For many companies, trade shows are high-stress/high-reward endeavors. Tablets and mobile app technology can address some common areas of frustration on the trade show floor:

No Wi-Fi or Bad Wi-Fi

Trade show sites are notorious for having unreliable access to an internet connection, and many companies invest in wireless hotspot devices to stay online. Buying tablets with data plans is also an option, but many apps now provide offline functionality, allowing you to save data on your device for later transmission.

Processing Orders Means No Sleep

Ok, that might be an exaggeration, but how many times have you taken your trade show orders by hand and manually entered them on your laptop later that evening? Order management apps allow you to take and submit orders on the tablet, increasing productivity and reducing human error. And you might get some additional sleep.

Lack of Space

Booth space is often one of your largest trade show expenses, especially as you increase square footage. It can be difficult to effectively house and display product samples, brochures, and product sheets, along with multiple sales reps and customers all in the same spot. And don’t even get us started on the (actual, not metaphorical) luggage that some people tote around! By employing a mobile app catalog on a tablet, you can maximize your booth space by physically displaying your best products, while digitally showing off the rest of your inventory with high resolution imagery, 3-D rotation, videos, and more. A tablet’s size, flexibility, and user-friendliness is perfect for product browsing.

Limited Access to Power

Forget the extension cords. Tablets hold a charge for a long time, so you can show presentations, videos, and photos on command (or on a loop). You can ensure that visitors don’t explore beyond the content you want them to see by putting your iPads in “Guided Access Mode,” or downloading an app with equivalent functionality for Android – there are many.

Retaining Information is a Pain

Some larger shows offer the ability to scan attendee badges, but we still see the ol’ “business-cards-in-a-fishbowl” method of information gathering employed at many events. With tablets, you can instead download one of any number of business card reader apps to scan cards on the spot. Not only can you potentially ditch the paper, but you can share and upload the digital info with ease.