Floor plan design forms one of the crucial elements a meeting planner designs during the planning process for organizing an event, especially an expo. A structured and aesthetically pleasing floor plan will ensure an event flow with minimal discrepancies as required by the attendees, and the same can help exhibitors put forth their product or service requirements better. To support this aspect, right floor plan software will be necessary. You will need to decide which best suits your needs if there are hundreds of options available in the market. Let’s see how to make the proper choice, taking the primary aspects such as usability, customization, and scalability into account:
Understand Your Needs
The point is that all these options should be understood, and then we should dive into them, but first, it is very important that we understand your expo’s unique requirements. How big is the event? How many exhibitors are going to be present there? What kind of layout do you want to be achieved? All these questions will lead you to the proper software that needs to be chosen. For example, to organize a small event with fewer booths of exhibitors, you will not need some very advanced floor plan software. On the other hand, large events will probably require a more comprehensive solution.
Usability and Interface
First and foremost, usability forms the most critical consideration when choosing any software. On this end, the expo floor plan software should be intuitive and rather user-friendly even for those who are not expertly familiar with technology. Ensure it has drag-and-drop features, which make it easy to place booths and aisles among other attributes on the floor plan. Moreover, the software should offer a user-friendly interface through which you can make fast changes and ensure everything is in its proper place.
For example, Expo Genie will be one of the best if you want a friendly tool but very effective. Its interface is intuitive, simply easy to use in creating as well as organizing an expo floor plan. It is good for an event planner without technical experience.
Customization Options
Every event is unique, and you will need a floor plan which may be adjusted according to your needs. You may have to decide the dimensions and the shape for an exhibition booth or even add custom branding-thus, it may be necessary to alter the layout for specialist needs, such as accessibility. So, try opting for software that offers maximum flexibility and personalization.
From it, unique booth sizes are specified, as well as spaces among them and even logos to your booths; the software thus allows room for fine-tuning the designs to ensure perfect matching against the vision the event shall have.
Scalability and Flexibility
Events can grow, and the floor plan must be able to change with the event. This is particularly significant if you are organizing larger expos in the future or if the scope of your event will more than likely change at this point. It should scale to accommodate more exhibitors or change to the layout without being a pain in the neck.
It is through the expo floor plan software that you will be able to scale all sizes of expos. You could be running an exhibition that accommodates only a couple of hundreds people, but if you prefer a larger exposition, Expo Genie will adapt to the scale you need.
Interactive Features
The digital world requires the experience of the attendee to become more interactive and engaging. Many expo floor plan software solutions provide interactive features: allow attendees to see the layout online, find the exhibitors, and even navigate the event in real-time. Few integrate with event apps, so attendees can prepare for their visit.
A good expo floor plan tool like Expo Genie should empower you to provide an interactive experience for the audience. Easy search for exhibitors by name, product, or booth number should be possible. Interactive maps also help attendees navigate around the expo, hence improving an attendee’s experience.
Real-Time Updates and Collaboration
Changes are inevitable during planning. The software you choose should support in real time changes and collaboration, from a change of location for exhibitors from booths to some last minute layout changes, to make sure team members, vendors, and exhibitors can view and update the floor plan when needed.
Expo Genie enables collaboration between multiple users so that they can collaborate with regard to access to the floor plan in real-time, so everyone is on the same page, and change is quick and effective.
Budget and Value for Money
Next would be the budget: free ones are available, but they may not make for the best professional-grade expo solutions. You might end up shelling out for premium software solutions with a steep learning curve, where features you‘ll never use constitute part of the package.
All that you get must be considered, aside from the outlay for the evaluation of value for money. For instance, Expo Genie is a balance between cost and functionality. You get all that power without spending too much money.