Karlsruhe Trade Fair & Convention Center implements Modern Websites with CMS from e-Spirit

New websites for trade fairs, congresses, and events with CMS FirstSpirit

Innovative concepts, intensive dialog, and inspiring contacts – these are the advantages that the trade show organization Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress-GmbH offers. To ensure that these qualities are also reflected on the websites going forward, the company selected the flexible content management system (CMS) FirstSpirit from e-Spirit. As the central content platform, the system will deliver key services for exhibitors and visitors in easy-to-follow form and will enable separate websites to be created for the various trade fairs, congresses, and events. With the integration of moving images, database content, and an exhibitor login for direct data uploads, the websites are evolving into a modern and informative virtual storefront for Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center.

The implementation of the relaunch project is being headed by the online agency edoras GmbH, which has a long track record of many successful FirstSpirit implementations as an e-Spirit partner. A key factor in the decision for the new solution was the excellent usability offered by FirstSpirit CMS. As a result, potential user barriers are avoided and the team of some 25 editors at the trade fair center will now be able to supply and publish new content quickly, simply, and flexibly. Thanks to the modular extensibility of the CMS, the new sites can also be processed optimized for mobile end devices at a later time. With the new system the trade fair company will be able to efficiently and cost-effectively satisfy both their own requirements and those of their customers – trade fair visitors and exhibitors alike – for a modern web platform.

: Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center provides 52,000 m² indoor + 10,000 m² open-air exhibition area

Flexible and intuitive content management

Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center has been steadily developing its web presence since 2003. Requirements for the website have likewise evolved steadily during this time. Although in the past it might have been sufficient to have a simple software program for managing event content and a "Call for Papers" tool for submission of presenter papers, now it is critical to have such features as search engine optimization (SEO), bidirectional master data administration, simple integration of diverse content, and flexible layout design for attractive, service-oriented trade fair sites. FirstSpirit allows Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center to meet all of these requirements. Thanks to the user-friendly interface of the CMS, the various project consultants can always design each of the trade fair sites in a time- and cost efficient manner without support from IT. Using the individualized login, exhibitors can upload their own data and pictures so that they are immediately available for linking to the website.

Short project lifecycles

The first project being implemented with FirstSpirit is the website for the trade fair "IT-Trans 2012". For this complex project, which combines trade fair and congress, the Pforzheim-based firm edoras GmbH is supporting Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center and will also train project consultants and administrators in the new system. Given the ease of getting up to speed with FirstSpirit, the trade fair center will be able to implement all of its future projects in-house, which will enable considerable cost savings. A range of standard modules and functionalities will allow editors to easily administer and manage multiple projects with short lifecycles. Central templates and existing content can also be easily reused for different publishing channels. In addition, FirstSpirit enables content as texts, images, and media to be managed in any number of languages. This way the trade fair center can provide all the new pages as required, even in an unlimited range of language versions. Over the next two years, all 15 trade fairs and 4 large congresses are to be published and managed using the new CMS.

: Maren Mehlis, Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress-GmbH

Bidirectional content administration

As a central content hub, FirstSpirit will also be used by Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center for managing customer master data. By connecting the CMS directly to the Rubin database, data can be migrated to the website and then updated automatically when changes are made. Likewise, editors can also save new content to the database from the CMS. The trade fair center saves significant time using this bidirectional system administration and can ensure that its customer data remains up-to-date without incurring additional costs. "When we were choosing a CMS, the thing that won us over from the start about FirstSpirit was its ease of use. The system allows us to combine intuitive content administration with professional, modern web features, and thereby save time and money. At the same time, with our new sites we are able to offer comprehensive services, simple navigation, and attractively rendered content to visitors and exhibitors alike. This fits perfectly with what we envision for a modern, future-safe online service", says Maren Mehlis, Director of Marketing at Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress-GmbH.

Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center is already the sixth German trade fair that has selected FirstSpirit. Trade fair companies in Berlin, Essen, Hannover, Cologne, and Munich are also using the CMS for their websites.