Automechanika 2024 in Frankfurt
Die Automechanika ist eine der größten internationalen Messen für den automobilen Aftermarket. Dieses Jahr bot sie vom 10. bis 14. September für 4.200 Aussteller aus 80 Ländern erneut die weltweit führende B2B Innovations- und Branchenplattform, auf der sich alles um die Zukunft der Automobilindustrie dreht. Im Fokus standen die neuesten Trends, Technologien, Produkte und Dienstleistungen in Bezug auf die Industrie, Werkstatt und den Handel. Diese wurden in vielseitigen Fachvorträgen, Diskussionen und Workshops behandelt. Dadurch sollten sich alle Brancheninterne und Interessenten von den innovativen Ideen und bereits erfolgreich umgesetzten Konzepten inspirieren lassen, um das Gehörte und Gesehene in zukunftsorientierte Entscheidungen für ihre Unternehmen einfließen lassen zu können.The task
For this trade fair, our customer needed to register its employees in advance and handle hotel management. In addition, meeting room management, catering and attendance recording for the customer evening as well as guest management were important topics for which we were able to offer our support. We also had to ensure the internet supply and cabling for the entire forum (approx. 3,000 m² area) at Messe Frankfurt.
The implementation
First of all, we used our web-based event management software (EMS) to configure an online registration process in which both our hotel module and the meeting room management module were activated. This allowed participants not only to register for the trade fair, but also to register their need for a hotel room and, if necessary, meeting rooms at our client’s stand at the same time.
The meeting rooms were assigned by our contact persons with so-called admin accesses, while our Customer Care team took over the administration of the hotel contingents and the general communication with the hotels, taking into account cancellation deadlines and similar.
Once registration was complete, the registered participants were sent their respective trade fair tickets and hotel booking information by e-mail from the XFAIR system. Our service also included extensive guest management: an individual mailbox was created for the customer for all matters relating to attendance, tickets and hotel bookings.
We were able to offer another practical solution with our catering app. It enabled trade fair participants to place their orders independently in the catering area as well as in the meeting rooms and at the additional conference tables using an iPad provided by us.
We developed a new solution for recording attendance at the customer evening for this customer: with our self-service steles, participants were able to check themselves in using the QR code sent to them. After the scan, the name badges were printed directly on the stele within a very short time and made available to the participant. Incidentally, the entire process took place without any additional staff.
Due to the size of the stand area, the network planning had to be thought through particularly carefully. The entire Messe Frankfurt forum was supplied with WLAN by XFAIR, so a corresponding network with at least 1,000 free IPs had to be set up. As there are no raised floors in the building, our technical team had to establish the connections largely via the VLANs of Messe Frankfurt. The access points were distributed throughout the rig. As always, the cables had to be laid as invisibly as possible and the escape routes had to be kept clear at all times.
Our services
Hardware:
- 6 self-service terminals
- 15 iPads
- 5 workstations at 2 information desks
- 1 printer
- WLAN network
Software:
- Online registration
- Hotel Management
- Meeting room management
- Catering app
m² stand area
Meetings
Registered employees
Months lead time
Months lead time
Persons through previous import
Hotels
Meetings at 5 extra tables
People recorded at the steles
Bookings
Meetings at the exhibition stand
devices logged into the network at the same time
The result
Thanks to our flexible and combinable solutions, we were able to put together an all-round carefree package for the customer, which was individually tailored to the requirements discussed in advance. This meant that registration, ticket dispatch and hotel planning could be covered within one solution.
On site, we were very satisfied with the baptism of fire of our new development for the self-service steles on the customer evening before the start of the trade fair and look forward to making them available at other events soon.
With two information desks, we were also able to ensure efficient and clear stand management. Four workstations were set up at the main counter and enabled the hosts and hostesses to deal with the general concerns of visitors to the stand. Our technical team set up another workstation at a help desk for meeting room management. There, participants could be directed to their pre-booked rooms and appointments that arose at short notice could be managed, i.e. assigned to the five additionally organized tables.
A particular highlight of the collaboration for the XFAIR team was the good communication – first and foremost with our customer, of course – but also with Messe Frankfurt and the stand constructor and stand technology, as well as the competent IT on site.