More than 80 apps for Messe Frankfurt

Mission

Trade fairs bring together many exhibitors and visitors at busy stands and venues. To make each visit easy to navigate for attendees, the main challenge is managing information clearly. Delivering and processing this data is a finely coordinated process made up of many moving parts.

Challenge

Messe Frankfurt needed a digital companion that gives visitors a clear overview, relevant information, and practical orientation at every event. The solution had to be intuitive and reusable across very different trade fairs.

At the start of the project, the core question was how to consolidate all exhibitor, venue, news, and trend information for multiple events in a way that could be accessed on mobile devices. The goal was to build a central system that is easy to maintain and can be used across events.

Solution

To manage data efficiently, multiple source systems were integrated into one central database, including the exhibitor database, CAD system, event calendar, and social media profiles. Source data is imported regularly for the mobile app, then processed and optimized. To minimize data transfer between app and backend, a dedicated delta sync function was developed that fetches only data changed since the last synchronization.

“To map more than 80 events worldwide each year, each with its own visual identity, the app was built as a modular system. This enables high flexibility and adaptation to the specific needs of each event,” says Timo Schneider, IT Team Lead at MWAY DIGITAL.

A content management system enables quick and simple updates to app layout, modules, and content. Changes can be rolled out in short cycles, ensuring that event apps always provide relevant information and a strong user experience.

One app for every need

The app stands out with an intuitive user interface and usability optimized for different devices. The concept and implementation also accounted for device and platform compatibility, data security, local offline storage, varying network conditions, operating system updates, and modularity for future requirements.

The iOS and Android app was developed using the open-source framework Flutter. A core feature is the intuitive venue map, which updates almost in real time to reflect the latest changes and improve orientation for visitors. In addition to Frankfurt am Main, events in Nuremberg, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Wiesbaden, Cologne, as well as in Paris, Shanghai, Tokyo, Osaka, and Buenos Aires are supported.

MWAY DIGITAL delivers more than 80 app variants for Messe Frankfurt

In addition, the mobile app includes an integrated audio guide that provides information about exhibitors, venues, and events.

“MWAY DIGITAL succeeded in uniting Messe Frankfurt’s high requirements and expectations into one holistic concept across backend, frontend, and mobile app, and integrating it into our system landscape. The solution delivers tangible value for our event visitors and has become a key success factor for our events,” confirms Tarik Koujou, Team Lead Global IT Service Management at Messe Frankfurt.