Convention Communications

What Convention Communications does

Convention Communications is a privately held, Ohio-based provider of short-term RFID attendance tracking equipment and venue internet negotiation services for meetings, conferences, and events across the United States. The company has operated for approximately 65 years (founded circa 1959) from its headquarters at 3136 Kingsdale Center in Upper Arlington, Ohio, under president Andy Harper, and reports a cumulative track record of more than 4,000 events serviced across roughly 500 venue properties.

Its core product line consists of three proprietary RFID readers — the SmartGate directional reader, the SmartZone Cube multi-faced networked reader, and the SmartTouch handheld scanner — operating at 915 MHz and 13.56 MHz with stated 99% scan accuracy, sub-15-minute setup, and 30+ hour battery life on portable units. These readers feed a cloud-based analytics platform that timestamps scans with date, time, location, and direction, then delivers standardized attendance reports in CSV, Excel, and PDF formats. The portfolio is complemented by badge printing and encoding services, a venue internet and WiFi negotiation practice (15 years of experience across 100+ US locations supported by ISP and hardware manufacturer partnerships), and short-term rentals of VoIP phone systems and office equipment.

The firm runs a sales-led, quote-based rental model targeting meeting and conference organizers, association managers, venue event coordinators, and exhibitors/sponsors. Revenue is generated through event-by-event contracts with no public pricing, supported by direct phone and email sales, 24/7/365 customer service, and referral-driven demand from long-standing venue relationships. The company is small (1-10 employees), US-domestic only, privately held with no disclosed institutional investment, and operates without a mobile app, API, or public SDK.

Name

Convention Communications

Legal name

Convention Communications

Website

https://conventioncommunications.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Convention Communications provides short-term RFID attendance tracking equipment and venue internet negotiation services for meetings, conferences, and events across the United States. It serves event organizers and venue coordinators with proprietary RFID readers, badge production, analytics, and onsite network deployment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Technology Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Computer Rental & Leasing (7377), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Fan Engagement & Onsite Technology (RFID, Cashless, Apps) (MPAGAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Access Control, Credentialing & Entry Management (Scan/Turnstiles/RFID) (MPAGAJAG), Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM), Conference & Trade Show Registration Platforms (THAHAFAB)

Keywords

• Event technology services
• RFID attendance tracking
• Venue internet negotiation
• Event equipment rental
• Badge production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. RFID Equipment Rental: Short-term rental of RFID attendance tracking systems including readers, badges, and associated equipment for meetings and events. Equipment is event-ready and complemented by on-site support.
2. Badge Production Services: Production and encoding of RFID badges, 1D & 2D barcode badges. Includes pre-show badge services such as printing, collation, stuffing, and mailing, as well as on-site registration terminal services.
3. Internet Negotiation Services: Negotiation services for venue internet and WiFi installation. Company leverages expertise in pricing structures to secure cost-effective internet access for client events nationwide.
4. Enterprise-grade Wireless and Technology Equipment: Short-term rental of enterprise-grade wireless setups, Voice-Over-IP phone systems, and office equipment for events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Convention Communications rents event-ready RFID attendance tracking systems (SmartGate, SmartZone Cube, and SmartTouch readers) along with RFID badge production and encoding for meetings, conferences, and trade shows. The company also provides custom cloud-based analytics that turn scan data into Excel and PDF attendance reports, and negotiates venue internet and WiFi installations for clients nationwide. Support offerings include enterprise-grade wireless setups, VoIP phone systems, and office equipment rentals backed by 24/7/365 customer service and on-site technical support.

Product overview

Convention Communications offers a unified portfolio of RFID-based event technology solutions centered around attendance tracking and network services. The core offering comprises three RFID reader products (SmartGate, SmartZone Cube, and SmartTouch) that capture attendee movement data at venues. These are complemented by Badge Production services for RFID-enabled badge printing and encoding, Custom Analytics for processing scan data into actionable reports, and Onsite Internet Network Deployment for venue WiFi negotiation and installation. Additional rental equipment includes Voice-Over-IP phone systems and general office equipment. The company has serviced over 4,000 events across 500 properties over 65 years of experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SmartGate RFID Reader Directional RFID reader with 99% accurate scanning rates using 915 MHz technology, providing date, time, location, and direction-of-movement tracking as attendees enter and exit sessions. Setup completes in under 15 minutes per tracking area, with on-site monitoring and customized daily reporting. Designed for short-term rental at meetings, conferences, and trade shows.
• SmartZone Cube Reader Multi-faced RFID reader that is easily placed in any meeting or session area, networked to a central wireless access point for real-time data delivery. Achieves 99% accurate scanning rates using 915 MHz technology. Designed for short-term rental at events for attendee tracking.
• SmartTouch Handheld Scanner Compact, ergonomic handheld scanner with a full-color touchscreen interface that reads 13.56 MHz RFID tags and 1D/2D barcodes. Built-in rechargeable lithium battery delivers 30+ hours of operation. Designed for portable data collection at events where attendees are tracked on the move.
• Badge Production Services Production and encoding of RFID badges, 1D, and 2D barcode badges for events. Includes pre-show badge services such as printing, collation, stuffing, and mailing, as well as on-site registration terminal services. Designed for meeting planners, exhibitors, and conference organizers needing RFID-enabled attendee or exhibitor badges.
• Custom Analytics Reporting Cloud-based analytics service that takes RFID scan data stamped with date, time, location, and direction, processes it, and outputs client-ready reports in CSV, Excel, and PDF formats. Standard reports include attendance summaries, peak attendance, average time on floor, attendance change over time, and trends. Custom report requests are accommodated.
• Onsite Internet Network Deployment Service that negotiates and installs internet and WiFi at event venues nationwide, leveraging partnerships with ISPs and hardware manufacturers and specialized negotiation tools to secure cost-effective internet pricing for clients. Backed by 15 years of experience across 100+ diverse US locations. Designed for event organizers and venue coordinators facing high venue internet costs.
• Voice-Over-IP Phone Systems Rental Short-term rental of enterprise-grade Voice-Over-IP phone systems for meetings, conferences, and events. Designed for event organizers needing temporary office-grade phone infrastructure at venues.
• Office Equipment Rental Short-term rental of office equipment for meetings, conferences, and events, complementing the company's wireless and VoIP offerings. Designed for event organizers needing temporary office infrastructure at venues.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% accurate scanning rates for RFID attendance tracking
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Leading Internet Service ProviderscoreTechnology or IntegrationConvention Communications has cultivated partnerships with leading Internet Service Providers, providing comprehensive insight into hotel IT infrastructure upgrades and internet service fee structures. This enables effective negotiation on behalf of clients for cost-effective internet access.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• RainFocus: RainFocus is an event marketing platform specializing in large-scale conferences and trade shows with deep attendee tracking, session scanning, and analytics. Directly comparable to Convention Communications in providing attendance and session tracking for conferences, though delivered as an integrated enterprise software platform.
• MeetingPlay: MeetingPlay (now part of Events.com) offers event apps, registration, and on-site engagement solutions for meetings and conferences. Comparable to Convention Communications as an on-site technology vendor serving meeting planners, with overlapping capabilities in attendee engagement and check-in.
• Swapcard: Swapcard delivers an event experience platform with registration, matchmaking, and on-site solutions for trade shows and conferences. Comparable to Convention Communications in attendee tracking and on-site technology for large events, with an emphasis on AI-driven matchmaking and lead capture.
• Smart City Networks: Smart City Networks provides technology services including WiFi, internet, and telecommunications infrastructure for convention centers and event venues. Directly comparable to Convention Communications in delivering venue internet and WiFi for events, but operates as a contracted venue provider at major convention centers.
• EventMobi: EventMobi offers event apps, registration, and on-site engagement tools used by corporate meetings and conferences. It overlaps with Convention Communications in on-site attendee engagement, check-in, and analytics for meeting and conference organizers, but delivers the experience primarily through mobile software rather than dedicated RFID hardware rentals.
• Bizzabo: Bizzabo provides an event experience platform with registration, attendee engagement, on-site solutions, and analytics for B2B events and conferences. Comparable to Convention Communications as an on-site event technology provider serving conference organizers, with overlapping capabilities in attendee tracking, badge production, and event analytics.
• Pathable: Pathable provides event apps, community, and engagement platforms for conferences and trade shows. It is comparable to Convention Communications in serving meeting and conference organizers with attendee engagement tools, but focuses on app-based networking and content rather than RFID hardware.

Broad incumbents

• Eventbrite: Eventbrite is a ticketing and event technology platform serving organizers of concerts, festivals, conferences, and community events. Comparable to Convention Communications as an event-tech enabler serving meeting and event organizers, though its focus is self-service ticketing and discovery rather than on-site RFID hardware rental.
• Cvent: Cvent is a large-scale event management platform offering registration, attendee tracking, venue sourcing, and on-site solutions to corporate and association event organizers. Overlaps with Convention Communications in attendee tracking, registration, and on-site technology services for meetings and conferences, but operates as a broad software suite rather than a specialized RFID rental provider.

Emerging players

• Hubilo: Hubilo is a newer event experience platform focused on hybrid and in-person events with registration, engagement, and analytics. It overlaps with Convention Communications in on-site attendee engagement for conferences, but is software-only and targeting a different scale of event organizer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Convention Communications