Living Trade Show Case Study 

The Client 

Crick Information Technologies

With visions of revolutionizing the tradeshow industry, Crick Information Technologies was looking for not only a software development vendor, but a full-scale technology partner to develop and advise on best practices and user experience. After finding MentorMate through our web site, Crick-IT sent its request for proposal (RFP) to MentorMate. While the RFP indicated an aggressive timeline, MentorMate's confidence and capabilities led Crick-IT to select us as their partner for this endeavor.

Crick-IT's concept - The Living Tradeshow - is a simple idea with a complex solution. The Living Tradeshow seeks to simplify the tradeshow process while simultaneously eliminating excess paper and printed materials in an effort to make tradeshows more green and reduce cost. This is accomplished by giving each attendee a "Crick-IT" device - a fob with one button. By pointing and clicking at an exhibitor's booth, attendees can request an exhibitor's marketing materials. The benefit is twofold, as the system simultaneously relays the attendee's contact information to the exhibitor, presenting the exhibitor with a qualified lead.

Crick-IT came to MentorMate with one piece of hardware - the Crick-IT device - and a wealth of revolutionary ideas. Over the course of our partnership, MentorMate has worked with Crick-IT to determine which aspects of the Living Tradeshow concept were feasible, and the best ways in which those concepts could be implemented from both a hardware and a software standpoint. Additionally, because of MentorMate's emphasis on the user experience, we were able to provide insight as to how the system could maximize user-friendliness.

Working on a strict deadline, MentorMate and Crick-IT were successful in launching the product in time for the Go Green Expo in Atlanta, GA in December 2009. The system received rave reviews from all participants, and work to improve and add on to the system continues to this day.

The Challenge 

Five-Month Deadline

Crick-IT began working with MentorMate in July of 2009 and brought with them the goal of displaying their solution at the Go Green Expo, hosted in Atlanta, GA in December of 2009. A polished, ready-for-market version of the system needed to be created in roughly five months' time, leaving little room for error or inefficiency.

Transfer of Information

When Crick-IT began working with MentorMate, the only piece of the solution in place was the Crick-IT device itself. Technological decisions needed to be analyzed and solved in order to maximize the system's efficiency and user-friendliness. For example, how would the information be transferred from attendee to exhibitor and vice versa on the show floor?

Budget

While the December deadline was set in stone, that did not mean that the solution was to simply use as many developers as possible in order to speed the production. Crick-IT had a budget for the project and needed to make sure that the deadline was met and fell within their budgetary expectations for development. Efficiency and effective technology solutions were crucial.

Future Iterations & Deadlines

Beyond the first release of The Living Tradeshow, there would still need to be improvements made to the system. While a polished product was necessary by December, improvements based on user feedback and further consideration were an expectation. With additional tradeshows coming in early Q2 of 2010, a new deadline for further functionality would be in place.

The Solution 

Aggressive Timeline

MentorMate and Crick-IT went through an accelerated design phase in order to nail down the project scope and determine a plan of attack. The result of this design phase was a clear-cut path and schedule with deadlines and deliverables along the way to product release. The deadline was met and the initial product demo was a tremendous success.

Capture-Display Units

Crick-IT produced the concept of utilizing a capture/display unit (CDU) to relay information between exhibitor and attendee. MentorMate built the software component that allowed this concept to become a reality. Attendees point their Crick-IT device at the exhibitor's CDU and press the button. The CDU flashes a "Living Tradeshow" message in order to signify that the exchange of information has successfully occurred. The CDU then transfers the attendee information to a web server, which stores the requested marketing materials in the attendee's online account with Crick-IT. Additionally, the CDU sends lead and contact data to the exhibitor, and information about the tradeshow flow and usage to the tradeshow organizer.

Open Source Components

In order to reduce project cost for Crick-IT, MentorMate elected to use several open source components. The CDU utilizes technologies such as Linux and WebKit as opposed to commercial products that would require purchase and licensing fees.

Netbook Implementation

While the CDU served its purpose very well for the first release of The Living Tradeshow, it also came with limitations. Since completion of the first release, Crick-IT worked with MentorMate to determine that the system would be more beneficial if the CDU were to be replaced by a Netbook. Using a Netbook over a CDU will allow exhibitors to browse through the leads they receive on the spot, enhancing the user experience. The Netbook will utilize the same open source components as the CDU.