Since May 5th, the German federal states have been allowed to decide under what conditions they approve the reopening of trade fairs. These conditions include the development of safety and hygiene concepts. Essential points are to avoid queues and to ensure minimum distances between visitors.
Organizers will have to manage the utilization of the entrances more effectively in order to avoid the crowds and queues typical of rush hours. To this end, it is essential to know what day and time the visitors arrive in order to be able to actively direct the flow of visitors.
It helps here if as many participants as possible register through the Visitor Portal before the event – 99 percent is a good target. For this to work, visitors must experience registration as practically as possible.
Incentives are a good way of encouraging visitors to register online: The ADITUS Visitor Portal provides many options for vouchers and promotion codes. These can be used for special tickets for limited events that can only be booked online, or for ticket discounts. Of course, organisers can also make the use of the ticket shop a fixed condition of participation. But carrot works better than sticks – after all, visitors should want to attend.
In the lead-up to the event, it is therefore important to draw as much attention as possible to the online ticket shop – through affiliate links on the websites of all partners and exhibitors, for instance, and via social sharing via posts on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Xing.
Time Slots in the Ticket Shop
The Ticket Shop is a key instrument to avoid excessive crowding in the entrance area: Participants must choose a fixed day and time interval when they enter the event site – regardless of whether visitors buy tickets or redeem vouchers.
Organizers set the maximum number of visitors per time slot through allocation. If a time slot is fully booked, the Ticket Shop automatically displays only the free slots. The timing of the intervals and the number of people per time slot depends on the on-site conditions.
For visitors, pre-registration needs to be as convenient as possible: They must stay on track and feel that they are in good hands. Social logins and PayPal Express significantly speed up the registration process.
Lord Of The Crowds
ADITUS admission systems ensure rapid access, which reduces waiting times. The Self-Badging Gates (SBG), enable completely contactless check-in in a matter of seconds: visitors hold their ticket under the Speedy display, pull their personalized badge from the printer slot and walk directly through the gate. This also allows the admission staff to maintain the necessary distance to the visitors.
Another possibility is to divide the exhibition grounds into sections by means of additional access controls. The access control system monitors the number of entries and exits. This information flows together in the backend, which issues messages and/or pauses admission if a hall threatens to exceed its maximum capacity. When the set limits are reached, the system can send warnings to the organizer, the exhibitors or even directly to visitors.
Advantages of Consistent Implementation
A convincing hygiene and safety concept does require additional effort, but it is likely to be rewarded with a relaxation of the official requirements. Properly communicated, these measures also create trust among visitors.
The Exhibitor Service Center (ESC) offers additional options to exhibitors: When inviting their VIP visitors, they can immediately offer suitable dates and thus simplify their planning. Furthermore, exhibitors will be notified when their customers enter the event.
