NAFSA 2019 Annual Conference & Expo

Join peers and experts at the premier global professional learning and networking event for all international educators and organizations that support international education for the NAFSA 2019 Annual Conference & Expo, "Global Leadership, Learning, and Change."

eventBit® is beacon technology that allows exhibitors to obtain near time data about booth traffic, visits, and attendees. Using beacon technology, exhibitors have access to dashboards that include aggregated data about your conference experience. This provides insights on the overall success of your event.

NAFSA provides an eventBit® beacon reader to all exhibitors as a complimentary benefit of exhibiting at the NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo.

Understanding the types of attendees you are drawing into your booth will empower you to fully realize the impact of your conference engagement strategy. eventBit® enables you to measure the success of various booth activities, from powerful booth performance stats to aisle traffic and dwell time. The lead capture capabilities of your reading device allow you to follow up with attendees more effectively by providing insights into how long a specific attendee spent in your booth and how many times they visited during the event.

Exhibitors will receive:

  • one RT2000 handheld eventBit® reader and lead capture device
  • access to exhibitor portal to monitor data about traffic in and around your booth
  • post-conference data exports that will allow you to analyze your booth data and measure event ROI

One RT2000 scanner should suffice for any single booth or booths with a square configurations under 400 sq. ft. Rectangular booths may only receive partial coverage with a single RT2000 and can choose to purchase additional devices to optimize coverage of their space.

We recommend larger booths set up a conversation with Experient to discuss packages and options. To learn more about how to increase coverage of your booth or to get lead capture devices in the hands of more team members contact Marie Zinnert by email at [email protected] or by phone at 888-270-8467.

Your RT2000 provides you with near time data and information like contact information on scanned leads, visits per day, leads and visits per hour, total leads collected, leads and visits by registration type and leads and visits by demographic.

How to use and RT2000

The RT2000 is a handheld scanning device that is also used as an eventBit® beacon reader. The devices are battery powered and need to be charged overnight.

  • Exhibitors with electricity at their booths should keep the RT2000 plugged in overnight in a secure location.
  • Exhibitors without electricity should arrange to charge the device overnight and bring it back and forth to the Expo Hall each day.

The RT2000 will only track attendees when it is in your booth during normal Expo Hall business hours. Taking the device with you to other parts of the exhibit hall or the convention center will lead to gaps in your traffic data. We recommend that the device be kept within a dedicated portion of your booth but remain accessible for use as a lead capture device.

RT2000 Logistics

Your scanning device can be picked up at the exhibitor services center, which is located at the back of the exhibit hall.

All RT2000s and additional eventBit® equipment must be returned to the exhibitor services center by 10:15 a.m. on Friday, May 31, 2019.

Questions about picking up your device can be directed to Experient at [email protected] or 888-270-8467.

Lost, stolen, or late devices

NAFSA is not liable for the safe keeping or return of any lead retrieval devices that are provided to conference exhibitors. In the event that an exhibitor lead retrieval device is stolen or lost, said exhibitor is solely responsible for payment in full for the cost of the device(s) to Experient. Visit [website] for more information on this policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an RT2000?

The RT2000 is a handheld device that serves as both a lead capture device (exhibitors can scan attendee badges to capture an attendee's personal information) and as an eventBit® beacon reader. The device captures anonymized traffic data about attendees in and around their booths (exhibitors don't receive names, email addresses, or other personally identifiable information unless attendee is scanned by device).

Why are we receiving RT2000s?

RT2000s and eventBit® allow exhibitors to gain insights into booth traffic and visitors. In near time, you will be able to see what types of attendees (home country or state, knowledge community, etc.) are passing by your booth. You will receive information about the average dwell time for attendees entering your booth. Lead capture is augmented by the ability to know when a scanned attendee was at your booth, for how long, and whether they returned. Post-conference, all your lead data can be exported for analysis to understand the trends and insights on the people your team interacted with. This information provides a clear picture on ROI and highlights areas for improvement at future conferences.

How does the RT2000 work?

RT2000s can pick up the unique signals from attendees' individual beacons. Whenever an attendee is within the range of your RT2000, it will pick up that attendee's anonymized data. RT2000s only pick up general attendee information, such as their knowledge community, state or country, etc. You can only obtain an attendee's personal information if they agree to let you scan their badge. The RT2000's data is then aggregated into a report that lets you see what your booth's average dwell time is, the number and types of people that passed your booth, the number and types of people that entered your booth, and more.

The device is only set to capture beacon data during exhibit hall show hours. They are battery powered and should be charged overnight.

The RT2000 is portable, can I take it with me to my organization's reception/event?

Yes. Although the device WILL NOT capture beacon information outside of show hours, you can still use it at receptions or events to scan leads from attendees. Please note that exhibitors are responsible for the care and return of any RT2000 device so NAFSA recommends leaving the device in a secure location at your booth overnight. NAFSA does not claim responsibility for any RT2000 devices that are lost or stolen.

How do I access my booth's data?

Exhibitors can access the data associated with their RT2000s by using the Experient exhibitor portal. This allows exhibitors to view their traffic data in near time to understand who is passing by and entering their booth. The data is exportable for use after the show.

Where can I pick up and drop off my RT2000?

RT2000s can be picked up and dropped off at the exhibitor services center, which is located at the back of the Expo Hall. Experient staff will also be available on-site to help exhibitors learn more about using their devices and to address any issues with the technology.

What if I am having issues with my RT2000?

Any issues with your device can be addressed by Experient staff at the exhibitor services center, which is located at the back of the Expo Hall.

What happens if I lose our RT2000?

Exhibitors who agree to have an RT2000 are responsible for picking up and returning their device at the end of the conference. Any exhibitor that fails to return their device will be charged the full value of the device by Experient. NAFSA does not accept responsibility for any lost or stolen RT2000s.

What if I don't want to use an RT2000?

Use of an RT2000 is offered to all exhibitors but is not a requirement. NAFSA encourages all exhibitors to take advantage of this useful benefit. It allows exhibitors to collect attendee contact data by scanning the badge and automatically collects valuable behavioral data about your booth performance.

Will attendees know they are being tracked?

Yes, and receiving a beacon is a choice for attendees, not a requirement. NAFSA is making a concerted effort in multiple channels to inform attendees about how the exhibit hall traffic data is used and why it is important.

What should I expect to be able to do with my data?

eventBit data will provide you with summary statistics about the types of people in an around your booth. It will provide you with proportional representation of attendees by demographics like age range, knowledge community, country of origin, etc. The technology will not provide a concrete number on the total number of visitor or aisle traffic.