METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR EXPOSITIONS AND CONVENTIONS

• US 20090319606A1
• Filed: 06/18/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emergency 24 Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Emergency 24 Incorporated
• Inventors: Devereaux, Patrick, Monteverde, Dante
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/10 for meetings, entertainments, or sports

Abstract

A convention center is disclosed having generally permanent booths 10 to avoid the need to provide installation for every convention thereat. The convention center is equipped for exhibitors to upload presentations prior to the show, the presentation being viewable remotely before, during, and after the convention by a number of parties, thus allowing exhibitors to make educated decisions on attending a convention and a cost therefor. Identification can be provided to visitors so that booths can identify a class for the visitor, and that class can be utilized to provide an appropriately selected presentation to the visitor. The identification can be used to track foot traffic in the convention hall, thus promoting more accurate pricing of booths. The identification can also be used as a navigation aid to the visitor.

Claims

1. A convention center for hosting conventions having a plurality of exhibitors and visitors, the convention center including:

a convention hall having a floor structure;

a plurality of walls permanently arranged on the floor structure to define booths for respective exhibits of respective exhibitors;

electrical connections provided in each booth;

communications connections provided in each booth; and

at least one display permanently mounted and provided for each booth, wherein an exhibitor presentation including at least a visual presentation particular to the respective exhibit of each booth is presented on the display to the visitors.

2. The convention center of claim 1 further including a computer network, wherein the computer network includes a program module, and the exhibitor presentation is stored on the program module, and the program module delivers the exhibitor presentation to the display.

3. The convention center of claim 1 further including a computer network, wherein the computer network communicates with an exhibitor storage device to upload the exhibitor presentation to the computer network.

4. The convention center of claim 3 wherein the exhibitor storage device is a remotely-located computer, and the computer network communicates via the Internet to the remotely-located computer for uploading the exhibitor presentation therefrom.

5. The convention center of claim 3 wherein the computer network includes a central host computer including a program module for storing the exhibitor presentation received from the exhibitor storage device, and the program module delivers the exhibitor presentation to the display.

6. The convention center of claim 3 wherein the computer network includes a central host computer and a locally-resident computer, wherein the exhibitor presentation may be uploaded from the exhibitor storage device to the central host computer, the central host computer transmits the uploaded exhibitor presentation to the locally-resident computer, and the locally-resident computer delivers one or more exhibitor presentations to one or more displays of one or more booths for presenting the exhibitor presentation thereon.

7. The convention center of claim 1 further including a computer network for communicating with a remotely-located computer for presenting the exhibitor presentation on the remotely-located computer.

8. The convention center of claim 7 wherein the computer network hosts bidding for booths, bidding being made via the remotely-located computer.

9. The convention center of claim 7 wherein the computer network is capable of receiving information regarding booths to be visited by a visitor from the remotely-located computer, and the computer network is capable of providing a navigational route for the convention based on the information received.

10. The convention center of claim 1 further including identification provided to visitors, and a computer network, wherein the computer network is capable of receiving visitor information based on the identification.

11. The convention center of claim 10 wherein the visitor information includes tracking information for determining foot traffic information.

12. The convention center of claim 11 wherein the foot traffic information is incorporated into a bidding for the booths.

13. The convention center of claim 10 wherein the presentations displayed in the booths are determined by the identification of the visitor to the booth.

14. The convention center of claim 10 wherein the identification includes an RFID for communicating with the convention center to provide the visitor information.

15. A convention center for hosting conventions having a plurality of exhibitors and visitors, the convention center including:

a convention hall having a floor structure;

a plurality of booths for respective exhibits of respective exhibitors;

displays located in the hall for presenting information to visitors;

identification provided for at least the visitors to the conventions; and

an ID receiver system for receiving visitor information from the identification.

16. The convention center of claim 15 further including a computer network, wherein the ID receiver system communicates with the computer network, and the computer network provides notification to the booth of the visitor information.

17. The convention center of claim 15 wherein the booths include exhibitor displays for presenting respective exhibitor presentations, and the computer network directs the appropriate exhibitor presentation to be presented to the visitor based on the visitor information.

18. The convention center of claim 15 wherein the visitor information includes identity and location of the visitor, and the displays are capable of presenting navigational information to the visitor based on the visitor information.

19. The convention center of claim 15 further including a computer network, wherein the visitor may identify to the computer network which exhibits are to be visited by the visitor.

20. The convention center of claim 19 wherein ID receiver is capable of providing the computer network with the visitor information, and the computer network is capable of providing notification to the visitor of one or more of a navigational route, deviation from the navigational route, booths of interest to the visitor, and a level of interest of a booth the visitor.

21. The convention center of claim 20 wherein the notification may be presented to the visitor on the displays.

22. A method of providing a convention center for hosting conventions having a plurality of exhibitors and visitors, the method including the steps of:

providing a convention hall at the convention center having a floor structure;

permanently arranging a plurality of walls on the floor structure to define booths for respective exhibits of respective exhibitors;

providing at least one display permanently mounted for each booth; and

presenting an exhibitor presentation including at least a visual presentation particular to the respective exhibit of each booth on the display to the visitors.

23. The method of claim 22 further including the steps of:

providing a computer network includes a program module;

storing the exhibitor presentation on the program module; and

delivering the exhibitor presentation to the display from the program module.

24. The method of claim 22 further including the steps of:

providing a computer network; and

uploading the exhibitor presentation from an exhibitor storage device to the computer network prior to the convention.

25. The method of claim 24 further including utilizing the Internet to upload the exhibitor presentation from the exhibitor storage device, the exhibitor storage device being a remotely-located computer.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of providing a computer network includes providing a central host computer having a program module, the steps further including storing the exhibitor presentation on the program module, and including delivering the exhibitor presentation to the display via the program module.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of providing the computer network includes providing a central host computer and a locally-resident computer, the step of uploading the exhibitor presentation includes uploading the exhibitor presentation from the exhibitor storage device to the central host computer, the method further including the steps of the central host computer transmitting the uploaded exhibitor presentation to the locally-resident computer, and the step of the locally-resident computer delivering one or more exhibitor presentations to one or more displays of one or more booths for presenting the exhibitor presentation on the displays.

28. The method of claim 22 further including the step of hosting bidding for booths, bidding being made via a remotely-located computer.

29. The method of claim 22 further including the steps of:

receiving information regarding booths to be visited by a visitor from a remotely-located computer; and

providing a navigational route for the convention based on the said received information.

30. The method of claim 22 further including the steps of:

providing identification provided to visitors;

providing a computer network; and

the computer network receiving visitor information based on the identification.

31. The method of claim 30 further including the step of determining foot traffic information based on said received visitor information.

32. The method of claim 30 further including the steps of:

hosting bidding for booths, bidding being made via a remotely-located computer; and

incorporating the foot traffic information into the bidding.

33. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of presenting exhibitor presentations displayed in the booths includes identifying at least a class of the visitor to the booth via the identification.

34. A method of providing a convention center for hosting conventions having a plurality of exhibitors and visitors, the method including the steps of:

providing a convention hall having a floor structure;

providing a plurality of booths for respective exhibits of respective exhibitors;

providing displays located in the hall for presenting information to visitors;

providing identification for at least the visitors to the conventions; and

an ID receiver system receiving visitor information from the identification.

35. The method of claim 34 further including the steps of:

providing a computer network;

communicating the visitor information to the computer network; and

providing notification to the booth of the visitor information.

36. The method of claim 35 further including the step of presenting appropriately selected exhibitor presentations to the visitor based on the visitor information.

37. The method of claim 35 further including the step of presenting navigational information to the visitor based on the visitor information.

38. The method of claim 34 further including the steps of:

providing a computer network;

the visitor identifying to the computer network exhibits to be visited by the visitor;

the ID receiver providing the computer network with the visitor information; and

the computer network providing notification to the visitor of one or more of a navigational route, deviation from the navigational route, booths of interest to the visitor, and a level of interest of a booth the visitor, such notification being based on said exhibits to be visited and on the visitor information.