Enabling Booth Selection for Exhibitors

The Exhibitor system allows exhibitors to manage their experience during and after applying to be an exhibitor for the event. 

One of the things that event managers use PheedLoop the most is the capability for Exhibitors to select their own booths during the Exhibitor application process. 

As an event organizer, you can enable booth selection from the Event Dashboard. The following will go through how you can enable booth selection for your Exhibitors. 

Step 1 - Creating your Floor Plan 

If you have not already done so, please review our Floor Plan training video for information on how to create a Floor Plan for your event. 

As part of the process of setting up a floor plan, creating and assigning booths will be required to know. This article will cover how to create booths from the steps below. 

Step 2 - Configuring Booths for Selection 

Each Booth has the ability to be customized which will impact how the booth selection process works. 

What you will need to know is the following definitions: 

Area 

Area is an internal currency used to help you facilitate booth selection. As an event manager, you need to define how much “Area” a booth will require in order for you to select it. Area is also a field that you will fill out for your associated Products in the Exhibitor section of PheedLoop. These will be connected. 

The best way to explain Area is through an example. If you have a Booth say for example Booth 300 and you put an Area of 100. This means that the Exhibitor selecting the booth must have at least a selection of products purchased in their profile that equates to an Area of 100 as well. 

To designate areas for booths: 

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to Exhibitors > Booths 
2. Select the booth you would like to adjust from the list 
   1. Select Create if you have not uploaded any booths to the event dashboard yet. 
3. Input the area in the Area field 
4. Select Save Changes 

Before exhibitors can select a booth, they must have the prerequisite amount of area to afford it. For an exhibitor to gain area, a team member must assign the area to the product: 

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to Exhibitors > Products 
2. Select the Product you would like to adjust from the list 
   1. Select Create if you have not uploaded any products to the event dashboard yet. 
3. Under Quantity and Pricing, type the numerical value for the area in the Booth Area field 
4. Select Save Changes 

Once an exhibitor purchases the product, they will automatically receive the designated amount of area. 

Product Requirements 

Product Requirements are more straightforward. What this means is that an exhibitor cannot select this booth unless they have purchased the required product at least once. If you would like to enable Product Requirements: 

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to Exhibitors > Booths 
2. Select the Booth you would like to adjust from the list 
   1. Select Create if you have not uploaded any products to the event dashboard yet.
3. Under Product Requirements, select the product you would like to make a prerequisite 
4. Select Save Changes

Step 3 - Enable Booth Selection 

Once Booth Selection is ready to be deployed, there are a few ways to do this, either during the application process, or through the exhibitor portal after they have been selected. 

Enabling Booth Selection During the Application Process 

By default, Booths are hidden from the Exhibitor Application. This can be toggled off in the event dashboard. 

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to Exhibitors > Application Portal 
2. Under Contract Settings, toggle off Contract Application Booth Skip 
3. Select Save Changes 

Enabling Booth Selection in the Exhibitor Portal 

In order to make the floor plan visible from the Exhibitor Portal, the Floor Plan page will need to be made visible from the Event Dashboard.

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to Exhibitors > Portal 
2. Under Pages, toggle off the Hide Floor Plan Page checkbox 
3. Select Save Changes

The Floor Plans page will now be visible from the Exhibitor Portal. However, exhibitors will still not be able to select a booth if the floor plan is not made available for the Exhibitor Portal. 

To make floor plan(s) available from the Floor Plan page, ensure visibility is toggled on from the Floor Plan's Properties section.

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to Maps 
2. Select the Map from the list or create a new map by selecting Create New 
   1. If editing an existing map, open the map and select File > Properties 
3. Under Visibility, toggle on Show in Exhibitor Portal 
4. Select Save Changes

Exhibitors will now be able to select booths from the exhibitor portal, please note that selecting booths will still cost Area Credits. If the exhibitor does not have the prerequisite amount then they will not be able to reserve a booth.

Configuring Start and End Dates for Booth Selection in the Exhibitor Portal

Event administrators can easily set a specific time period for selecting from the Event Dashboard. By defining Start and End Dates and Times, you give Exhibitors a clear window to choose their booths, ensuring a smooth process and avoiding last-minute adjustments that could disrupt your other venue preparations.

This setting only applies to the Exhibitor Portal, the Application Portal will not be impacted.

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to Exhibitors > Exhibitors 
2. Under the Booth Selection Start Date field, select the date and time when exhibitors can select booths in the Exhibitor Portal
3. Under the Booth Selection End Date field, select the date and time when exhibitors can no longer select booths in the Exhibitor Portal
4. Select Save Changes

Reserving Booths for Exhibitors During the Application Process

Another feature of booth selection is the option to reserve a booth for an exhibitor. Please note that a reserved booth will still need to be paid by exhibitors prior to the cut-off date. If this is not done, the booth will become open to other applicants for reservation.

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to Exhibitors > Booths
2. Select the booth you to reserve for the exhibitor
3. Under the Reserved Exhibitor field, select the exhibitor you would like to reserve to
4. Under the Reserved Exhibitor Expiry Date field, enter the date the reservation will no longer be available
   1. If the exhibitor does not reserve this booth by the date, the booth will become available for other exhibitors to reserve. 
5. Select Save Changes

It is possible to hide booth selection from the application portal but have it available in the exhibitor portal. This is ideal if booth selection is intended for approved exhibitors only. It is also possible to have the Booths page appear before the Purchases page should this be necessary. For instructions on how to do this, please review Step 3 of our Setting Up your Exhibitor Application article.

Booths can also be assigned to the exhibitor manually from the Event Dashboard. This will give the booth to the exhibitor permantanly. For instructions on how to do this, please review our Importing Exhibitor Booths for the Interactive Maps article.

Step 4 - Test your Booth Selection Process 

Now that booths are set up, we recommend testing them to ensure everything functions properly. If visibility is toggled on then booth selection will appear in the Exhibitor Application and Exhibitor Portal.

The best way to test that Booth Selection is working is to go through the exhibitor application process and exhibitor portal as an exhibitor would.

To test Booth Selection in the Exhibitor Application: 

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to Event Portals > Application Portals > Exhibitor Application 
2. Go through the application until you reach the Booths step 
3. Select a booth 
4. Select Confirm

The booth should now be assigned to the exhibitor. This process can be undone from the Event Dashboard.

1. From the Event Dashboard, navigate to Exhibitors > Exhibitors 
2. Select your test exhibitor 
3. Under Basic Details, remove the Booth(s) in the Booths field 
4. Select Save Changes