A way to make trade shows better

Its fun to go to the mall and wonder around...unless you want shop for shoes. Now you have to figure out where all the shoe stores are, which can sometimes be frustrating, even with a mall map.

And so it goes with trade shows. Despite show guides that contain our 50 carefully crafted words about our companies, most attendees are happy to wander around, as actually trying to figure out which booths to go to beforehand is hard.

I just got a email from the Semicon Show saying they would use 'matchmaking' software to recommend booths for attendees to visit. And they would also reverse the process and give vendors targeted attendees lists.

The company that makes this software has a very sparse website, but it does provide a good summary of what they do and the value it offers:

BDMetrics: "We grow attendance at conferences and events by identifying the unique people, companies, products, and knowledge that each individual registrant needs to see. We help exhibitors make money by identifying attendees who are the best leads and marketing to them. And we grow revenues for show owners by boosting attendance, increasing exhibit sales, and adding new revenue streams. BDMetrics is radically increasing the business value that attendees and exhibitors get from attending events. "

In other words, if a potential attendee can easily show his boss all the companies relevant to his job, he is more likely to get approved to go. And he will also be more likely to visit your booth when he gets there. I'm looking forward to seeing it in action.