SMS/MMS messaging...
...for trade shows and special events

Large-scale public SMS displays are great at trade shows and special events. They can be used as an attention-getter, to draw people to your location or event. They can also be used to provide useful information, such as running Q&A sessions at meetings.

Attract attention at trade show booths

Equip your trade show booth with a big, bright SMS text messaging display. It lets attendees send each other fun messages about the trade show, and calls attention and business to your booth.

The display serves as an ice-breaker to "draw them in". Often visitors will come back to show their friends or just to see what's new. And of course, you can display your own SMS text messages about what you're exhibiting.

At the same time, you're capturing callers' phone numbers. Later you can send them a short "thank you for visiting" message, or a message with a special offer or promotion.

The 21st century way to run Q&A

One of the most popular uses of Pangolin's IMU is to run question-and-answer sessions at meetings. It provides faster, higher-quality interaction.

During the meeting, audience members with questions use their phone to send text messages. The Q&A moderator selects and queues the messages. They also can send replies back to questioners, such as "Can you clarify your question?" or "Good question -- I'll put you first". As the meeting proceeds, some questions will be answered in the course of the discussion; these can be deleted from the queue.

When the Q&A session starts, the questions are projected for everyone to see, in the order selected by the moderator:

Click for larger view

Contrast this with the old-fashioned "raise your hand and speak up" method of randomly gathering questions. By pre-selecting, editing, and ordering the text-messaged questions, the best questions are asked first. The Q&A runs more smoothly and efficiently. Also, the anonymity of SMS question-asking encourages attendees who don't like to speak in public, or who are afraid of seeming to have a "dumb" question.

Using SMS text messaging has gotten rave reviews, both from meeting participants and from organizers. It is the 21st century way to run Q&A.

 
Video or laser display

Pangolin's Interactive Messaging Unlimited system can project the text messages in either video or laser.

The video screen is simply the Pangolin SMS computer system running our VMU program. All you need is a standard computer video monitor or projector. The video screen can include your company logo and visuals.

For extra excitement, consider using an eye-catching laser display. It's not everyday that customers see scrolling text messages in bright laser light, projected 10 or even 50 feet wide. You can project inside your booth or, at many shows, right onto the walls or ceiling. The laser writing is guaranteed to attract attention, as it did at a Canadian trade show:

Easy to rent or buy

• If you do just a few trade fairs and exhibits a year, you can contact Pangolin and ask about a system rental. We will refer you to one of our worldwide dealers to set up the SMS system and get it running. It only requires a screen or monitor on which video is projected. (For laser projections, our dealers can also provide this equipment.)
   
• If you do a number of shows, you can buy the Pangolin IMU text messaging system and run it off of your own computer, a cell phone and video projector. (For high volume applications you may want to buy or rent a cellular data modem instead of using a standard mobile phone.)
          It is very reasonably priced -- especially considering that you're likely to have a unique attention-getter for your trade fair stand.

Database capture and promotions

Remember that every time someone sends an SMS text message, you've captured their phone number, message and time of call. This lets you send a message back to the callers. For additional information, see our page about marketing, 2-way messaging, and databases.

Used at telecom trade shows

If you're in the telecommunications industry, maybe you've already seen Pangolin's SMS system in use at a trade show.

One of the world's top wireless telecom firms, LogicaCMG, uses Pangolin's system under the names "SMS2iTV" and "SMS2LASER". LogicaCMG is the leading provider of messaging equipment, and in fact is the inventor of SMS text messaging. They have exhibited the system at the following recent telecommunications shows:

• CTIA 2003 in Las Vegas
• CDMA Americas 2003 in Miami
• Expocomm Mexico 2004
• CTIA 2004 in Atlanta
• Expocomm Canada 2004

The laser SMS system was covered in a TV and web news report from the Canadian CTV Newsnet program "Webmania". You can read about it here.

The laser SMS system was also exhibited at the Lighting Dimensions International (LDI) 2003 show in Orlando, by Laser Rentals Inc.

For more information

To find out more about how the technology works, see our pages about the IMU message handling software, and the VMU video display software.

For additional information on Pangolin's SMS text messaging system, e-mail, fax or call us. This is an exciting new technology, and we're happy to help you understand how it can provide bottom-line benefits to your exhibition efforts.