Navigating #ATA2019: Your Guide to Getting Around

Getting Your Show Badge

When you registered for #ATA2019 you should have received an email with your Express Pass. Bring your printed Express Pass to registration and scan it at the Express Pass kiosks to print your Trade Show badge. If you have questions, visit the Main Registration located in the South Wing Lobby A.

Find Your Favorite Exhibitors

The quickest and easiest way to find a booth is by using the 2019 ATA Trade Show mobile app. The app’s dashboard has an “Exhibitors” section that contains an alphabetized exhibitor list. (It’s also organized by product category.) Tap the exhibitor you want to locate. Then tap “Map It.” Look for the red pin drop on the floor map to find the location of the booth.

The app also allows you to star exhibitors you want to visit during the Show. Your starred exhibitors will show up in the app’s “My Planner” section. “The app is super helpful,” said Nicole Tindale of Flaming Arrow Archery in Kalispell, Montana. “I starred everyone I want to make sure I visit.”

Under the “Floor Plans/Maps” section of the mobile app, you will find a complete map of the Trade Show floor. If you zoom in you will find each exhibitor name accompanied by the booth number. There are also maps posted throughout the Kentucky Exposition Center and hand-held maps are also available.

“I usually carry a little map with me and I have it on my phone,” said George Wagner, of Shooter’s Choice in Waterloo, Ontario. Wagner has been attending the Show for years and his experience helps him navigate the Show smoothly. “I start in the middle of the floor because the big crowds start at one end or the other, so I go where there are less people to start.”

Jim Akers, co-owner of Twisted Arrow, LLC in Poplar Bluff, Missouri used trial-and-error to figure out the best way to navigate the Show. “The first year we came and tried to stop at every booth,” Akers said. “Because it’s so large, we found that on the last day we were struggling to get everything in. Now we have game plan. We go through our shop, looking at what sold last year and we go there first.”

After hitting the floor for a few hours your feet will need a break and your tummy will need some refueling. Visit the “Food” section of the app for a map and complete list of all the food and drink options available at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Don’t Miss Booth Events

You won’t want to miss attending some exciting booth events for a glimpse at new products and industry celebs. On the ATA Trade Show mobile app dashboard the “Booth Events” section has a complete list of events. Tap on the individual event listing to find the booth number and tap “Map It” to see the location displayed by a red pin drop on the map within the app.

Bonnie Strubel of K & B Archery in Mitchell, South Dakota always tries to attend a few booth events. She says she usually finds them by following the crowds. “We’ve been coming long enough that we pretty much have an idea of what’s going on and where,” Strubel said.