ExMan Debuted at PGA Merchandise, USA
(NORWALK, CT Feb. 4) - - - Reed Exhibitions Americas introduced a new onsite issue resolution program as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the customer experience at Reed events. The program, called “eSPOC” made its debut at the recent PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando to great reviews with plans to roll it out on 15 events in 2008 in other venues including Las Vegas.
With onsite partnerships between Freeman and in this case, the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, the new program eliminates the need for exhibitors to leave their booth to check on or correct service issues at show site.
First utilized by Reed Exhibitions UK, the eSPOC program offers a system for reporting, tracking and communicating onsite issues and then deploys status updates to exhibitors in real-time. The system utilizes both handheld Pocket PC PDA and standard PC interfaces so that it can be used in sync by Reed’s operations staff, Freeman and venue service suppliers.
“We have enjoyed working with Reed Exhibitions to develop this technology and take it into new markets globally. The success of our product comes from the instant, significant benefits experienced by all that are touched by the improvements to what has traditionally been a frustrating experience for exhibitors,” Steve Higgon, CEO, TAAP, commented. “We have an exciting roadmap of features and capabilities that we shall be rolling out which we believe will further improve the whole experience and return on investment for exhibitors with real time data capture providing access to usable actionable data within 4 seconds of capture from anywhere in the world. We are also helping to reduce exhibitor stress and improving customer satisfaction levels for organisers, general contractors and venues; it’s a big win for everybody!“.
“Onsite issue resolution is one of the most frustrating experiences for customers,” observed Ken McAvoy, Sr. VP Operations, Reed Exhibitions Americas, “and the eSPOC program provides the highest level of customer service and issue resolution. We are pleased that the pilot on the PGA Merchandise Show was so well received as it increases our confidence to utilize the program across the board.”
"Our PGA Merchandise floor manager helped us in our booth, BAEKGAARD and we found the new (eSPOC) system made the set-up and dismantle: quick; easy; and hassle-free,” said a pleased Baekgaard LTD representative. “With the service, we are able to devote more show time to servicing our customers and prospects and assessing our options for the next PGA Show. BRAVO - well done in an efficient manner!"
Susan Butler with the National Golf Course Owners Association stated “The (eSPOC) PDA allowed (Freeman) to respond to our booth issues immediately….we were so pleased with the results!”
From the Freeman perspective, the program enables a higher level of service, noted Katy Wild, Sr. VP Customer Relations.
“The program provides us with a global view of the current situation on the show floor, as well as provides us with daily reporting,” explained Wild. “We are able to resolve issues faster, more satisfactorily to the customer, plus new orders are able to be placed without having to go to the service desk. This minimizes set-up time and enables us to dispatch service where and when it’s needed quickly and efficiently. Another benefit is the communication back to the exhibitor. With the real-time communications feature, we are able to fully resolve issues by hearing directly back from the customer that the issue has been resolved.”
From the venue perspective, increasing customer satisfaction is paramount, noted Kathie Canning, Deputy General Manager, Orange County Convention Center.
“eSPOC is allowing us to respond more quickly and more efficiently to customer issues,” states Canning. “And customer satisfaction is what it’s all about. If our customers are happy and satisfied then we are doing our job.”
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TAAP Ltd: Established in 2003, TAAP provides organisations with the tools to capture, analyse and distribute data accurately, efficiently and effectively within a global market. Our off the shelf products deliver measurable return on investment in any business, with customised industry solutions that automate the automotive, property, events and field marketing industries.
Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organizer. In 2006 Reed brought together over six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held in 34 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organized by 37 fully staffed offices.
Working closely with professional bodies, trade associations and government departments Reed ensures that each and every event is targeted and relevant to industry needs. As a result, many Reed events are market leaders in their field.
Freeman is the world’s leading provider of integrated services for face-to-face marketing events, including expositions, conventions, corporate events, and exhibits. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and has offices in 41 cities across North America. Freeman produces over 3,900 expositions annually, including 100 of the largest 200 U.S. trade shows, and over 10,000 other events worldwide. Founded in 1927, the company remains privately held by the Freeman family as well as the full-time employee owners through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
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