FAQ

GENERAL EXHIBITION INFORMATION

We normally close the exhibition according to the official opening hours and the contents can then no longer be accessed. If an organiser has booked an extension we can leave the exhibition open. Please note, however, that all communication channels such as chat and video conferences should be removed and livestream players should not display any programs. For a fee, it is possible for these contents to be removed or replaced after the exhibition to turn it from a live exhibition into an on-demand exhibition.

The stands within the same price category are identical in terms of functionality.

An exhibition stand is far more personal when you are present in person. We can therefore use your photo at the stand. The photo must meet certain criteria in order to be optimally integrated into the stand. Please note the following tips when taking your photograph:

  • You should not be cut off anywhere around the edge of the photo.
  • Place the camera approximately at chest or neck height. This prevents optical distortion of the legs.
  • You should ensure even lighting. Avoid strong lighting from the side. If photographing indoors, the photographer should stand with their back to the window. If there is a strong source of light in the room, the photographer should stand alongside it to ensure that you are evenly lit up from the front.
  • You should assume a natural body position. You could hold something in your hand if this makes you feel more secure and relaxed.
  • Look into the camera.
  • Make sure your whole body faces the camera. Angled body positions, such as those typical of profile pictures, come across as false for this purpose. Imagine that you have just noticed a stand visitor and are about to shake their hand.

The photo must be cropped (i.e. a cut-out of the person) and presented on a transparent background.

Once we have created the 3D rendering of the exhibition stand, we provide a preview to look at. The timing depends on the respective project schedule. Ideally, feedback is given two weeks before the event. We process the exhibition stands in order of receipt: the first to book a stand is the first to receive a preview.

Yes, each exhibition stand has its own website address. When you send your customers or colleagues the direct link, they’ll first see a registration page where they need to enter their login details. Upon successful login they will be taken directly to the exhibition stand.

TAWK.TO

Tawk.to is a free text-based chat service. You can integrate a so-called widget into your exhibition stand and easily get in touch with your visitors. Tawk.to also offers real-time tracking of visitors to your stand. You’ll be able to see how many people are currently attending your stand. You can find all of the information about the tool in the Tawk.to documentation. Here is an introductory video from the producers:

What do I enter for the “Site URL”?
If you already have the link to your exhibition stand, enter this here. Alternatively, we recommend simply entering the event homepage. This link is not essential for set-up. It simply helps you quickly access the website (in this case, the exhibition stand) from the Tawk.to backend. You can change the link later on.

As many as you like. Each employee creates their own Tawk.to account and connects to the exhibition stand. Click on the small gear at the bottom left of the Tawk.to backend, then select “Property Members”. You can invite additional employees from there.

As many as you like until the monitor is full. This therefore depends on the monitor. Connected employees can divide and swap the chats among themselves.

Yes. Each visitor is visible with a unique number in the Tawk.to backend. Visitors are anonymous. You can actively contact visitors by starting a chat with them. Visitors will then receive a notification at the stand.

No, each visitor has a unique, but anonymous, number. If you ask a visitor for their name, the anonymous number can be changed into the visitor’s name. This links the chat history with their name.

All interactions are stored in the Tawk.to account and remain there permanently. They can be retrieved later on as needed. To our knowledge, we are unable to prevent messages from being stored, and can only delete them manually afterwards.

No. But alternative options are available. https://now4real.com is a group chat but users must register with Google/Facebook/Linkedin/Xing to use it.

Yes, files can be exchanged in both directions.

An “Agent” is unable to make any changes or invite other employees. The best solution is to have at least two Admins. After setting up, the Admin should immediately change another employees’ status from “Agent” to “Admin”. This should only take a minute. If the sole Admin is unavailable and cannot be contacted, a whole new account must be created — therefore always create several Admins.

INDIVIDUAL STANDS

  • We require 3D files
  • We work with Blender or Cinema4D. The file provided should ideally work best with the first program, but alternatively with the second program. Typical file formats include .blend, .fbx, .obj, (.c4d)
  • Please make sure that patterns and materials are also prepared, implemented and/or supplied.
  • Please use the option File> External Data> Automatically Pack Into .blend. This option ensures that all textures are embedded in the file.
  • The functions booked in the order form (downloads, videos, photo galleries…) are inserted by us as buttons. Ideally, we would like to receive photos of the 3D stand that indicate where these buttons/functions are to be placed.
  • All data must be complete and supplied as a package. Elements cannot be added later.
  • Polygons must be reduced to a minimum. CAD data are typically too complex. Very large stands typically have a polygon number in the low six-digit range. The fewer the better. Boundaries cannot be precisely identified as these also depend on the rest of the exhibition area. We therefore reserve the right to refuse highly complex models and pass them back for revision.
  • The models provided must not contain any unnecessary elements. Hidden layers or objects may otherwise reappear in the final version.

Individual stand designs must be supplied as early as possible as technical issues can occur during handover. The absolute deadline is 3 weeks before the event and, only in special cases and upon agreement with VRtual-X, up to 2 weeks before the event.

It is possible that certain elements are displayed directly without clicking on the button. The first video or rollup contents are incorporated into the stand setting as standard. We can also automatically open popup windows when someone visits the stand. Generally speaking, the content would have to be part of the stand setting for it to work. Since the majority of content is stored as a window above the stand, only one window can be opened at a time as otherwise it overlaps. Ideally, let me know the content that you would like to keep open and we will see if that is possible.

Technically yes, but it is not a standard feature. Please contact us to discuss the options and potential additional costs. Please note that these animations may not work in certain browsers.

INCORPORATING MEDIA

We do not host videos and therefore do not accept video files. To incorporate videos, we recommend using YouTube or Vimeo. Create an account with one of these sites and upload your videos there. Send us the links to the videos and we’ll ensure that they work in your exhibition stand.

No video publishing on the platforms

If you don’t want your videos to be publicly available on the platforms but just want to show them at the exhibition, you can set this option on the video platform. With YouTube, you’ll be asked to choose a publication method after uploading. Select “unlisted”. With Vimeo, this feature is called “Who can watch?” – select “People with the private link”. In both cases the video cannot be found, even if it is specifically searched for. Only those with the exact link can view the video. Send us this link so that people can view the video via the exhibition stand only. If you do not pass on this link then the video cannot be retrieved online.

Other hosting

If you want to use other platforms to host and stream your videos (some companies have their own online player for their websites), this is also possible. It’s important that the player supports the option to incorporate it into a website and is compatible with our system. Please let us know as soon as possible so that we can check it. Incorporating an additional player is subject to charge.

Often, only the minimum graphic size is specified. Since the graphics will be inserted in the corresponding place, there is no upper limit. You should therefore upload graphics with enough pixels to be viewed in clear detail. Graphics generally require between 1,000 and 2,000 px on the long side.

You can provide the link to a particular video chat. The majority of established video conferencing programs allow you to access a meeting via a link (Zoom, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Skype, BigBlueButton…). Here are a few tips to remember:

  • If your program supports meeting rooms then create a room for the exhibition. Your employees and stand visitors can then dial in to a meeting room.
  • If your program does not support meeting rooms, set up a conference call that will last for the entire duration of the exhibition.
  • Arrange it so that the video conference can be accessed without providing a password. This allows quick and direct contact to be established. If this is not possible with your program you can provide the password as a free text field.
  • Draw up a timetable to ensure that one of your employees is always present in this video chat. This does not always need to be yourself; it is simply important that visitors have a person to address.
  • Set up additional conferences or meeting rooms. If you are in contact with a visitor via a public video meeting and wish to have a confidential discussion with them, you can give them the login information. You can then both dial in to a personal meeting. In the meantime, one of your colleagues can take over your public conference.
  • You can enter the same video conference with multiple employees.
  • If you are expecting a lot of chats, it is worth considering having a receptionist in the public video chat. This person can then pass on the login information for a video chat with you and your colleagues or take down the visitor’s contact details. This allows you to call visitors back and they won’t have to wait for you to finish the (video) call you are on.

Design your rollups and posters so that the text is as large and sparingly used as possible. The smaller the visitor’s monitor, the harder it is to read small text. When a visitor clicks on your rollup or poster, it will show them a larger view.

Hamburg

VRtual X GmbH
Hegestraße 40,
20251 Hamburg

Bielefeld

VRtual X GmbH
im Pioneers Space
Ritterstraße 8
33602 Bielefeld

Kontakt

+49 40 32318846‬
x@vrtual-x.com