NACDS "Marketplace App" Leads the Way

NACDS offers conference-goers a cutting edge smartphone app to help them make the most of the show.

NACDS offered conference-goers a cutting edge smartphone app to help them make the most of the show.

An exhausting schedule of back-to-back appointments, receptions, and educational programs are hallmarks of a successful conference. This year’s NACDS Marketplace Conference proved that such a packed agenda doesn’t necessarily have to be hectic, however, with many attendees calmly huddled over their smartphones using a new mobile application designed by NACDS.

Jim Whitman, NACDS senior vice president of members and services, said the goal in developing the app was to “create an even more vigorous conference experience that is consistent with our members’ priorities in creating effective tools for collaboration and innovation.”

Updated frequently to reflect the day’s events, the free “Marketplace App” allowed users to “navigate the show floor like a pro.” Those who downloaded the app could review speaker bios, steer their way through the labyrinth of exhibition booths with an interactive map, receive NACDS alerts, access a directory of exhibitors, and manage appointments by creating their own personalized show schedule. Users could also stay connected to NACDS and their fellow conference-goers through the NACDS Twitter feed.

With a reported 8,000 appointments completed on Saturday alone, the 24-7 connectivity facilitated by the app was essential to maintain communication throughout the duration of the conference. “The new NACDS Marketplace Conference application is just one more tool in our communications toolbox to help us communicate effectively with the industry,” Jim Whitman said.

Users embraced the application, which contributed to the show’s fast-paced atmosphere, according to NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “This year’s NACDS Marketplace Conference is full of high energy and productivity,” Anderson reported from the conference on Monday.

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