Top results following launch: New Koelnmesse app successfully matches visitors and exhibitors in the exhibition halls

24.05.2023

Following the launch of the app, the first results are now in: More than 16,400 people who used the app responded to the personal invitation they received from exhibitors relevant to them and met the exhibitors at the target stand. The qualitative customer feedback received is also extremely positive, with exhibitors reporting that the specific target groups sought out direct contact at the stand more often than in the past.

“We have found the perfect way to combine innovative, digital solutions with the physical trade fair experience,” says a delighted Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse. Koelnmesse is the only trade fair organisation on the global exhibition circuit to offer the feature in this form, cementing its reputation as an industry leader in digitalisation and one of the top players in the international trade fair sector.

CEO Gerald Böse adds: “The issue of digital transformation is extremely relevant to our customers and to us at Koelnmesse. We are continuing apace with the digital development of our company and want to keep bringing more new ideas and innovations to the table for our visitors and exhibitors. We view ourselves as a bridge between companies and industries and are developing digital products that will help to bring our customers together even faster and more accurately. Our lead generation app Lead+Meet is one such product. We used it for the very first time at IDS, the International Dental Show.”

With the launch of Lead+Meet, Koelnmesse retains its title as an innovation leader in the trade fair and event industry. “I am thrilled that our customers clearly understood the added value of this new product at the very first event,” says Patrick Wölke, Division Manager of Digital. “Lead+Meet is the perfect example of our focus on developing digital solutions that are closely linked to the physical trade fair and enhance this physical experience.”

Lead+Meet enables exhibitors to address their key target visitor groups directly at the trade fair and invite them to their stand. When they buy a ticket, visitors provide various details such as their product interests, their industry or the country they are from. Based on this voluntary information, exhibitors can then identify the appropriate visitors for the products and services they offer. When visitors enter the exhibition hall, they receive a push notification on their smartphone (if they have enabled this option) inviting them to the relevant stand. Visitors can then use the new indoor navigation function in the app’s hall plan to quickly and easily find their way to the stand, successfully bringing together supply and demand.

It goes without saying that the app complies with data protection regulations. Users of the trade fair app can give their consent to data processing in advance. There is also a frequency limit on the number of potential push notifications that can be sent to ensure that visitors have an enjoyable trade fair experience.

During IDS, the booked target groups received a total of 39,600 personal messages. 16,400 visitors accepted the special offers and invitations to exhibitor stands communicated via these messages and visited the target stand. With a resulting conversion rate of around 41 percent, Lead+Meet far exceeded expectations on its very first outing.

Read more about Koelnmesse here!