Attendees looking for high-tech solutions at this year’s EXHIBITOR show, held March 17-21 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, had plenty to keep them busy.

Technology trends on the showfloor centered on data-rich, interactive lead retrieval. Exhibit managers are no longer forced to use clunky lead retrieval devices provided by show management. Today’s lead capture options give exhibitors real-time access to detailed reports of attendees in-booth activities.

QuickTapLead is one such solution provided by a company out Toronto - TabbleDabble. Customers of TabbleDabble can create their very own, branded iPad app in less than 10 minutes. No Internet connection on the showfloor? No problem. Simply connect and synch the data when you get back to your hotel room.

Companies of any size will find this solution a perfect fit for them, but smaller exhibitors will love the pricing. The app is free to create and you pay only for the leads you capture. Leads can be bought in bulk to be used throughout the year bringing the price per lead down as low as about 20 cents per lead.

Other notable vendors providing new lead capture and data collection included PRMconnect. Their Leadature solution allows booth staffers to qualify customers through profile questions, connect those visitors instantly with the appropriate sales rep, deliver requested literature right to their inbox and then even tracks visitors across multiple shows.

T1Visions’ inTouch technology was on display at two partner booths, Apple Rock and Optima Graphics. Their touchscreen displays allow exhibitors to track booth visitor activity in minute-by-minute detail. Literature can be annotated and sent instantly to the visitor’s email box. As your booth gets busy, the screens can be split into sections allowing the interactive tracking of up to six different visitors.

ExhibitForce puts lead retrieval in your booth visitors’ hands with Media Station. Visitors use the stations to choose literature they want and send it to themselves immediately reducing the need to ship literature to the show.

Intelligent SALES by AllianceTech uses an iPad to allow booth staffers to show attendees product demos, presentations and brochures and other collateral and then e-mail them right then and there. It essentially creates a lead on the spot and starts the follow-up process immediately.

LeadValu also provides similar features with their lead retrieval solutions, but adds an eGift system that automatically sends a gift certificate based on the quality of the lead.

If the fingerprints left by all that screen tapping, touching and swiping bother you; Touchless eLit by Reality Engineering Solutions might be just the right solution for you. This touch-free interface runs on any touchscreen device. Booth visitors can interact with the screen with just a wave of their arms.

If you are looking to shave thousands of drayage dollars off your trade show program, as well as collect leads, you may want to look at a 3-D solution. Instead of shipping products and equipment to the show, you can easily demonstrate them using 3-D interaction.

The Inhance Digital team was awarded a Buyers Choice Award at this year’s show for their Interactive Model System. Booth visitors can rotate 3-D objects, explore features and benefits in detail, isolate key components and view the equipment in different geographical settings. It also contains a built-in metrics tool that tracks attendee exploration of virtual models.

What stood out with all these solutions was their ability to run on different platforms, real-time tracking and delivery and integration with many different CRM systems.

Many solution providers are also recognizing the need for mobility. Leads are not just something to be collected in the booth. By offering lead retrieval on booth staffers mobile devices, leads can be qualified and collected anywhere including the bus rides to and from the convention center.

If this year’s EXHIBITOR show is any indication of where the future of trade shows is headed, it’s clear lead value and data collection is a key to exhibitors’ success.