The fact that conferences are becoming more digital is evident, among other things, in the fact that printed programs have become a rarer sight. Thanks to software integration, session schedules are now usually found in a space-saving, handy format directly on your smartphone. When it comes to orientation, many things that used to guide visitors in the form of signs are now handled electronically. This is also justified, as many of the signs are already obsolete after the event ends—some anyway, because every conference has its own program, others at the latest when a renovation is carried out somewhere in the venue. Sometimes it is just time that takes its toll on the signs, ensuring that they do not necessarily improve with the years.
Orientation as a task for the organizer
Anyone wanting to revise their wayfinding concept for the next conference must first realize the following: There must be a) signs that are b) clearly labeled and c) easy to understand. This also works with displays, but it is not enough to just buy a few screens and set them up or hang them wherever it happens to fit and looks okay.
The ultimate goal behind this is actually always the same: Use as few screens as possible to provide maximum orientation. A sign should therefore always be located where someone might need help. These are, on the one hand, central points like the entrance area, but also hallways, intersections, and anywhere someone has the option of choosing more than one path. At the destination itself, there should be a sign that tells a participant they have arrived. It is even better if they can recognize this from a distance.
Back to the entrance area: During peak arrival times, it gets busy there, which is why more than one display should be available. However, none should be hidden in a corner. You can find the best spots by testing the paths of an arriving participant yourself. Enter the venue. Where does your gaze fall first? That is exactly where a display would be well placed.
Also, test whether the text is still readable when someone is standing a few meters away. The image must not be too bright or too dark. Find out how the display behaves in daylight and under artificial light.
Depending on where your event is taking place, you may not have to do much planning yourself, as some conference centers are experienced with displays and are already well-equipped.
What needs to be on the display?
Depending on the content you have in mind, in most cases, it will be technically possible to display it using standard solutions. Wall-mounted displays, terminals, smart electronic signs, hybrid systems that design both analog and digital displays, or those that guide users to their destination via mobile devices or allow room reservations are just some of the aids that explain the way at conferences. Sometimes, display boards can also save you from other paths, such as the one to Google. A so-called "concierge board" can provide information on all sorts of things a visitor might be interested in: bus and train schedules, weather forecasts, local attractions, or important news about the conference.
For use at conferences, however, some of these technical refinements are rarely beneficial and are better suited for libraries or trade fairs. In general, wall-mounted displays are mainly suitable for conferences next to rooms because they resemble analog signs. For a general overview, steles are well-suited due to their similarity to classic signposts, and familiarity is never a bad thing in this case.
Not every display needs to be equipped with a 3D map of the location. 2D is often completely sufficient—and even that is more for the entrance area or for a single screen on each floor. If the remaining paths are well-explained, everyone will find their way back there.
The same applies to touch displays, which are nice but are by no means always the best choice. While participants can gather in front of other screens, only one person can usually stand in front of a touch interface, and everyone else has to wait. You can avoid such bottlenecks with multiple displays, each showing different information. While visitors learn on one screen which events are next on the program, they can see on another which part of the building they are currently in.
Filter the information for what is truly important and leave the rest out. Although displays generally offer more space, you should not take that as an excuse to create text-heavy signs. Especially at conferences with visitors from different countries, some may not understand the meaning of certain words, which is why universally understandable symbols are likely to resonate better. Does the venue use its own names for the rooms and label them accordingly? Keep that system on your signs so that everything remains consistent (even if your names are the nicer ones). If "Seminar Room 1" is suddenly displayed as "First Seminar Room" on the screens, it could confuse non-native speakers.
How does the data get onto the screen?
Suppose the scheduled time changes or a program item is canceled, requiring the information on the screens to be updated. This is usually done with content management systems, which allow you to arrange and output content in digital form as text or graphics on the displays. Naturally, there should be someone on your team who is familiar with this and takes on the task.
You save a lot of time if you use data from an existing source instead of having to enter it all over again. In Converia, for example, it is possible to transfer the program data stored there to the display via an interface. This prevents typos from leading to incorrect information.
Once the content is in place, you should test the screens: Is the connection stable? Is all the information that needs to be displayed visible? Can the data be transferred? Is there a contact person on the team who can take care of it if a display fails during the conference? Only when all questions can be answered with "yes" can you really get started.
When displays are not the best solution
Long hallways inevitably raise the question, "Am I in the right place?"—a question that should be answered halfway down the corridor. A simple sign is perfectly sufficient for this; a screen is not necessary. Use colored markings on floors and walls to identify paths and floors. Use colors sparingly; otherwise, participants will always need to carry a legend, which complicates wayfinding. Be careful with arrows, too. They must always point in the correct direction and can sometimes be misleading. Does a diagonal arrow mean you should turn at the next corner or later? The larger and more complex the building, the more prone arrows are to causing confusion. In such cases, you should opt for a slightly more curved arrow style.
No matter how modern a conference is, it helps to have a few human "backups" on-site in addition to displays. They can help out in case of doubt and explain the way if a screen happens to fail.
The great advantage of digital displays is undoubtedly their flexibility. Just like at train stations or airports, they allow you to communicate changes to participants quickly during conferences.
At multi-day events, hundreds of sessions are not uncommon, which is why many rooms are used for more than one program item throughout the day. This means that either a sign with the entire occupancy schedule must be placed next to every entrance door (cluttered) or you have to print a sign for every session and replace it after it ends (exhausting). Usually, something changes beforehand, and the finished signs become worthless.
Displays bypass this problem and even allow for both options, as the display does not have to be static. A loop that alternately shows the next event in the room and the occupancy schedule for the entire day would be useful here.
Advertising? Seriously?
Anyone who has ever downloaded a supposedly free smartphone game might be familiar with this: before moving to the next level, the user has to sit through one or two commercials. Anyone who has had to wait in front of a display for a minute until the ad is over and the information they need is visible again would likely agree that the seconds crawl by painfully slowly.
Advertising content on digital conference displays is actually not that unusual and is financially profitable. Since displays are significantly more expensive to purchase than analog signs, playing ads can be a good way to recoup the costs. This is not inherently wrong, as the screens do provide a very useful service. At least that is the case if the ad placements are kept within reasonable limits. If, on the other hand, two minutes of advertising alternate with a few seconds of information, the ratio is poor and the display becomes a rather useless communication tool. A participant looking for a workshop room will likely turn away from the display in annoyance and instead look for someone who can help them faster.
One possibility would be displaying advertising and information simultaneously. While the ad may not receive the undivided attention of your target group, it is no longer perceived as annoying, which is good for the brand being advertised and does not harm the organizer's reputation.
Good wayfinding systems make life easier, not harder, for conference attendees. Nothing is more stressful than not being able to find your way around a sprawling venue. With the thought in mind that the next session starts in five minutes, the situation only becomes more stressful. The smartest organizers combine digital and analog wayfinding elements—the best of both worlds, so to speak. There are many creative and sustainable approaches. Which one do you prefer for your conference?
