There is no room for lockdown negativity at Event Tech Live (ETL). That’s one of the add-ons to good shows and exhibitions in a virtual format. They’re about, and a product of, solutions.
Like almost every other company involved with the delivery of live events, Exposure Analytics was locked out at the end of March, but its creativity didn’t stop.
Focusing on the crucial element of reassurance when events do come back physically, Exposure’s real time capacity monitoring system runs high tech circles around the clickers we’re used to – be they manual devices or iPads in hand.
With ETL stalwart James Dickson putting questions to Exposure Analytics’ commercial director Rob Murdoch in this session, we learned a new way of counting. How the company’s considerable experience – serving some 4,000 events around the world – has left Exposure Analytics with a clear vision about what works, what doesn’t and what could do better in terms of monitoring the traffic at live shows.
Post-covid, by which I mean beyond the start of the pandemic, organisers will have to keep a very close eye on numbers attending indoor events and do their best to maintain 2m distance between individuals, limit conversation time on the show floor and so on.
Exposure’s latest system, developed during lockdown, uses 3d stereoscopic cameras fitted above entrances/exits, and operating individually or stitched together for the bigger picture, to count people in and out of a show footprint.
“Traditionally, going to an exhibition, for instance, your badge is scanned on the way in – and your number counted – then it might or might not be scanned on your way out.
“Our system delivers an anonymous and completely accurate count at entrance and exit points, which may well be at a different end of the hall,” Murdoch explained in this session.
“We draw a physical line on the platform and when someone crosses it they’re counted, in or out. We set a capacity with the organiser, which is coupled to a traffic light system at the entrance. When that number is reached, nobody comes in until someone has left.”
The system can measure occupancy on individual stands and show zones too so organisers can re-reroute visitors and break up any congestion points.
Worth noting too that, should show stats ever be called for, the resulting analytics will highlight how the event was managed in terms of numbers control.
Despite all the industry’s coronavirus trials this was another upbeat session at Event Tech Live.
When our world starts turning again Exposure Analytics’ capacity monitoring system
can make it, and keep it, safe. Watch the session on catch up to find out more.
Event Tech Live continues 2-6th November, register here
Author: Sam Hyland
Sam is the assistant content manager for Event Industry News (EIN). Sam is involved in publishing news stories, videos and podcasts. Sam also collates the latest stories for the EIN e-newsletter. If you have a press release or story you think we might be interested to know about please email editor@eventindustrynews.com
