2024 Product Updates Recap: Customized Event Spaces, Revamped E-commerce Platform & More!

Hey event planners! 

As we step into the new year, we’re excited to build on last year’s achievements and bring you even more innovative product updates and features. Last year, we focused on enhancing event experiences across the board from creating more interactive and immersive environments for trade shows to elevating networking and engagement tools for career fairs.

We’ve listened to your feedback and responded with features that make events smoother, smarter, and more impactful. Whether it’s introducing tools to simplify event management or rolling out creative ways to keep attendees engaged, our updates are designed to make your events truly unforgettable.

Let’s take a closer look at the final wave of updates for 2024 and see how we’re setting the stage for an even better 2025!

Venue Builder

Design and Customize Your Event Space with Ease

Planning your event layout and seating has never been more efficient or interactive. The Venue Builder combines two powerful tools. Floor Plan Designer and Seat Planner to help you create visually stunning and functional spaces while giving attendees the freedom to choose their preferred seating.

This feature empowers event organizers to create immersive event experiences that enhance attendees’ satisfaction and optimize space management. Here’s how it makes your event planning better:

Key Benefits:

• Customize your event layout and seating arrangements to meet specific requirements.
• Enable attendees to choose their preferred seats and improve their experience and satisfaction.
• Gather valuable data on seating preferences and booth usage to improve event planning.
• Gain insights into seating preferences and booth allocations for better planning.

Feature Highlights:

Floor Plan Designer:

• Use an intuitive visual tool to design your event layout from scratch.
• Add, remove, and rearrange booths for a polished and functional setup.
• Incorporate branding for a professional look and link areas to sessions for easy navigation.
• Monetize booth spaces by charging exhibitors for premium spots.

Seat Planner:

• Enable attendees to self-select and reserve their seats during registration.
• Accelerate seat bookings with an interactive and user-friendly interface.
• Gather insights into attendee seating preferences to refine future layouts.

E-Commerce Platform

Simplify Product Sales and Enhance Engagement with the vFairs E-Commerce Platform

As trade shows become more dynamic, managing product sales and engaging attendees effectively is key to a successful event experience. The vFairs E-Commerce Platform empowers exhibitors with tools to systemize product sales, manage inventory, and enhance customer interactions. This feature enables exhibitors to list and categorize products, offer customizable options, track orders, and negotiate allowances all within one platform.

Benefits of the vFairs E-Commerce Platform

• List products, manage categories, and offer variants to create a seamless shopping experience for attendees.
• Real-time sales tracking and promotional messaging help exhibitors maximize revenue during events.
• Features like allowance negotiations and discounts enable personalized interactions and satisfy both parties i.e. sellers and buyers.
• Track order history and statuses in real time to ensure smooth fulfillment and post-purchase experiences.
• Simplified sales and inventory management allow exhibitors to focus on maximizing their returns at trade shows.

Allowance Negotiation Updates

A Smarter Way to Manage Booth-Specific Items

With our latest update to the Allowance Negotiation flow, you can directly access booth-specific items by selecting a relevant booth first. Users must select a booth before accessing the product dashboard to manage booth-specific items. This approach improves navigation, enhances items organization, and saves time.

Here’s what to expect with this update:

• Booth Display in Allowance Negotiation
  • All booths are displayed as individual boxes within the Allowance Negotiation sub-tab.
  • Each booth box includes key details such as Booth Name, Booth ID, and any other critical information.

• Improved User Flow
  • Users start by selecting a booth from the displayed boxes.
  • Once a booth is selected, they are directed to the items dashboard specific to that booth.
  • Items are organized booth-by-booth for a streamlined workflow and simplified item-specific negotiations.

Simplify Booth Management with Worksheet-Level Allowance Negotiation Status

Tracking booth item negotiation progress has become easier with worksheet-level allowance negotiation status. You can quickly see the overall status of all items under a booth. This helps monitoring and simplifying workflows with these features:

• Centralized Status: A status dropdown at the top of each booth’s items dashboard shows if items are Pending or Approved.
• Independent Functionality: Operates separately from individual item statuses for better clarity.
• Completion Indicator: Setting the status to “Approved” confirms all items under the booth are finalized.

Abstract Management Updates

Introducing Restricted Submission Editing

Admins can now control abstract submissions by limiting editing access to specific submitters. This is achieved through the use of unique access codes for restricted and secure submission management.

Here’s how this feature simplifies submission management:

• Controlled Editing Access: Only submitters with assigned access codes can edit their submissions.
• Easy Admin Management: Generate and assign access codes directly in the backend.
• Secure Editing Process: Submitters must enter their unique code to make edits.

Here’s how the feature works:

• Enable the Feature:

• • • Turn on “Enable Editing of Submission after Confirmed Submission” in Abstract Management settings.
    • Activate the sub-toggle “Restrict Submission Editing to Access Code Holders.”

• Assign Access Codes:

• • Go to “Abstract Access Codes,” click Add Code, and save your entries.

Download Submissions for Large File Management

Now admins can handle large-scale downloads of submissions through emails. Instead of downloading large submission files directly, admins now receive their generated files in CSV or Zip format via email, eliminating delays and errors.

Key Features:

• Download Prompt: When selecting “All” or “Selected” submissions, admins receive a prompt explaining the process.
• Email Delivery: Generated CSV/Zip files are sent directly to the admin’s registered email address for convenient access.

Flexible Email Template Selection for Abstract Management

We’ve updated how abstract management email templates are handled to give event organizers more flexibility. Instead of auto-populating all module-specific emails, organizers can now choose which templates they want to add to their event. 

This update will help in:

• Manual selection of email templates organizers want for abstract management.
• Avoiding unnecessary auto-population and customizing emails as needed.
• Easier management and control of event-specific communication.

Session Updates

Centralized Speaker Hub Settings for Better Management

To make managing speaker hub configurations more efficient, we’ve created a dedicated “Speaker Hub Settings” section in the backend. This ensures more organized and customizable speaker information.

Here’s how the feature works: 

• Access the Settings
  Navigate to Backend > Sessions > Settings > Speaker Hub Settings.
  Find the new “Speaker Hub Settings” header in the left sub-menu.
• Centralized Management
  All speaker hub configurations are now organized in one place for quicker adjustments and improved navigation.

Flexible Speaker Hub Designs for Tailored Experiences

Event organizers now have the option to choose between two speaker hub templates. These templates allow for better alignment with the event’s branding and audience preferences.

Here’s how the feature works:

• Select Speaker Hub Design
  Use the “Select Design” dropdown field in the Speaker Hub Settings area to choose a template:
  • Design 1: The existing default design featuring a familiar layout.
  • Design 2: A fresh template with enhanced features:
    • A prominent “Speakers” heading.
    • Speaker profiles are displayed in rows of four per column.
    • Speaker cards showcasing headshots, names, employers, and a “See Bio” button that links to a pop-up with more details.

• Automatic Application
  Once a design is selected, it is automatically applied to the event’s web platform, ensuring consistency and ease of use.

Start the year with tools designed to make your events more engaging, organized, and efficient. Want to experience these features firsthand? Schedule a demo today and see how our platform transforms event planning into a seamless experience.