Event software development for the biggest job fairs in Poland | case study

We know that event planners on the market are not the best, especially for the recruitment industry. Therefore, our team was very excited about the plan of association with the biggest job portal in the country. How did we help our client with event management? How did we respond to the needs of the event attendees? Learn more in our case study!

About the project

Our partner, pracuj.pl, is a corporation that is the most popular brand in Poland offering recruitment services to companies – a well-known platform with employment offers. In addition, since the year 2018, the client organizes the biggest in Poland career fairs called JOBICON.

JOBICON is a job fair in the form of live events. Each year, the entire edition, which consists of several events in the largest cities in Poland, is attended by tens of thousands of people. We knew the scale of the project was large, therefore when the *Bespoke agency came to us with an offer to cooperate with JOBICON, we were thrilled but also challenged at the same time. Our team was asked to create and implement a modern, technological system enabling the organization of the annual business event, ensuring a positive attendees experience and allowing for effective event management.

The project initially assumed the delivery of one product for pracuj.pl but as a result of successful problem solving and identification of subsequent internal needs, it has grown into a comprehensive service of delivering several supporting tools.

Delivered solutions and customer benefits at a glance

• A self-service system for stand reservation 
• The panel for employers
• The event website
• Information kiosk system
• Tickets’ solution

Benefits of developed solutions 

Are you interested in details? Read the full case study and learn more about all the challenges we’ve met and the business benefits we’ve brought to the client.

Let’s test the idea

The beginning of project work was based on the idea the products should be built on – the good experience of the event attendees: both exhibitors and people interested in job offers.

We know that one cannot exist without the other, so we tried to examine what the exhibitors’ needs were to be met by the system which we were supposed to deliver.

For this purpose, we conducted research with potential users. We knew that the exhibitors would be people mainly from HR departments from various companies, so we decided to ask HR representatives what they think of working with the system mock-up we previously designed.

Based on the experience of the research group, we created a report that validated the system before it reached the user. This way we proactively solved some potential problems before they arose.

Workflow

1. mock-ups presenting the solution

2. ux research

3. graphic designs

4. product development

Our designer– Magda Łukasz – talks about this stage:

„When designing systems like this one, we need to transmit maximum content with minimum form. To find out what can be a potential problem for the user, we have conducted many interviews. The fact, that operating within the system wasn’t causing any problems, was very satisfying. Users considered it very clear and comprehensible.„

Our tasks and solutions

Stand reservation

The customer needed to create a virtual system for stand reservation. The product aimed to make the process of booking the space at the job fair automated and easy to use.

How has this process been so far? 

Salespeople exchanged hundreds of e-mails with interested exhibitors about the process of booking space at the fair – number of stands, location, and size, proximity to others, price. The entire booking process required much work, and the sale took a lot of time.

Our solution and the way it worked

We delivered to the customer an automated and virtual system for booking stands. Potential exhibitors got access to the platform where they could see a map with the location of stands, their size, and price. The exhibitors had time to think about what solutions they need, and then book the selected stand by themself through the platform. The sales representative only got a purchase notification.

What were the solution benefits? 

The developed product became an effective sales tool. It has facilitated the purchase process and shortened its time.

The possibility of self-service made the purchasing process more flexible – buyers had time to analyze their business needs, and as a result, they could choose the best product for their requirements. On the other hand, the sales representatives on the customer’s side did not have to take part in long e-mail exchanges to complete the sale.

Exhibitor’s digital panel

Another product needed to help with the efficient preparation and later event management was an exhibitor’s digital panel. The panel would enable the exhibitor to manage participation in the fair by delivering the most essential functions, and operational possibilities, all in one product.

What was the challenge?

The client needed a solution that would help overcome the organizational and communication chaos resulting from the complexity of preparation for the job fairs by the exhibitors.

The desired product should collect, and manage the exhibitor’s data, e.g. setting deadlines for the activities that the exhibitor must perform, helping complete them, and all this is to be done with the minimum possible involvement of the organizer.

Our solution

We provided a self-service panel that met the client’s needs and automated the complex process of preparing attendants for the event. The exhibitor could operate the panel himself and thus manage his presence in the event while meeting the preparation deadlines set by the organizer, who was relieved of organizational and communication work.

In addition, the panel made it possible to use the data used in previous editions of job fairs and adapt them to the needs of the current event.

What necessary functions and benefits did the employer panel have? 

Information functions

• My package option explained to the exhibitors what package they purchased, and what it had included. The tool with its functionalities was designed to proactively solve the problems faced by exhibitors. 'My package’ content answered many potential questions without the direct involvement of pracuj.pl. Designing such a tool was possible thanks to our effective cooperation with the client and the experience we gained in the previous edition. The key was to know the specifics of the event, the exhibitors’ needs, and to present everything in a transparent, universal way for everyone.
• Announcements and organizational matters were available in the panel, which significantly facilitated communication and change management on the site of the fair organizer.

Marketing functions

• The employer’s panel made it possible to create a physical exhibitor’s stand by using marketing materials such as the company name visible to event participants, brand description, and uploading the company’s logo. Uploading materials was simple and intuitive, in addition, the panel showed a preview of the stand, thanks to which the exhibitor could adapt it better to his needs. The panel allowed for independent work, introducing changes, and trying different versions of how the stand can look like, all this without the active participation of the event organizer. 
• In addition, the event organizers had a preview of what preparation stage the exhibitors are in. As a result, the client could remind those attendants that the stand has to be finished at a specific time. It was an important aspect for the client, to be sure that everything will be prepared for the time of the event.
• The uploaded marketing materials could then be collected and prepared for the print phase by the designer, and be ready for a physical stand. The entire operation of checking the materials was carried out with this one tool.
• The exhibitor was able to create a short company profile, which was later published in a printed catalog.
• The employer panel allowed the client to present the exhibitor with other commercial services, e.g. the possibility of subscribing to digital materials or introduce additional options of the exhibitor’s package that could interest the exhibitor at the next edition of the event.

Virtual info kiosk

We have also introduced a new, virtual kiosks system for career fair participants with job offers and a map of the event.

What was the challenge?

The kiosk existed before and was delivered by another supplier, however, it did not allow to adjust the ads in real-time – each change in the published announcements was very time-consuming and impossible to implement during the fair.

Our task was to enable the exhibitor to easily add job offers to the kiosk from the exhibitor’s panel, also during the event.

Our solution and its benefits

We delivered a virtual kiosk that met the client’s requirements for the fast and simple publication of job advertisements. The product allowed the job fair participants to quickly find the job offer they were interested in, and thanks to the map move freely around the place of the event.

In addition, thanks to the possibility of making changes to the job offers also during the event, the presented data was up-to-date, and any errors could be corrected on an ongoing basis.

Event website

JOBICON event has started to grow rapidly – new cities hosted the event, and the number of participants and exhibitors was constantly increasing. Technological services started to involve many people and consume too much time and many resources. Therefore, during the project work, the client decided that the event needs a website and we were asked to create it. The purpose of the JOBICON website was to introduce the event idea, share the information in which cities it takes part, and enable to download a ticket for the event.

What was the challenge?

First of all, the client asked us to build an event website that will allow the onboarding of fair participants and enable them smooth and easy participation in the event. Furthermore, the website had to be integrated with the employer’s panel.

The benefits of the solution

The website became real assistance for fair participants – it informed about the agenda, celebrities taking part in the event, and gave directions on how to get to the location. Additionally, it was used by fair attendees to download tickets for the event in the chosen location. When a participant entered the event, a staff member scanned the QR code.

For the client, the biggest asset came from integrating the website with the employer’s panel, which allowed for time-saving on data transfer. The exhibitor’s data was automatically handed over to the website, and there was no need to move anything manually.

Ticketing system

We have created a ticket system designed for use by thousands of attendees, with a dedicated ticket design and scanning process as simple and fast as possible.

What was the challenge?

The requirement included developing a ticket distribution system within a short execution time and assuring high data security.

The benefits of the solution

The created ticketing system turned out to be a success, not only because it was secure but also simple and failproof. As additional support services, we did a tutorial on working with tickets and entering the event so that the admission staff could work smoothly and there was no downtime for people entering the event. This was an important element because for the event to run efficiently and as planned, the ticketing system also had to work flawlessly.

Main project challenges

1. Creating universal tools that will respond to the key needs and abilities of clients from various industries, in various positions.
2. Providing software support ensuring the automatization of communication and organization process that led to time savings.
3. Building as a part of the software, a database that would be used as a virtual repository for creating the marketing content for events.
4. The database should enable the independent creation of printing materials and allow exhibitors to manage their profiles. This software tool was intended to reduce the number of e-mails between the event organizer and exhibitors.
5. Short execution time for providing a simple and efficient ticket distribution system that ensures high data security.

Testimonials

Creating the service system for a job event, we have followed the major idea behind the product which was to ensure the best possible user experience. Furthermore, we wanted to automate the entire process, as a result of which the client saved time, human and financial resources.

“Their team finds proper virtual solutions for our needs, analyzes them, and offers a good, full service.” *Bespoke Account Manager responsible for the performance of services for pracuj.pl

Good team cooperation creates a success story

Entering the collaboration with the career fair organizer was quite a challenge for us, as the client needed a holistic service, including the delivery of several products. The focus was to provide support in achieving marketing and organization goals by delivering easy-to-navigate tools that allowed for smooth event management.

Successful cooperation in the spirit of agile is the foundation of our work – and that is exactly what happened with this project. From the first day of work, a team of several people created the full support for pracuj.pl –  Mateusz Stopka, Igor Podlawski, Kamil Jędrkiewicz, and Anna Tomaszkiewicz were responsible for the technology including coding, for UX and design – Wiktoria Szymczak and Magda Łukasz (from our sister-company, Kava), and management of the whole process –  Igor Podlawski.

Interested in different case studies? Check out our online profile on Clutch where you can learn more about the business tools we have introduced for our customers.

Do you plan to launch the conference or do you already have the venue for your corporate networking attendees but all you need is tech support? We are on board and able to help you with the event management, contact us!