Why Event Websites Go Out of Date
Most show websites are built once and then patched. The exhibitor list is exported from one system, the floor plan is a PDF, the schedule is pasted from a spreadsheet, and sponsor logos are uploaded by hand. By opening day the site is behind the real event, and attendees notice.
An event website builder made for trade shows and conferences fixes this by reading from the same data your team manages. In Map D that site is called Homebase: exhibitors, the floor plan, the schedule, speakers and sponsors are kept up to date from your workspace. Whether you are shopping for an event or a conference website builder, look for:
- Templates that look finished before you customize anything
- Exhibitor, sponsor and speaker pages that update themselves
- An interactive floor plan rather than a static image
- A schedule attendees can filter, open and print
- Control over who can view the site
- A way to place the site inside your existing website
Building a Homebase Step by Step
Homebase is under Setup & Settings > Homebase in the show sidebar. The designer saves your draft as you go, and your published site stays live until you publish the next version.
- 1
Pick a Template
Preview a design from the Template Library, then choose Publish as-is or Customize From This Template to start a draft.
- 2
Choose and Order Your Pages
Drag pages to set the navigation order. The first visible page is the landing page. Hide any page you don't need.
- 3
Apply Your Branding
Set color presets, primary, secondary and background colors, the font, and a background pattern or image, plus a corner logo, footer tagline and footer links.
- 4
Build the Welcome Page
Add headings, text, images, calls to action, galleries, resource lists, sponsor logos, and spotlights on sessions, speakers or exhibitors.
- 5
Preview and Publish
Preview shows the draft exactly as visitors will see it. Publish homebase puts it live, View live opens it, and Unpublish takes it offline.
Pages Your Event Website Includes
| Page | What visitors find |
|---|---|
| Welcome | Your landing page, built from widgets |
| Exhibitors | A directory of every exhibitor, with category browsing and full company cards |
| Floor Plan | The interactive map, with Find a place to search exhibitors, rooms, restrooms and entrances on every level |
| Schedules | Sessions with their tracks, resources and a printable view |
| Speakers | Speaker profiles, with keynotes labeled |
| Sponsors | Sponsor cards with large logos |
| Products | Products and services your exhibitors add, with search and a category filter; hidden until you show it |
| Help center | Staff and volunteer contacts, plus links and files for each audience |
The standard set also includes About, Attendees and Pavilions. Each page can have its own tab, sit in the Exhibitors tab's menu, or appear as a link in the top bar. The floor plan is the same map exhibitors buy booths on; see interactive floor plan software. The schedule and speakers come from the conference agenda builder and speaker management software.
Design and Navigation Options
- Page tabs below the top bar, or in the top bar where they stay visible as visitors scroll
- Link tabs that open another web address, such as your registration page, in a new browser tab
- Widget display styles: Card, Plain, or Tinted for dark colors and background images
- Show from and Show until dates on content widgets and gallery images, for time-limited announcements
- Image galleries that auto-play and pause while a visitor points at them
- Sponsor logo widgets in Standard or Large sizes, and an optional sponsor bar under the floor plan
- Renamed or hidden exhibitor profile tabs, and a Login button you can switch off
On phones, the Floor Plan page opens with the map visible and the searchable list one tap away. When page tabs sit in the top bar, phones and tablets get a Navigation menu button instead.
Access, Embedding and Custom Domains
Under Who can view the show, choose Everyone, Anyone with the password, or Attendees, speakers and exhibitors once signed in. Tick Only the schedule to keep the rest open and protect only the sessions. Booth registration and ticket pages stay open either way, so buyers can still reserve booths and buy tickets.
To keep visitors on your own site, create an embed profile under Embed & API: choose which Homebase pages appear and which one opens first, then copy the code. It is a standard iframe, 100% wide and 900 pixels tall, which your web team can resize. You can keep several profiles, for example one for the main site and one for a sponsor page.
Measuring Your Event Website
The Analytics tab on your show dashboard shows total views and visitors, visits during the event dates, device types and the pages people visit. Separate tabs list your most viewed exhibitors, sponsors, sessions, speakers and attendees, and Exhibitor Engagement shows profile views, tab views and link clicks per exhibitor. Mobile app views count alongside website views, split under Website and Mobile App, and you can download the raw data as CSV. Read more about event analytics software.
Exhibitors can see their own profile figures in their portal if you leave Stats turned on, which gives them evidence of the exposure your event website delivered.
