Everything is going mobile. If you own a smart phone, and at least 33% of us already do, then you know how convenient it is to have it all at your finger tips. Neilsen forecasts that one in two Americans will have a Smartphone by the end of 2011. That’s a big jump from one in ten in 2008. So, how can exhibitors efficiently take advantage of the mobile movement?

There are a few items that we know are pretty standard across most trade shows:

1. People spend a lot of time and money attending trade shows; they want to find your business
2. Trade shows can overwhelm and confuse the senses, making it difficult to find your business
3. Some shows are so large an attendee can miss entire aisles without even realizing

The mother of invention is a necessity and in the trade show industry, we’re finally seeing mobile apps come to the trade show floor. My favorite apps are the maps of the trade shows with additional sponsor opportunities and after show guidance. There are even a few shows that are starting to feature apps as a selling point of their show. The possibilities are endless and pretty inexpensive for the show organizer or the attendee. Below is an overview of a few that I have found.

iLeads- iphone app. Ileads, from Bartizan in New York, is a free app for attendees. Bartizan makes their money by selling it to show organizers.

According to their website, iLeads is the world’s first lead retrieval app. It enables exhibitors to collect trade show leads using an iPhone® or iPod touch®. It’s a new and better way to collect data and exchange information. iLeads benefits exhibitors, attendees, organizers, registration contractors and even sponsors with its features such as: notes, surveys and qualifier exhibitors.

Follow Me Mobile Phone App In September of 2010, CEDIA EXPO 2010 is using this app, which offers “several unique features, including an interactive show schedule, floor maps, session schedules with rating capability, event schedules, social media interaction, and the ability to download e-brochures from the exhibitors”.

Sounds pretty similar to me, but I have yet to see either of these app in action. I wish I had an app for Exhibitor2010 when I was there last month. Some shows are so huge; it is easy to get lost.

EDIA and Core-Apps (an official CEDIA vendor) have developed the Follow Me Mobile App to enhance the trade show experience and provide valuable show information on every Smartphone. Right now it looks like it is just iPhone, but a Blackberry version is coming soon. That’s okay, they have some time.

ETA 2010 App ETA 2010 (Electronic Transactions Association) is an international trade association representing companies who offer electronic transaction processing products and services. They will be the first (that I know of) to launch their app. Great marketing has the ETA 2010 APP developed and sponsored by 1st Merchant Funding. What a great way to spend sponsor funds. The show was earlier this month, so I am hoping I can track some feedback. The release date was April 10th.

The marketing says that the app features: Interactive Trade Show Floor Plan Map, Booth Locator, Exhibitor Navigation, Exhibitor Profile, Digital Business Cards, Daily Show Schedule, Meet Up, Facebook & Twitter, Flight Tracker, Las Vegas Strip Map, and Vegas nightlife info.

The best thing about 2010 is that it is so different from 2009. Apps are taking over the world and yes, Lindsay Exhibit Group is currently investigating how best to serve our clients with a mobile application. I have a few tricks up my sleeve, but I am not quite ready to share them yet.

Have you been to a show where the show organizer offered an app and you used it? Tell us your thoughts and share how it worked for you.

Because, as we like to say at Lindsay Exhibit Group… it’s all about successful events.