Focus: Networking & Customer Acquisition
Trade fairs are, as we all know, a meeting place for experts within an industry and for people interested in a particular topic. Regardless of the reasons why they attend, trade fair visitors are generally open to conversations from a wide range of professional perspectives. Our aim is to make networking easier for our customers — in this case, exhibitors — with our diverse service offering and therefore create the optimal conditions for customer acquisition.
With state-of-the-art media technology that gives the stand a professional, high-quality “look & feel”, and solutions based on our Event Management Software (EMS) for smooth preparation in the run-up to the trade fair, the first steps are already taken.
XFAIR also offers several app solutions for use during the event — including the practical Catering Module. Thanks to his many years of experience, XFAIR Sales Director René Knapp knows trade fair processes like the back of his hand, and therefore understands very well the significance of such an application.
Mr Knapp, what exactly does XFAIR’s Catering Module include, and why is catering relevant at all in the networking process?
XFAIR’s catering solution consists of two parts: the app itself — i.e. the web-based software — and the necessary hardware, such as smartphones, tablets and receipt printers. The catering staff at the stand takes orders using our rental hardware and sends them via Wi‑Fi to the relevant printers. I can also predefine certain areas; that means, if I take a drinks order, it goes to the printer at the bar. Likewise, if I take a food order, it goes to the receipt printer in the kitchen. The receipt then shows the name of the person ordering, the table number or also the position number.
Because I can place and receive orders not only in the catering area and in the meeting rooms, but anywhere on the stand. I simply need to assign a number to the additional areas and make that visible to the caterer somehow in a plan. This means the catering service can even be used at different exhibits. For example, a visitor can be offered a glass of water or a cup of coffee during an initial conversation — without having to go to the catering area or a meeting room.
How is the Catering Module used in a trade fair context? Could you give an example?
On large stands there are usually dedicated open catering areas, which — as mentioned — can also be used in the meeting rooms. Stand staff can take their prospects there to have something small to eat and drink and, in the process, talk in a bit more detail about what they’ve seen and about the exhibitor’s services — or perhaps even finalise a deal that is taking shape. By the way, in advance you can also use our solutions for managing tables and meeting rooms to see where a seat is currently available and book it. If the sales representative has XFAIR’s Catering Module themselves, they can take the visitor’s order directly — without having to wait for service staff — and trigger the order straight away. All that’s needed is to enter the table number, and catering can handle the rest. The advantage for the networking process is that, as an account manager at a trade fair, it helps enormously to be able to place the order with my app while I’m in conversation — regardless of where I am. That way I can focus entirely on the person in front of me and stay in direct communication with the customer. The conversation never leaves that one-to-one space, because I’m not distracted looking for someone to take our order. The catering order can be integrated into the overall workflow.
In addition, in recent years we’ve noticed a nice side effect: our customers — i.e. exhibitors and their sales teams — not only enjoy using our app because they’re working with modern technology, but they also benefit from a kind of image transfer. Visitors see that the exhibitor uses cutting-edge technology in all areas — right down to ordering coffee and cake or beer and snacks.
How does the Catering Module fit in with the other XFAIR apps?
The Catering Module can be used independently of the other apps. There are also catering companies that order the service directly from us and use it for their customers. In that case, our Catering Module can be used as a stand-alone solution — naturally in combination with the hardware mentioned above.
However, we usually use the Catering Module as an integrated solution within our My Event App — meaning it becomes one of several tools within an overall workflow. For example, stand staff arrive at the venue in the morning, check in via the Check‑In/Out App, and can then be called as needed for visitors who require their expertise. In addition, meeting rooms can be viewed and requested via the app, as can the tables in the catering area — and that’s where the Catering Module comes into play. And if, at the end, a visit report needs to be captured digitally, this can be done directly with the Lead App. So you can see: XFAIR’s Catering System can be part of a larger app solution in which all the steps of a typical trade fair day can be mapped out.
Clearly, catering can be much more than just taking care of physical needs — at least at XFAIR. If you’ve become curious about how it can be linked with the rest of our portfolio, feel free to click through our website, read the linked blog posts, or simply contact us directly via our contact form.
