Save time, energy with online planning

LAS VEGAS - Most Medtrade attendees can relate to the frustration of feeling lost on the stadium-sized show floor or the aggravation of trying to find an obscurely located meeting room. Little could be done about those inconveniences in the past. But now, by using new information technology, all Medtrade participants can maximize their time and effort during the spring show. Using an online software program called myMedtrade, accessed through a special portal at the Medtrade Spring Web site, www.medtradespring.com, attendees can book appointments and build show itineraries in the weeks preceding the show. The intuitive program gives users a listing of all the show's exhibitors, with many offering booth locations, product descriptions and profiles of the attendees they want to reach. It also has a function that allows users to set up meetings with exhibitors and other attendees. Additionally, the myMedtrade program recommends the most pertinent seminars, based on the user's business profile. To help steer attendees through the sometimes-confusing labyrinth of booths and conference rooms, myMedtrade prints out an itinerary and map that highlights each location of interest. Debuting at Medtrade last September, the online service proved to be a popular feature of the show, said Elaine Barnes, marketing manager for show sponsor Nielsen Business Media. "We got some really good feedback on it," she said. "It helped people save a lot of time and effort." Nielsen will also have a bank of computers onsite at the convention center for attendees to make some last-minute appointments and itinerary changes, as well, she said.