At a busy fair or festival, finding a location is often just the beginning. Visitors also want to know what is happening there, which vendors are nearby or inside, and whether they should add it to their list of places to visit.
Grandstand’s latest map updates bring more of those answers together. Now available in the Minnesota State Fair and The Big E apps, these improvements connect map locations with schedules, vendor information and favorites. This helps visitors explore the grounds and decide what to do next.
A stage, building or attraction becomes more useful on the map when visitors can also see what is happening there.
Map location details can now display up to three current or upcoming events within the next 24 hours, with direct links to the full event details. Someone exploring the grounds can select a location, see what is coming up and learn more about an event without searching through the complete schedule.
For fairs and festivals with multiple stages, exhibit buildings or demonstration areas, this brings schedule information into the moment when visitors are deciding where to go.
Upcoming events at map locations are available with all Grandstand packages.
A single building or area can contain plenty to explore. Map locations can now connect visitors with associated vendors, making it easier to discover what is there and open individual vendor pages.
Visitors can move directly from a location on the map to details about its food, shopping or other offerings. When multiple vendors are associated with one location, visitors can browse those options without beginning a separate search.
For organizers, this gives vendor content another useful place to appear while creating a clearer connection between a vendor listing and its physical location on the grounds.
Linked vendors at map locations are available with all Grandstand packages.
Finding something interesting does not always mean visiting it immediately. Visitors may be planning lunch, browsing before they arrive or saving a stop for later in the day.
Users can now favorite a linked vendor directly from a map location without first opening the full vendor detail page. Favorites remain synchronized whether they are saved from the map or the vendor’s page.
Those saved choices become even more useful with the map’s Favorites filter. Visitors can narrow the map to show only locations associated with their favorite vendors, making it easier to see where their must-visit stops are located across the grounds.
A visitor could save several food vendors before arriving, then use the Favorites filter at the fair to find those locations. As they discover and save more vendors, their personal view of the map grows with them.
Vendor favoriting from the map is available with Gold packages and higher.
Some visitors want to explore visually. Others would rather scan a list or search for a specific destination.
The Map/List switcher makes it easy to move between the interactive map and a list of locations. Visitors can browse the grounds on the map, then switch to the list when that is a more convenient way to find their next stop.
Location search also reaches deeper into map content, including descriptions and menu information. This helps visitors find places using details beyond the location’s name.
Clearer filters and Show All controls make it easy to return to the complete map after focusing on a particular location or group of pins.
Map/List switching is available with all Grandstand packages.
Expanded location panels give descriptions, links, vendors and upcoming events more room. Visitors can open a location and explore its information in a readable view, with formatted descriptions that can include useful details such as lists and links.
For locations with geographic coordinates, a walking-directions option can also open an external mapping service with the starting point and destination entered and the route set to walking mode.
Together, these updates make the map a more useful part of the visit, from discovering what is happening at a location to finding favorite vendors and choosing the next stop.
These features are available in both the Minnesota State Fair and The Big E apps, bringing schedules, vendors and visitor planning together within the map experience.
Already using Grandstand? Contact us to explore the features available with your package and the setup needed to connect your map, schedule and vendor content.
Planning a new app? Schedule a demo to see how Grandstand can help visitors discover more of your event.
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