Tech News: Shepard and ExpoFP Celebrate the Season with Fresh Innovations
December 20, 2024
Just in time for the holidays, a trade show production company and an event technology provider announced a new platform and upgrades, respectively, to streamline and improve the event experience for organizers, attendees, and exhibitors alike.
Shepard Introduces ExhibitorPro to Simplify and Streamline the Exhibiting Experience
Event production provider Shepard is working to redefine the exhibitor experience with its launch of ExhibitorPro, a new online exhibitor platform designed to simplify planning and improve how exhibitors manage and engage with their events.
Created to eliminate complexity and deliver a more intuitive user experience, the new platform offers innovative features, such as budgeting tools, real-time order tracking, and centralized resources to simplify event planning and management.
According to Sarah Aivaz, senior vice president of business solutions at Shepard, ExhibitorPro brings event logistics into the modern era.
“This launch is about more than just technology–it’s about simplifying the exhibitor journey,” Aivaz said. “By taking a step back and questioning traditional processes, we’ve created a platform that raises the bar for efficiency and redefines how exhibitors approach their events.”
Highlights of the new platform include:
- Account view: Access event details and historical data in one place
- Budgeting tools: Easily estimate material handling and labor costs
- Third-party integration: Streamlined coordination with EACs and contractors
- Order copying: Quickly replicate previous orders for efficiency
- Resource center: Centralized FAQs and video library for exhibitor support
“This launch reflects Shepard’s commitment to driving progress in the events industry,” said Kevin Bird, CEO of Shepard. “ExhibitorPro represents our vision for the future—one where technology enhances service, simplifies processes, and empowers exhibitors to succeed. It’s about making the exhibiting experience more intuitive and efficient for everyone involved.”
Learn more about ExhibitorPro here.
ExpoFP Introduces Post-Show Reports and ‘You Are Here’ QR Codes to Improve Analytics and Navigation
To prove that the functionality of interactive maps goes beyond wayfinding, interactive floor plan provider ExpoFP launched a post-show reports feature and “You Are Here” QR codes for event organizers.
Enabling even organizers to make data-driven decisions, understand exhibitor popularity, and evaluate the effectiveness of sponsorship options, ExpoFP’s post-show reports allow customers to access a range of data. These include total floor plan views, total users, total sessions (number of active interactions of users), top searches (most popular items that users searched for on the floor plan), top routes, top exhibitors, top booths and top categories. Analytics are available in all customer accounts, including the ability to measure user engagement with the floor plan to prove their efficiency.
With the You Are Here app, event organizers can generate QR codes as well as set locations for each QR code at the venue. Attendees can not only scan these codes with their phones to see their current location on a map but can also search for any booth they want to visit and view the shortest route to it. Besides making wayfinding easier at no extra cost, this new feature allows visitors to focus on making meaningful connections at a trade show without wasting precious time on wayfinding, according to ExpoFP officials.
“Event technology that offers insights is invaluable — it helps organizers make choices that improve both the flow and impact of an event,” explained Ross Sudentas, CEO of ExpoFP. “Wayfinding is one of those things you don’t realize you need until you’re lost without it. With tools like our post-show reports and ‘You Are Here’ QR codes, we’re giving organizers the data and navigation tools to make each event more effective.”
Have some event technology news to share? Reach out to lisa.savas@informa.com and danica.tormohlen@informa.com.
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Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.
Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.
The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.
MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.
MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.
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