It's not always easy to find your way around a congress.
Even once you have managed to get to the venue, the diverse
congress programme and the exhibition areas are still lying in
wait. Therefore, one of the challenges for the 19th
World Congress for Intelligent Transport Systems is to handle this
problem efficiently. For the first time, all the necessary
functions have been combined together to make the app called
Kongressnavigator.
The Vienna University of Economics and Business carried out a
study in which a third of the interviewed group claimed that the
Austrian capital was the best destination in the world for
congresses, and for a further 61% it is a preferred congress
location. Interviewees also confirmed the Mercer Quality of Life
study, in which Vienna was named as the best in the world, as 51%
gave the capital city top marks, and only 1% rated it "not so
good". The economic value added to the city through congresses in
2011 increased by 9% from the previous year to peak at 838.4
million Euros. International congresses contribute hugely to the
Austrian congress statistics, such as the ITS World Congress, which
will be taking place in Vienna in October this year. While in 2011,
the 638 international events only made up one fifth of the total
number of congresses held in the city, they were responsible for
around half of the total number of visitors, more than two thirds
of the overnight stays, and 72% of Vienna's total added value
coming from congresses and conventions. The average international
congress participant spends 475 Euros a night on accommodation,
which is 80% higher than the rest of Vienna's guests.
Comprehensive navigation tool for
congresses
The vast majority of congress participants in Vienna use public
transport, not only to get to the conference centre (72%) but also
for other journeys (75%). It's also worth noting that with 24%,
more visitors go by foot than by taxi (12%). Visitors are supported
by apps and internet services such as Qando, Numo and AnachB.at. As
part of the 19th ITS World Congress, a new app is being
developed, tailored to the needs of conference participants.
The Kongresnavigator serves as a platform between
participants and event organisers, as it is not only possible for
the visitors to create their own personal congress programme out of
the complete range of activities on offer, but they are also able
to give feedback directly to the organisers. In addition to
navigation inside the venue, the Kongressnavigator also
offers a multimodal routing service covering the whole of Vienna,
as well as an integrated ticket. The app will be available for
iPhone, Android, and as a mobile web version.
The project is managed by AustriaTech, a daughter organisation
of the Austrian Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology.
The project totals around 490,000 Euros and is sponsored by the
Austrian Climate and Energy Fund. Fluidtime, ITS Vienna Region,
CSS, TechTalk and Salzburg Research are all project partners.
Quick, clear and interactive - the whole programme in
one app
The 19th ITS World Congress scores high with huge
variety in the programme: over 1,000 technical lectures will take
place within five days. At the accompanying industry exhibition,
more than 300 exhibitors from 65 countries will display the newest
developments in the ITS field. The extensive demonstrations
programme is not restricted to the venue, but will use test drives
across Vienna to demonstrate the advantages of cooperative systems
in everyday traffic. The impressive programme of social events at
the ITS Vienna 2012 provides a luxurious setting for networking,
such as a Gala Dinner or the pièce de résistance - the first ITS
Ball since the existence of the Congress.
It is just as important for the participants to have an overview
of the congress to hand quickly and easily. The
Kongressnavigator offers efficient possibilities for
procurement of information. All of the details about exhibitors,
speakers, sessions and test drives are linked together in a way
that makes sense, and it is possible to filter them using several
different criteria. A complete and individual congress programme
can be created using the MyCongress tab, and interesting
parts of the exhibition can be bookmarked and saved for later.
There is also the chance for visitors to contact speakers and
exhibitors directly through the app. The Challenges tab
offers a bit of fun for visitors between presentations or events:
participants can score points by taking part in sessions or
answering quiz questions. Visitors can take part in a lottery each
time they complete a challenge. The Kongressnavigator also
offers the chance to give feedback directly concerning the content
and presentation style of the lectures and technical tours.
Questionnaires make it easy for users to give more detailed
responses, using a ratings system on individual points of the
programme. This immediately creates a profile of the quality of the
event, and any necessary improvements can be implemented
quickly.
Efficient and environmentally-friendly
routing
The Kongressnavigator offers its users a complete
navigation solution for the duration of the congress and all
related items on the programme. All important places inside the
congress centre are marked with a unique QR-Code. Scanning this
code can call up information about the place, or can enable the
user to set it as a start point for a route. In this way, visitors
can move easily from stand to stand, and cash machines, buffets and
toilets are also included in the indoor routing. The server-based
software ensures that the smartphone uses as little power as
possible for the app, which leads to a higher compatibility and
saves battery.
The Kongressnavigator also supports users outside of
the Congress Centre. The app will be available before the beginning
of the congress, so visitors can start relying on the optimal
routing service as soon as they arrive in Vienna. In addition to
places relevant to the congress, Viennese points of interest and
sights are also included in the app. In keeping with the congress
motto, smarter on the way, the Kongressnavigator
shows navigation solutions across all modes of transport and
includes an integrated ticket function. Next to each mode of
transport offered, the Kongressnavigator also shows the
effect on the environment for the journey. Factors such as
CO2, fine particulate pollution, noise pollution and use
of space are all taken into account. Choosing particularly
ecologically friendly travel options also contributes to users'
scores in Challenges.
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