The catering app and the value of hospitality at trade fairs

The first steps have already been taken with the latest media technology, which gives the stand a professional and high-quality look and feel, and the solutions based on our Event Management Software (EMS) for smooth preparation in the run-up to the trade fair.

XFAIR also offers several app solutions for use during the event – including the practical catering app. Thanks to his many years of experience, XFAIR sales manager René Knapp knows the trade fair processes like the back of his hand and is therefore well aware of the significance of such an application.

Mr Knapp, what exactly does the XFAIR Catering App include and why is catering relevant in the networking process at all?

XFAIR’s catering solution consists of the app on the one hand, i.e. the web-based software, and the necessary hardware such as smartphones, tablets and receipt printers on the other. The catering staff at the trade fair stand take the order with our rental hardware and send it to the corresponding printers via WiFi using our solution. I can also predefine certain areas here, i.e. when I take an order for drinks, it goes to the printer at the bar. Similarly, if I order food, it goes to the receipt printer in the kitchen. The receipt then shows the name of the person ordering, the table number or the item number.
Because I can place and receive orders not only in the catering area and in the meeting rooms, but everywhere on the exhibition stand. All I have to do is assign a number to the additional areas and somehow make this visible to the caterer in a plan. For example, you can also use the catering service at different exhibits. This means that visitors can also be offered water or a cup of coffee during an initial preliminary meeting without having to go to the catering area or a meeting room.

How is the Catering App used in the trade fair context? Can you give us an example?

Large trade fair stands usually have their own open catering areas, and the catering team will – as already mentioned – also sevice people using the meeting rooms. Stand employees can go to these areas with their prospective customers to have a bite to eat and a drink and talk in a little more detail about what they have seen and the exhibitor’s other services, or perhaps to finalise an impending deal directly. You can also use our solutions for managing tables and meeting rooms in advance to see where a space is available and then book it. If the sales employee has the XFAIR Catering App himself, he can ask the visitor what he wants and place an order directly without having to wait for a service employee. All that remains to be done is to enter the table number so that the catering can take care of the rest.
The advantage of this in terms of the networking process is that it helps me enormously as a customer advisor at a trade fair to be able to place the order myself with my app while I’m talking – regardless of where I am. This allows me to concentrate fully on my counterpart and stay in direct communication with the customer. Communication never leaves this two-person area, as I am not distracted and looking for a service employee to take our order. The catering order can be integrated into the overall workflow.

We have also noticed a nice side effect in recent years: Our customers, i.e. the exhibitors or their sales staff, not only enjoy using our app because they are using the latest technology, but also benefit from a kind of image transfer that takes place as a result. This is because the visitor can see that the exhibitor uses state-of-the-art technology in all areas, right down to ordering coffee and cake or beer and snacks.

How does the Catering App fit in with the other XFAIR apps?

The Catering App 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 this case, our Catering App can be used as a stand-alone solution, naturally in combination with the hardware mentioned above.
Most of the time, however, we actually use the Catering App as an integrated solution in our My Event App, meaning that it is integrated as one of several tools in an overall workflow. For example, stand staff arrive at the exhibition centre in the morning, register via the Check-IN/OUT App and can be called as required for visitors who need their expertise. The app can also be used to view and request meeting rooms, as well as tables in the catering area. This is where the Catering App comes into play. If a visit report needs to be digitally recorded at the end, this can be done directly with the Lead App. As you can see, the XFAIR Catering App can be part of a larger app solution in which all the work steps of a classic trade fair day can be mapped.

Catering can obviously do so much more than just serve the physical well-being – at least at XFAIR. If you’re curious to find out more about the interplay with the rest of our portfolio, feel free to click through our website, read the linked blog posts or simply write to us directly using our contact form.