AmericasMart Advances Its Digital Strategy with Wi-Fi Access
As part of ongoing efforts to continually improve its campus and Market guest experience, AmericasMart has partnered with iBAHN, the global leader in IP-based entertainment and information services for the hospitality and meeting industries, to offer access to a state-of the-art Wi-Fi network. AmericasMart now has Wi-Fi on all temporary tradeshow floors, Living, Outdoor/Indoor.®, The Gardens.®, building lobbies and meeting room spaces.
“We have an ongoing mission to provide the ultimate Market experience for our buyers and exhibitors,” says Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr., president and chief operating officer of AmericasMart. “That includes advancing their businesses by providing leading resources and services. Wi-Fi access will give buyers and exhibitors on-site access to the World Wide Web and our new website which incorporates a wealth of innovative tools to help plan Market visits and access all the assets of the world’s global market.”
Robust data service will be available to buyers and temporary exhibitors on a daily or Market basis. To enjoy the new service on Wi-Fi enabled devices, users will connect to the wireless network AmericasMart, open their internet browser (i.e. Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari) and select the preferred connection method.
“We are very pleased to have been selected by AmericasMart to help fulfill their mission by providing Internet access throughout their campus,” said Roger Crellin, President of Americas, iBAHN. “iBAHN’s proven network and expertise in supporting wireless solutions for large venues such as AmericasMart make us an ideal partner for creating the best guest experience.”
Wi-Fi access will provide on-site access to the new AmericasMart website – www.americasmart.com – which launched in October 2011. The new site is the industry’s premier online resource for buyers and exhibitors with proprietary content as well as business and educational resources. It features exclusive online tools designed to optimize the Market experience for users.
The new website’s MyMarket! Plan tool helps buyers optimize their time at Market by creating a personal agenda. Buyers can book travel, add seminars and events and compile custom lists of preferred exhibitors, complete with locations. The all-new Buyer’s Resource Center is an exclusive suite of online tools designed exclusively for AmericasMart retailers to use before, during and after Markets. It includes a First Time to Market section for new buyers and access to educational presentations, industry news and trend information and the premier publication in the industry, AmericasMart Magazine.
If users experience any issues while trying to connect, there is 24-7 support available. They can contact iBAHN Support at 1.800.571.9462 and enter the AmericasMart main telephone number 404.220.3000 for immediate assistance. Permanent exhibitors should contact AmericasMart Technology Services at 404.220.3003 for information about wireless options. Pricing: $8.95 for daily (24-hour) access or $24.95 for unlimited Market (during Market dates only) access.
About AmericasMart
AmericasMart Atlanta is the nation’s only global wholesale marketplace housing the world’s single-largest collection of home, gift, area rug and apparel merchandise. The largest of AmericasMart’s 13 annual Markets and shows, the January Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market and Atlanta International Area Rug Market is the ignition switch for global retailing with buyers from every U.S. state and more than 90 countries discovering product in more than 1,400 showrooms and more than 2,500 temporary exhibiting companies. Located in downtown Atlanta, the AmericasMart complex contains more than seven million square feet of space. It’s a huge global stage on which manufacturers, designers and sales representatives unveil new lines, launch new designs and introduce new categories – all for the benefit of buyers seeking all that is fresh and first in the home, rug, gift and apparel arena. For more information, please visit www.americasmart.com.
About iBAHN
Founded in 1998, iBAHN® is the only global provider of IP platform-based solutions for the hospitality and meeting industries. Monthly, nearly two million travelers and meeting attendees rely on iBAHN to increase productivity with secure high-speed Internet access options in nearly 3,000 hotels, conference centers and meeting spaces in more than 40 countries worldwide. iBAHN’s fully digital platform features leading programming in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. Operating one of the largest MPLS networks in the industry, the company provides technology solutions to thousands of events annually, ranging from small group meetings to major industry conferences. For more information about iBAHN, please visit www.ibahn.com.
