3 Things Event Organizers Should Know About Facial Credentialing

As organizers start exploring faster, more modern check-in options, facial credentialing is entering the conversation. But between privacy concerns, conflation with facial recognition (there’s a difference, more on that below), attendee adoption, and the practical question of whether it’s worth the investment, there’s a lot to sort through. Here are three things worth knowing. 

1. Your attendees already understand the technology. 

Consumer adoption of biometric technology is already well ahead of the events industry. Nearly 70 percent of people have used biometric authentication and consider it faster and easier than passwords. Half of all air travelers used biometric identification at an airport in 2025, up from 46 percent the year before—and 85 percent of those who used it reported high satisfaction. Of people who use facial biometrics on their devices, 68 percent use it to unlock their phone or laptop. The familiarity is there. And it’s growing. 

Wicket, (not the AMS company) which provides a facial authentication platform trusted by professional sports team venues across the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, and NHL, has surpassed one million opt-in users and processed over eight million biometric transactions. And it’s not limited to stadiums. Salesforce’s Dreamforce, a B2B conference of roughly 50,000 attendees, has seen a 60 percent enrollment rate, with 80 percent of enrolled attendees using it to check in. Facial credentialing is already working at significant scale in environments that look a lot like yours. 

2. It solves a problem you might not realize you have.

Event check-in has gotten faster over the years. Barcode scanning and self-service kiosks have shortened the process on the system side. But for events that use barcode scanning, the attendee still has to do their part before the scan can happen—setting down their bag and coffee, finding their phone, searching for the confirmation email, adjusting screen brightness and zoom so the scan works. For events using name or badge ID number lookup, the process is simpler but inherently slower. Either way, there’s friction that the current processes can’t eliminate. 

None of these preparatory steps show up on a spec sheet, but every one of them adds time and effort, both physical and mental. These small tasks stack up and can make something simple feel effortful. In that first moment of an event that should be welcoming and engaging, it can be a detractor. Your attendee won’t say check-in was frustrating, but they’ll feel the effect of those small moments of friction.

Facial credentialing removes them entirely. Enrolled attendees approach a check-in station, are authenticated in less than one second, and retrieve their badge from the adjacent printer. No phone, print out, or laborious process required. Check-in becomes something attendees simply walk through instead of think through. 

3. Trust is earned, not assumed.

The unlocking-the-phone analogy only goes so far. When attendees unlock their own device, they feel in control. When someone else’s system is authenticating them, the dynamic shifts. Earning that trust comes down to how organizers communicate and implement the technology. 

It also means understanding what this technology actually is—and what it isn’t. Facial recognition identifies unknown people. It scans a face and searches an extensive database to figure out who someone is, often without their explicit knowledge or consent.  

Facial authentication confirms a known person: someone who has deliberately opted in and chose to use the system in this way. Because it’s consent-based by design, it aligns with biometric privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. One is designed to identify people who don’t know they’re being scanned. The other is designed to welcome people who chose to participate. 

The most successful deployments share a few things in common: 

Enrollment is always voluntary and removable. No attendee should ever feel pressured or expected to participate, and they can change their mind at any point. Making it opt-in isn’t just a privacy best practice. It’s what builds the trust that drives adoption in the first place. 

Transparency starts in the registration flow. When attendees understand exactly what happens with their data—that the enrollment photo isn’t what’s used to authenticate them, that the system converts it into an encrypted biometric template that can’t be reconstructed into an image of their face, and that they can request removal at any time—enrollment rates go up, not down. 

The alternatives are always available. Attendees who don’t enroll can check in the same way they always have. Barcode scanning, manual lookup—nothing changes for them. Facial credentialing adds an option. It doesn’t take one away. 

Privacy is the foundation. The right partner builds privacy into the architecture, not as an afterthought. That means no crowd surveillance and no data shared with or sold to third parties. 

So, What Now?

Facial credentialing is gaining traction in the B2B events space. The question is whether you’ll be the organizer who introduces it thoughtfully, earns trust, and delivers a check-in experience that matches the rest of what you’ve built. 

See It in Action

Curious? Come see it for yourself. eShow will be demonstrating Express Entry—our new facial credentialing option, powered by Wicket—at the ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition in Indianapolis, August 15–18, at Booth 425. Visit our booth to do a sample enrollment, then walk up to the demo check-in kiosk, get authenticated, and see how quickly a badge is printed. 

 

Originally published on associationsnow.com

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Mid-Year Check-In: 5 Event Technology Shifts to Consider for Fall and 2027 Planning

Summer is a strange season for event professionals. Some of you are heads-down on a Q3 or Q4 event and the pressure is real. Others have already turned the page to 2027, mapping out next year’s calendar, budget, and RFPs. Many of you are doing both at once.

Here are five shifts worth considering — some in time to influence a fall event, some worth folding into your 2027 planning. Either way, the choices you make in July and August tend to shape how the next stretch runs.

1. Reassess the check-in experience

Check-in is the first thing every attendee, exhibitor, and speaker experiences at your event. It’s also one of the shortest windows to influence how the rest of the day feels for them. A long line or a slow lookup at 7:30 a.m. affects sessions, exhibitor traffic, and staff bandwidth for hours afterward.

Registration and badging technology has moved quickly in the last 12 months. On-demand badge printing and self-service kiosks are increasingly standard. Opt-in facial credentialing is now a real option — eShow launched Express Entry earlier this year, giving attendees who choose to enroll a fast-track check-in path alongside every traditional method.

Worth asking now: what does check-in actually look like on day one of your next event, and what would you change if you could?

2. Look at what your event data is really doing for you

Event organizers collect a lot of data — registration numbers, session interest, exhibitor activity — and use only a fraction of it to inform the next event. Too often it sits in reports nobody opens after the debrief.

Two questions worth asking, whether you’re heading into a fall event or scoping 2027:

Are you pulling registration insights during the cycle, or only after? Real-time visibility into pacing, source, and segment tells you what your marketing is doing while there’s still time to act on it.

And what happens once attendees are onsite? Registration tells you who showed up. Movement and behavior data — sessions attended, booths visited, dwell times — tells you what they actually did. That layer is where a lot of the interesting decisions live for 2027 planning. It’s also where eShow’s new take on RFID badges is focused, with an attendee behavior dashboard deploying in Q4 this year.

3. Plan for the reality of late registration

Late registration has become the norm rather than the exception. Most event organizers can confirm it from their own recent numbers — a growing share of attendees now register in the final days and weeks before an event, often in the same window when operational plans are locked, F&B counts are in, and printed materials are ordered.

That’s not solvable by pushing harder on early-bird promotions. It’s a planning problem now — for a fall event, and even more so for how you scope registration timelines, cutoff policies, and onsite processes for next year.

A few things worth pressure-testing: How late can you accept registrations without cascading effects across sessions, catering, and badging? How quickly can your team turn around a late-add — a new registrant on Tuesday for a Wednesday event? And what’s your process for the registrant who shows up onsite having never registered at all?

The organizers who handle late registration well aren’t the ones with the tightest cutoff. They’re the ones whose systems and processes flex without breaking downstream.

4. Give exhibitors better tools before the show, not during it

Exhibitor satisfaction comes down to lead capture and follow-up. Exhibitors who feel their leads were poorly captured — or their post-show reports were incomplete — remember it when they’re deciding whether to book next year.

Two things worth doing between now and your next show: talk to three or four of your best exhibitors about what they wished had gone differently at the last event, and audit whether your lead retrieval tools give them what they actually need. Rating, notes, exports — the basics matter more than the extras.

5. Understand what's shifting in badge technology

Badges themselves are having a moment. On-demand printing solved one problem. What’s next is what a badge can actually do once it’s printed — RFID and NFC chips turn a badge into an active data source, capable of tracking movement and engagement across the show floor without asking attendees to scan anything.

eShow has an RFID/NFC badge rolling out in Q4 2026, paired with an attendee behavior dashboard that layers movement data with registration data — so organizers can see attendee activity alongside the person behind it. If you’re building your 2027 technology plan now, this is worth understanding before your RFP goes out.

Where to go next

If you want a closer look at what’s new and what’s coming — Express Entry, RFID/NFC badging, and the attendee analytics dashboard — we’re hosting a webinar on August 12 called What’s New at eShow: Facial Credentialing, RFID, and Attendee Insights You Can Put to Work.

If you’re evaluating your event technology setup more broadly, we’ve been building event technology since 1996 — we’re happy to walk you through what an integrated platform looks like.

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Three Patterns Event Organizers Are Seeing After an Event Tech Vendor Acquisition

Event tech has seen a flurry of M&A activity in the last year. Platforms have been acquired. Some have been acquired again. The trade press covers the major deals — but the experience on the client side gets less attention.

Talk to enough event organizers right now and the same patterns come up. The platform isn’t keeping up. The team that used to know the show has turned over. Or the renewal conversation isn’t happening at all.

The specifics vary. The dynamics fall into three patterns.

Pattern one: the slow drift

The relationship doesn’t end. It just stops being what it was.

After an acquisition, service cultures often get restructured. New owners introduce tiered service models, with the highest-touch experience reserved for the largest contracts. Mid-market and smaller clients move to a different track — same platform, different experience.

The people who knew the show start leaving, too. The founder who built the relationship, the VP who knew the event inside and out, the account manager who picked up on a Sunday — these are the team members who often leave within 18 to 24 months of an acquisition. Institutional knowledge walks out the door with them, and clients are left explaining their show from scratch to people who weren’t there for the last five years of it.

Nothing about the software changed. Everything about the experience did.

Pattern two: the strategic exit

For some clients, the timeline ends with a notification email.

As part of this transition, we will be focusing our services on a more defined segment of the market. Your contract will be honored through its current term.

Translation: the new owners reviewed the book of business and decided you weren’t in it.

This is the sharper end of the same dynamic. A new owner — usually a PE firm with a 5-to-7-year hold and a return target — looks at the acquired company’s client base differently than the company’s founders ever did. Which clients are most profitable? Which require the most service relative to revenue? Which segments align with the broader portfolio strategy?

The clients who don’t fit get a polite exit. Sometimes at renewal. Sometimes mid-contract, with services sunsetting at the end of the current term. Either way, the window to evaluate, contract, implement, and train on a new platform is suddenly measured in months — not the 12-to-18-month runway most associations and show organizers would prefer when changing core event technology.

Pattern three: the disconnected stack

When two companies merge, their often products don’t merge with them — at least not for years, and sometimes not at all.

Full technical consolidation is expensive and time-consuming. The acquiring company often runs both platforms in parallel, markets them as one, and asks clients to live with the seams. Registration sits on one system. Exhibits sit on another. Conference management sits on a third. Even when the logins are unified, the platforms underneath frequently are not.

For organizers, this shows up as data that doesn’t flow between modules, integrations that need maintenance, support tickets that get bounced between teams, and no single person accountable when something breaks across systems. Clients end up managing the gaps themselves — moving data manually, troubleshooting handoffs, and absorbing work the platform was supposed to absorb for them.

The architecture is the acquisition, frozen in place.

Questions worth asking right now

Organizers can’t control whether their vendor gets acquired. But there are signals worth tracking, and questions worth asking — ideally before a renewal cycle.

Ask the vendor directly: What is your ownership structure, and has it changed in the last three years? What is your projected service model for clients of our size over the next contract term? Who on our account team has been here longer than two years? Is your platform built on one system, or assembled from several?

Ask internally: Does our account team still know our show the way they used to? Are we managing gaps between modules that shouldn’t exist? If we received notice tomorrow that our current platform would no longer serve us, how long would it take to evaluate, select, and implement a replacement?

None of these conversations are comfortable. All of them are easier to have before something changes than after.

A different kind of stability

Several event tech platforms have been acquired, restructured, or sold at least once. A small number haven’t.

eShow has been founder-led since 1996. Same founder, same company, same architecture — built as one system from the start, on a single codebase and a single database. Registration, exhibits, conference, mobile, and onsite all run on the same foundation, with one team accountable for all of it. No private equity, no portfolio strategy, no book-of-business review coming next quarter. The account team that knows the show this year is the same one that will know the show next year.

That doesn’t make eShow right for every organizer. But for associations and show organizers feeling the drift, facing a transition they didn’t ask for, or tired of managing the gaps between systems that were never built to work together — it’s worth knowing which platforms in the market are structured to still be there in 10 years, and which ones are structured around a different timeline entirely.

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What’s Really Changing in Event Tech (And What It Means for Your Events) | Event Technology Consolidation

The announcements keep coming. Another acquisition. Another “exciting merger.” Another post in your LinkedIn feed about how the change will “serve you better.”

But reading between the lines, something bigger is shifting.

The consolidation wave

Private equity firms have been on a tear across event technology. One firm alone has been steadily acquiring companies that handle registration, lead capture, virtual events, video content, venue sourcing, and more, bundling them for “your benefit”. Other well-known platforms have been scooped up by holding companies with operational efficiency expertise, but zero event industry experience at all.

The pitch to organizers sounds appealing: all your tools, now under one roof. One company to work with instead of five. Simpler. Better. Unified.

But is it?

When "One Platform" isn't always one platform

When a PE firm acquires multiple event technology companies, the logos may change. The sales pitch definitely changes. But the technology behind it? That change doesn’t happen overnight, if it happens at all.

What you’re still left with is multiple products, built by different teams on different architectures with different databases, just wearing the same brand name. The registration system doesn’t natively share data with the lead capture tool because they were never designed to work together. They were designed by separate companies, for separate purposes, and then stapled under one roof after the fact.

And then there’s the people part

There’s a second cost that’s harder to see from the outside but easy to feel when you need help.

Acquisitions bring “operational efficiencies” leading to restructuring. Restructuring brings layoffs, eliminating redundancies. And too often, the people who get cut are the ones who knew the product best, who understood how your specific event was set up, who you could call when you had a last-minute question two weeks before your show. That institutional knowledge doesn’t transfer in a handoff document.

And it’s not just support teams. When the leadership behind your platform keeps changing, the vision changes with it.

Who’s behind the curtain?

None of this means every acquisition is bad news, or that every PE-backed company stops caring about its customers. But ownership structure is worth paying attention to, because it’s often a signal for where change could come from.

A company backed by private equity is typically building a portfolio that leads toward a successful “exit strategy”, i.e., reselling what they bought and packaged together. A publicly traded company reports to shareholders every quarter. A company with constant leadership changes may still be figuring out what it wants to be, where it’s trying to go. None of those things are wrong, but they do shape how decisions get made — what gets prioritized, where budgets get cut, how fast things change.

As an event organizer, you already have enough to manage. Venues, speakers, sponsors, registrations, logistics, a timeline that never has enough margin. The technology behind your events should be something you can count on, not something you’re keeping an eye on.

It’s worth knowing who owns your vendors and what they’re building toward. Not because the answer is necessarily bad, but because it helps you understand what might change and whether you’re comfortable with that.

We built eShow for the long run

eShow has been in the event technology business for 30 years. We’re independently owned and founder-led — the same founder since day one, with a vision that continues to evolve as the industry and organizer’s needs change. We’re not backed by private equity, we don’t report to shareholders, and we’re not building toward an exit. We answer to our clients.

Our platform was built as a single system from the start. One database, one architecture, with modules designed to work together from day one. It wasn’t assembled through acquisitions and rebranded. It was built this way on purpose. Registration, conference management, expo management, mobile app, onsite technology — all natively connected, sharing the same data without relying on APIs or exports to move data from one system just to upload into another. Whether you’re running a trade show floor, a conference schedule, or both, the information flows between them because they were designed that way from the start.

That’s what we mean by one platform.

One platform. One relationship.

Want to talk about what this means for your event? Let’s connect.

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What to look for in conference management tools in 2026

Conference planning has always meant juggling moving parts — abstracts coming in from one direction, speakers needing bios and headshots from another, room setups and AV orders from a third. For years, the standard approach was to patch it together: a submission portal here, a spreadsheet there, email threads holding the rest in place.

That patchwork still works, until it doesn’t. A speaker swap at 4 p.m. on a Friday, a reviewer asking which version of the rubric is current, a venue calling about a setup that changed two updates ago — these are the moments where disconnected tools show their cost.

Going into 2026, the conference management tools worth looking at aren’t the ones with the longest feature lists. They’re the ones that solve for how the work actually flows: submissions into scheduling, scheduling into logistics, logistics into the run-of-show. Here’s what to look for.

1. Abstract and Call for Papers Management That Handles the Whole Lifecycle

Abstract review is one of the most labor-intensive parts of conference planning, and it’s often the first place cracks show. Submissions come in through one system, reviewers score them in another, the program committee tracks status in a spreadsheet, and approved content gets re-entered into scheduling by hand.

Look for tools that keep the full process in one place: a submission portal for presenters, a separate portal for reviewers with open or blind review options, configurable cutoff dates, and standardized data collection so submissions can actually be compared side by side. The goal isn’t fewer emails for their own sake — it’s making sure the data you collect at submission is still usable six months later when you’re building the program.

2. Speaker and Session Management With Conflict Detection

Once abstracts are approved, the work shifts to building the program. That means tracking speakers, sessions, rooms, schedules, and materials at the same time — often hundreds of moving pieces for a mid-size conference.

The tools worth evaluating give speakers their own portal to submit bios, headshots, and session materials directly, rather than asking your team to chase and upload on their behalf. They flag room and schedule conflicts automatically. And they publish session and speaker schedules from the same data your team is managing, so Schedule-at-a-Glance and full program views stay accurate without a separate update step.

If your abstract management and session management tools share a database, approved content moves into scheduling without re-entry. If they don’t, that handoff is a manual step — worth asking about directly in a demo.

3. A Central Home for Meeting Logistics

Every conference has a layer of operational detail that lives outside the session schedule: room setups, food and beverage orders, AV requirements, signage, staffing, vendor coordination, and the function sheets that pull it all together for the venue.

Historically, this has lived in binders, shared drives, and whoever-has-the-latest-version email threads. The shift to look for in 2026 is tooling that treats this operational layer as first-class — not an afterthought bolted onto registration or session management. Room layouts, setup and teardown, food and beverage, signage, and staffing coordination all in one view, with the ability to generate function sheets, banquet event orders, and expense reports from the same source your team is working in.

4. Accommodating Late Registration Without Breaking the Program

Attendee behavior has shifted. Over 50% of registrations are coming in the final weeks leading up to the event. For conference planners, that’s a real operational problem: session capacities set months in advance, room assignments locked, printed materials ordered.

This isn’t strictly a conference management question — it’s where registration and conference management meet. But it’s worth evaluating your conference tools for how they handle late-arriving attendees: Can session capacities be adjusted in real time? Can room assignments be updated without breaking downstream schedules? Does the program view attendees see reflect changes made the day of? The planners who handle late registration well aren’t the ones with the most sophisticated prediction tools. They’re the ones whose systems can absorb a change without it cascading into five other places.

5. Support From People Who Know Live Events

This one isn’t a feature, but it belongs on the list. Conference software lives or dies on what happens when something goes sideways at 7 a.m. the morning of day one. The difference between a vendor whose support team has worked conferences and one whose support team hasn’t is the difference between a ten-minute fix and a three-hour scramble.

Ask for specifics in evaluation conversations: Who answers the phone onsite? What’s the escalation path? How many of the people you’d be working with have actually staffed events? The answers vary widely, and they matter more than the demo makes them seem.

How eShow’s Conference Management Software Fits

eShow’s Conference Management software covers the three modules above — abstract and call for papers management, speaker and session management, and meeting logistics. Each module is built to stand on its own as a best-in-class solution. When an organization uses more than one, they run on the same database, so data flows between them without re-entry.

If you’re evaluating conference management tools for 2026, we’d be glad to walk you through the modules that fit your event. Book a 20-minute demo.

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What are Best Practices and Tools You Can Use to Effectively Manage Your Event Speakers?

You’ve probably been there: tracking down a speaker’s headshot the night before the event, or firing off last-minute emails about slide formats. A great lineup is only as good as the communication behind it.

Good speaker management takes more than a checklist. It’s staying organized without losing the small moments — a personal note, a thoughtful nudge — that make speakers feel welcome.

Key Highlights:

  • Set clear expectations early with centralized deadlines and resources
  • Personalize communication to build stronger speaker engagement
  • Use a single speaker portal to cut down on last-minute scrambling
  • Balance automation with a human touch to stay efficient and authentic
  • Follow up post-event to strengthen long-term speaker relationships

1. Set Expectations Early

Imagine being a speaker juggling three upcoming events. You’re grateful when one organizer sends you a welcome packet that clearly spells out key dates, formats, and submission deadlines, so you don’t have to dig through scattered emails to find what you need.

That’s the experience to aim for. From the start, give speakers a clear roadmap. Tools like eShow’s Conference Management software give speakers one place to find deadlines and forms — no inbox searches, no missing attachments.

2. Personalize, Don’t Mass-Produce

Automated emails can still be personalized, and your speakers will notice. Mention their specific topic. Refer to how their session fits into the theme. Small touches like these set a collaborative tone and encourage prompt responses. They also lower the chances of missed details, because a speaker who feels like they’re being talked to directly reads more carefully than one who feels like they’re on a list.

Use tools to handle reminders automatically, but don’t skip the quick note that says “Looking forward to your session.” That’s what makes the connection real.

3. Keep Everything in One Place

Give speakers a portal where they can update their profile, upload materials, view deadlines, and track what’s outstanding. With eShow’s speaker and session management tools, everything’s in one spot, so nobody’s digging through their inbox at midnight for a missing bio.

It’s the difference between last-minute scrambling and walking into event day ready.

4. Be Mindful of the Speaker’s Experience

Your speakers are investing their time and expertise. The easier you make their part of the process, the more likely they’ll deliver a strong session — and want to work with you again.

A few small touchpoints that go a long way:

  • A speaker checklist with descriptions, direct links to tasks, and deadline dates, with the option to check off each item as it’s done
  • Optional tech checks or AV dry runs, especially for virtual or hybrid sessions
  • Audience insights (expected size, industry focus) so speakers can tailor their content

These aren’t logistics for their own sake. They’re the signals that tell a speaker you’re thinking about their success, not just yours.

5. Automate, But Stay Human

Automation is part of speaker management at any reasonable scale. But it shouldn’t be the whole tone of your communication. A well-timed automated reminder keeps things moving; a string of them with no human voice in between starts to feel like paperwork.

eShow’s Conference Management software lets you:

  • Send reminders for bios, headshots, or slides
  • Share links to speaker portals
  • Keep an audit trail of what’s been sent, with the ability to resend

The automation handles the “did they get it” question. Your voice handles the “do they feel respected” question. You need both.

6. Communicate Post-Event

It’s easy to let speaker communication taper off once the event ends. Worth resisting. A short follow-up can include:

  • A thank-you
  • Audience feedback or engagement stats
  • A note on whether recordings will be distributed, and when

These are small gestures that make a real difference the next time you’re putting together a lineup and hoping someone says yes.

Why Speaker Communication Matters

Good speaker management isn’t just about being organized. It’s about helping someone step on stage feeling prepared and valued. When they do, the audience feels it, and so does the rest of your program.

From First Email to Follow-Up

When speakers feel supported, they show up ready. Clear expectations, a few personal touches, and tools that keep everything in one place go a long way toward making that the norm rather than the exception.

Want to take a closer look at how eShow supports speaker and session management? See how it fits into Conference Management.

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5 Tips to Boost Exhibitor and Attendee Engagement

Have you ever seen an exhibitor watching the clock while attendees walk past without a glance? Or a crowded session that left the sponsor’s booth empty? With intentional engagement, these moments can turn into opportunities for connection and impact. Here are five real-world tactics you can use at your next trade show, conference, or expo, with insights and features from eShow for real-world implementation.

Key Highlights:

  • Use interactive floor plans in your event mobile app to guide attendees and increase booth traffic.
  • Add scavenger hunts, QR code check-ins, and digital leaderboards to make participation fun and boost booth visits.
  • Send personalized push notifications to maximize session and booth attendance.
  • Empower exhibitors with instant badge scanning and CRM-ready lead tagging to strengthen post-event follow-up.
  • Gather feedback and insights to refine future events and enhance both attendee and exhibitor engagement.

How Can Interactive Exhibit Floor Plans and Navigation Increase Engagement?

Why It Matters

Complex venues can overwhelm attendees, which leads to missed booths, lower traffic, and frustrated exhibitors.

Strategy

Ever wandered through a massive convention center, badge swinging, trying to find a breakout session that started five minutes ago? It’s a challenge that can quickly diminish the attendee experience.

That’s why event planners are ditching static maps and moving to interactive, app-based navigation. With a quick tap, people can see exactly where they are and where they’re headed next. It’s like giving everyone a personal guide, minus the walkie-talkie. Studies show clear navigation increases booth visitation and dwell time.

eShow’s Exhibition and Trade Show Management module supports interactive floor plans and integrates them into the event mobile app. Attendees can find exhibitors by name, product, or category, making it easier for attendees to stumble upon new booths naturally and without needing a hard sell.

2. Does Gamification Boost Attendee Participation?

Why It Works

Let’s be honest, everyone loves a good game, especially when it means free swag and leaderboard glory. Research from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) revealed gamification can increase lead generation by up to 40%.

Strategies

You might spot people darting from booth to booth, phones in hand. They’re not checking email, but collecting digital points for a scavenger hunt. Some are chasing a prize, others just want to top the leaderboard splashed on the event app. And for a few, it’s about bragging rights, and let’s be honest, who can blame them? 

Gamification doesn’t have to be complex, virtual check-ins, badge collecting, or sponsor-powered giveaways all add just enough spark to pull people in.

For attendees, it’s a mix of not wanting to miss out and fun. For exhibitors, it’s a subtle way to rise above the booth next door without saying a word.

Make It Interactive With eShow

With digital check-ins and the ability to create fun, engaging scavenger hunts using QR codes built into eShow’s event mobile app, it’s simple to turn booth visits into a game people actually want to play. Exhibitors get increased visibility when attendees collect points at their booth within the app.

3. Do Personalized Push Notifications Enhance Engagement?

Why It Matters

Conferencing is dynamic. Rooms can change, demos shift, and sponsors host unexpected events. When a packed breakout room moves floors last minute, who actually sees the updated signage? Hardly anyone. But a ping on your phone? That’s instant clarity and zero feelings of chaos.

Strategies

  • Session / Booth Push Notifications: Notify attendees when demo times or inventories change.
  • Reminders: Remind attendees about upcoming networking sessions, session start times, and other important conference events.

We’ve all scrambled to find the right breakout room after a last-minute change. Or missed a flash giveaway because we didn’t get the memo. Push notifications solve that. Organizers can schedule and automate messages to personalized attendee lists, boosting attendee responsiveness.

4.  Can Seamless Lead Retrieval and Networking Improve Exhibitor and Attendee Connections?

Why It Matters

Let’s be honest, most exhibitors don’t spend thousands on a booth just to hand out swag and hope people stop by. They’re there to make real connections, start meaningful conversations, and walk away with solid leads. But when those moments happen in a blur of business cards and rushed handshakes, it’s easy for opportunities to slip through the cracks.

That’s where having the right tools, like mobile badge scanners and instant lead tagging, can make all the difference. It’s not just about collecting contacts. It’s about capturing context while the conversation’s still fresh.

According to CEIR’s Maximizing Attendee and Exhibitor Engagement on the Exhibit Floor Series: Part One: Exhibitor In-booth Tactices: People, Product, Learning and Other Strategies, findings from the 2022 Onminchannel Marketing Insights Series revealed badge scanning ranked first in attendee engagement, with 75% attendees using it to connect with the exhibitors they visit. This exceptionally high level of participation underscores how effective lead capture can be in fostering exhibitor and attendee engagement. 

Strategies

Picture this: An exhibitor’s booth is buzzing. Business cards flying, conversations flowing. But three hours later, it’s all a blur. Who was that buyer from Seattle? What were they looking for again? That’s why scanning badges on the spot and tagging leads as “hot” or “follow-up later” isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s survival. Even better when that info syncs with your CRM, so your next email doesn’t sound like you’ve forgotten the conversation.

Tools like eShow’s Lead Retrieval badge scanners and export-ready formats make it simple to keep the momentum going, even after the booth packs up. But they don’t just collect badge data, they let you tag hot leads, export to your CRM, and follow up while the conversation is still fresh. A smooth post-show process helps exhibitors build on event momentum.

5.  How Can Feedback Improve Your Event Next Year?

Why It Matters

Qualitative and quantitative feedback shows what resonated and what drove drop-off.

Strategies

  • Survey Reminders: Schedule post-session push notifications to drive attendee feedback.
  • Session Attendance Tracking: Measure room occupancy and dwell time.

If a session cleared out halfway through, that’s a signal. If one demo had a crowd three people deep all day, that’s another. The data tells the story if you’re listening.

How eShow Helps

eShow’s Conference Management suite provides detailed insights on session attendance and surveys. Organizers can track popularity and feedback to trend exhibit traffic and inform next-event planning.

Bringing It All Together: End-to‑End Engagement

Here’s how these tips combine into an enhanced event experience:

Engagement AreaAudience BenefitExhibitor Benefit
Interactive MapsEasier navigation to areas of interestHigher booth visibility
GamificationFun incentives to explore, attend sessionsBoosted foot traffic & brand awareness
Push NotificationsAlways in the know, no missed opportunitiesFlexibility in demo or promotional timing
Lead RetrievalEfficient networking avoids paper formsMore meaningful, prioritized leads
Analytics & FeedbackInputs help shape future schedulesExhibitors adjust demos/materials for impact

By combining navigation, incentives, communication, and measurement, you orchestrate a more engaging experience for both exhibitors and attendees.

Final Takeaway

Exhibitor and attendee engagement isn’t a single tactic; it’s a carefully choreographed experience. When attendees find what they want, exhibitors connect meaningfully, and the event runs smoothly, success becomes measurable. This is what makes the experience feel smooth and intentional for everyone involved.

With eShow’s solutions, from mobile apps to lead retrieval and registration management, organizers can activate each engagement tip efficiently and meaningfully. Help your attendees feel seen. Give your exhibitors real value. And run an event that people don’t just show up to, but talk about afterward and return to the following year.

Ready to learn more? Let us know how we can help you get started.

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Get Everyone Onboard: Winning Buy-In for Your 2026 Event Tech Transformation

You’re standing in your 2026 budget meeting, explaining how digital check-ins could cut those 30-minute lines at the entrance. A colleague interrupts: ‘What if people don’t want to use it?’ Another chimes in: ‘And how much is this going to cost us, really?’

You might have the slickest tech plan in hand, but if you don’t show you’ve really heard your team’s worries or explain it in terms that matter to them, it’s tough to get them on board. Let’s break down how to make your case for a 2026 event tech transformation and how eShow’s suite of solutions can help you deliver.

Start with the Why: Make It About People, Not Just Platforms

When you’re asking your team to try something new, rattling off tech features won’t win. What people want to hear is how it’ll make their lives easier, whether they’re managing the event or attending it. For example:

  • Faster check-ins, fewer lines: No one loves waiting. A streamlined digital registration system (like eShow’s Registration Management) means attendees move from entrance to engaged in minutes.
  • Personalized journeys: Imagine attendees getting real-time recommendations for sessions or exhibitors based on their interests, thanks to integrated data and agenda tools.
    Less chaos for staff: Digital solutions reduce the stress of juggling spreadsheets, badges, and paper forms.
  • Smarter workflows, more impact: Streamlining processes means your team can do more with fewer resources. Digital tools help save time, reduce costs, and free up staff to focus on creating meaningful experiences and not just chasing paperwork.

When your colleagues see how these changes directly address common pain points, they’ll be more open to exploring solutions.

Bring Data, Not Just Ideas

You might be picturing interactive floor plans and instant surveys, but your CFO’s thinking: ‘Show me where this saves us time or makes money.’ That’s when data and real-world examples help your case.

And don’t forget internal metrics. If past events had check-in bottlenecks, data gaps, or poor post-event engagement, share that. Help stakeholders see that sticking to old methods comes with hidden costs.

Acknowledge Risks, Offer Solutions

Resistance often stems from fear: of cost overruns, tech failures, or a painful learning curve. Rather than dismiss these concerns, acknowledge them and show how you’ve thought them through. When you show in the room that you’ve anticipated the bumps, maybe even pulling up a plan B slide, that’s when heads start nodding. Consider covering solutions like:

  • Cost efficiency: Digital platforms like eShow’s customizable solution cut down on the hassle of juggling five different vendors (registration, exhibits, mobile app, conference management) and bring it together in one place.
  • Ease of adoption: Platforms that offer modular, integrated tools mean teams can phase in digital elements gradually.
  • Support and training: Point out that partners like eShow provide training, technical support, and dedicated account managers to guide implementations.
  • Extension of your team: eShow provides expert on-site support, training for temporary or volunteer staff, and top-tier customer service through our call center and data teams — helping with reconciliations, refunds, and attendee troubleshooting so your event runs smoothly and your team has time to focus on other aspects of the event.

Share a Vision of Integration, Not Just Tools

Imagine your marketing team watching leads flow directly into their CRM, or your event staff seeing real-time attendee counts on their dashboard without chasing down paper lists. It all clicks together into one seamless system. 

For instance, describe a future event where:

  • Registration data flows directly into lead retrieval tools, so exhibitors can follow up faster.
  • A single dashboard shows real-time attendance, session engagement, and sponsor activations.
  • Both in-person and virtual attendees feel part of the same experience, supported by hybrid tools.

eShow’s platform is built for this kind of end-to-end integration. No more chasing down spreadsheets or tracking badges by hand. The pieces just connect and your team breathes easier.

Build Allies Early

Getting organizational buy-in isn’t a solo act. Identify champions across departments who will benefit from the transformation. For example:

  • Sales teams may love richer lead data from digital badge scans.
  • Marketing teams can use session analytics to shape content strategy.
  • Finance teams may appreciate cleaner reconciliation from integrated registration and payment systems.

Involve these stakeholders early, gather their input, and invite them to help shape the proposal. When marketing and sales both say ‘we need this,’ the room stops pushing back.

Pilot Before You Pitch Big

If leadership is wary of a full digital overhaul, suggest a pilot program. That first win could be using eShow’s Registration Management tool at a small expo to show how technology can help events run more efficiently. This not only builds confidence but it also gives you data to leverage when making a case for more tech investment. Suddenly, leadership’s not so wary of the bigger leap. 

Frame Your 2026 Event Tech Transformation as an Ongoing Journey

Digital transformation isn’t a one-and-done task. Make clear that your vision is about continuous improvement, with each event building on the last. Highlight how solutions like eShow’s evolve with your needs whether that’s adding an event website, new gamification features, or advanced analytics.

That narrative shifts the conversation from “one big risk” to “a thoughtful, step-by-step strategy.”

It’s About More Than Tech

It’s not the event website or app they’ll remember. It’s that moment when an attendee says, ‘Wow, I didn’t expect that to go so smoothly,’ as they breeze past the check-in line. That’s what gets people on board.With tools that fit the way your team works, you can spend less time putting out fires in 2026 and more time creating moments that people talk about long after the doors close. From registration to conference management to mobile engagement, eShow’s modular event management solutions give your organization the confidence to take that next step with confidence.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Your Guide to eShow’s Event Management Solutions

Planning and executing successful events takes more than just technology. It requires a combination of the right tools, strategic support, and a partner who understands how to keep everything running smoothly. eShow offers complete event management solutions designed to help planners save time, improve efficiency, and deliver better outcomes. Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions about how eShow can help you manage your events with greater confidence and control.

1. What are event management solutions and how does eShow support them?

Event management solutions refer to the full set of tools and services used to plan, organize, and manage events from start to finish. eShow provides customizable modules that cover registration, exhibitor, tradeshow, and sponsorship management, mobile event apps, virtual platforms, and post-event reporting. Each module is designed to work together as one complete system.

2. How does eShow help reduce check-in times and improve the arrival experience?

With on-demand badge printing and digital check-in tools, eShow helps eliminate long lines and delays at the registration desk. Guests can check in quickly, and planners gain real-time visibility into arrivals. These solutions help create a smooth and professional first impression.

3. How can eShow help me better manage exhibitors and sponsors?

Managing your exhibit hall should feel efficient and rewarding, not overwhelming. eShow’s exhibitor management system makes it easy to create and update your floor plan, manage booth sales, and keep everything organized in one place. The intuitive interface simplifies booth assignments and gives you a clear view of availability in real time. Exhibitors and sponsors can update their own profiles and materials, reducing the back-and-forth and freeing up your time. Built-in tools like lead capture and post-event reporting help you demonstrate value and build stronger relationships year after year.

4. Why does a reliable lead capture tool matter?

Because it directly impacts how your exhibitors measure success. When lead capture works seamlessly, exhibitors can focus on real conversations instead of juggling paperwork or worrying about missed opportunities. eShow’s lead capture tools ensure that every scan counts, with real-time notes, lead scoring, and easy data exports that streamline follow-up. The result is a smoother experience for your exhibitors and stronger ROI that keeps them coming back.

5. How does eShow’s mobile event app improve attendee engagement and event experience?

They make it easier for participants to connect, explore, and take action. eShow’s mobile event app puts schedules, maps, and personalized agendas at attendees’ fingertips, helping them navigate your event with ease. Features like real-time push notifications, live polling, and in-app messaging keep engagement high throughout the day. Paired with tools like digital check-in, lead capture, and real-time updates, you create a connected experience that keeps everyone informed, involved, and ready to return.

6. Can I integrate eShow with my current systems?

Yes. eShow integrates with a wide range of systems, including AMS, CRMs, payment gateways, marketing platforms, and more. Our team works closely with you to keep your data connected and secure without disrupting your existing processes.

7. How does eShow support sustainability in events?

eShow helps planners reduce waste by offering digital alternatives to printed materials. On-demand badge printing, paperless exhibitor kits, and mobile apps all help lower your environmental impact while improving the overall event experience.

8. What makes eShow different from other event platforms?

eShow offers more than software. We combine 26 years of experience with strategic insight and personalized support. Our modular approach allows you to select only the tools you need, while our team works closely with you to configure them for your specific goals. You receive both powerful technology and expert guidance in one solution.

9. How do I know which eShow solutions are right for my event?

Every event has different needs. Whether you are planning a trade show, annual conference, or multi-day hybrid experience, our team will help you identify the tools that best fit your objectives, audience, and budget. We offer scalable solutions tailored to your event size and structure.

10. How do I get started with eShow or request a demo?

You can request a results-driven personalized demo with our event solutions experts. We will guide you through the most relevant features for your event and provide a customized quote based on your needs.

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Your Guide to Selecting the Best Lead Retrieval Tool

Planning an event means balancing a hundred moving parts, including timing, logistics, budgets, and of course, the experience you’re delivering. However, there’s one thing that should never be overlooked, which is capturing and managing leads in the exhibit hall. The right lead retrieval tool can make a huge difference in ensuring your exhibitors see real results from their investment in your event.

As event planners, we understand how important it is to get this right. Here’s what you need to know before selecting a lead retrieval solution for your next event.

What Is Lead Retrieval?

Lead retrieval is a tool that helps exhibitors collect and manage contact information from people they meet at an event. Most commonly, this data is pulled through badge scanning or QR codes, which makes the process fast, accurate, and automated.

When you invest in a smart, user-friendly lead capture system, you enhance the exhibitor experience and increase the overall value of your event.

Why Lead Retrieval Matters for Your Event

As an event planner, you want to ensure your exhibitors walk away with value. Lead capture does more than capture contact information; it enables exhibitors to qualify leads, prioritize follow-ups, and ultimately increase ROI from the event.

Here’s why investing in the right solution matters:

1. Delivers Measurable ROI for Exhibitors

Exhibitors come to events to connect with potential buyers. The right solution helps them capture qualified, organized, and actionable leads, which means faster follow-ups and more conversions. When exhibitors see real results, they are more likely to return and invest more in future events.

2. Drives Exhibit Sales

A strong lead retrieval system makes your booth packages more attractive. When you can demonstrate that your event helps exhibitors meet the right contacts and close deals, it becomes easier to sell space and increase revenue.

3. Improves the Attendee Experience

Good lead capture solutions integrate seamlessly into your event ecosystem. Attendee information can be quickly and reliably scanned, interactions are smoother, and data is handled responsibly, creating a professional, streamlined experience.

4. Provides Strategic Data for Planners

Integrated lead retrieval software gives you visibility into traffic flow, engagement levels, and behavioral trends. These insights help you optimize future events, make smarter programming decisions, and demonstrate value to stakeholders.

5. Reduces Risk and Builds Trust

A reliable and compliant system ensures that data is accurate, secure, and privacy-conscious. This builds confidence among exhibitors and attendees that their information is handled with care and protects you as the event organizer by ensuring only verified and validated individuals interact with each other.

In short, the right lead retrieval system isn’t just a tech upgrade, it’s a growth engine for your event.

What to Look for in Lead Retrieval Solutions

Choosing the right system comes down to understanding your event’s needs and what you want to achieve. Here are the key features to look for:

  • Ease of Use
    The software should be intuitive, requiring minimal setup and training for your exhibitors.
  • Scalability
    Whether you’re organizing a small trade show or a large conference, the system should scale to fit your event’s size.
  • Privacy and Compliance
    Ensure the software complies with data protection standards.
  • Exhibitor and Onsite Support
    Look for a provider that offers dedicated exhibitor support and experienced staff onsite. eShow delivers hands-on assistance before, during, and after the event to help exhibitors make the most of their lead capture tools.
  • Reliability
    Choose a tool that’s proven to work under the pressure of live events. Ensure your lead retrieval system has a track record of being dependable.

Using Lead Retrieval to Maximize Your Event’s Value

Lead retrieval is more than just an operational necessity, it’s an investment in your event’s overall success and growth. High-quality lead capture tools can enhance exhibitor ROI, drive booth sales, and provide actionable insights, all while increasing your event’s value. Here’s how you can strategically integrate lead capture into your event’s broader goals:

  • Boost Booth Sales
    Offering a high-quality lead capture tool makes your exhibit packages more attractive. When exhibitors know they will walk away with qualified, actionable leads, they are more likely to reserve space and return year after year.
  • Gain Actionable Insights
    When combined with session tracking, check-in processes, and mobile app engagement, lead retrieval provides a detailed understanding of attendee behavior. This enables you to refine your event layout, enhance content, and boost engagement, ensuring future events are even more impactful.
  • Enhance Post-Event Value
    Giving exhibitors easy access to manage their own follow-up data helps them convert leads faster. When exhibitors succeed, your event gains a reputation for delivering results, making it easier to grow in the future.

If you are looking to improve the exhibitor experience and create a more engaging, data-driven event, eShow’s eConnect Lead Retrieval offers a comprehensive solution. With over 26 years of experience, eShow understands how to deliver seamless, reliable lead capture for events of all sizes.

Take a quick look at our webinar to discover how eConnect Lead Retrieval boosts exhibitor ROI and elevates your event:

Lead Capture That Works for You: Drive Exhibitor ROI and Increase Value

In this webinar, our lead retrieval expert, Lawrence Givens, Director of Onsite Solutions at eShow, demonstrates how eConnect Lead Retrieval simplifies lead capture, improves exhibitor engagement, and delivers measurable value across your events.

Watch the Webinar Recording

By integrating the right lead retrieval tool, you can turn every interaction on the show floor into an opportunity for growth and stronger exhibitor relationships. Explore how eConnect Lead Retrieval can support your next event’s success today.

Ready to learn more? Let us know how we can help you get started.

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