floor. Though the technology is far from perfect, using a geolocation platform like FourSquare inside the exhibit hall is intriguing.

Let's start with the basics before we go too far. Wikipedia defines geolocation as "the identification of the real-world geographic location of an object, such as a cell phone or an Internet-connected computer terminal." In other words, geolocation is the process of using the cell phone network to tell you where you are physically located. This is exactly the process that the GPS in your car uses before it provides you with directions.

Most cell phones -- even those that are not smartphones -- have GPS location chips to identify the user's location in case of an emergency. Geolocation capability is used in smartphones for Google Maps and other find-it types of applications.

Beyond the basic "Where Am I?" questions, geolocation can also be used to play games. FourSquare is a geolocation application that uses your phone's GPS to identify your physical location relative to points of interest nearby, such as restaurants, stores, and other people.

FourSquare is a competitive game: you get points each time you check in at a location, and compete against your friends to see who can rack up the most points each week. You can even become the Mayor of a location (complete with a digital crown!) if you check in there more than anyone else. Users get notifications if their friends check in within the same city, which is handy when you're all in town at the same convention.

FourSquare users can also earn Badges -- just like Girl Scout merit badges from your childhood! -- for completing certain tasks, such as checking in at landmarks or checking in with lots of other people. Badges range from mundane to wacky, and the collection is growing.

Dozens of brands, such as Starbucks, Zagat, and TLC, use badges to generate interest in their products and drive users to visit certain locations. Businesses can advertise specials on FourSquare, which are secret offers just for FourSqure users. Starbucks, for example, offers Mayors $1 off any drink. It's a super secret club, and all you have to do to join is log in and start playing.

Coming next week – how to use FourSquare at your convention to generate interest, advertise promotions and giveaways, and bring more attendees to your location.