What CISTEMS does

CISTEMS, legally Convention Information Systems, is a privately held event technology provider founded in 1993 and headquartered at 501 Wythe Street, Alexandria, Virginia. The company builds and operates NFC-based technology platforms for conventions, association meetings, and professional education events, with a core product suite comprising Smart Registration (NFC-based registration stations), CE Tracking (continuing education credit verification via SmartBadge tap), SmartLeads (real-time cloud-based lead retrieval for exhibitors), and Exhibit NFC Marketing (NFC-enabled exhibitor kiosks for promotions and surveys). Underlying technology centers on NFC SmartBadges embedded with NXP NTAG chips that attendees tap at session entrances and exhibitor kiosks, feeding data into cloud-based accounts for real-time access, charting, and analysis.

The company generates revenue through per-event professional services contracts covering hardware deployment, software provisioning, and on-site support, sold primarily to professional associations, medical and CE/CME event organizers, and trade show exhibitors. Distribution is direct and event-driven, with CISTEMS deploying hardware and staff at individual conventions and extending internationally through European NFC partners. Marketing is limited to a content blog/newsroom covering NFC technology trends. The company has positioned itself as a long-tenured innovation pioneer in the conventions space, having introduced electronic messaging in 1994, web-based messaging in 1998, web-based registration in 2000, and NFC CE tracking in 2013.

Operationally, CISTEMS appears very small, with 1-10 employees and no public funding, customer logos, or revenue figures. The company is privately held with no disclosed parent, investors, or ownership structure. Recurring indicated strategic activity has been concentrated in the 1994-2013 window, with limited publicly documented momentum thereafter.

Name

CISTEMS

Legal name

Convention Information Systems

Website

https://cistems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CISTEMS (Convention Information Systems) is a privately held event technology provider, founded in 1993 and based in Alexandria, Virginia, that builds NFC-based registration, CE credit tracking, lead retrieval, and exhibitor kiosk solutions for association conventions, medical and professional education events, and trade show exhibitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

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, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Event Technology Services: CISTEMS provides NFC-based registration stations, CE tracking, and lead retrieval services to conventions and meetings. Revenue is generated through service contracts for individual events, providing custom technology and on-site support for associations and special meetings.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

CISTEMS provides NFC-based technology services for conventions, meetings, and trade shows, delivering registration stations, continuing education (CE/CME) credit tracking, real-time cloud-based lead retrieval, and exhibitor kiosks for surveys and promotions. The company deploys proprietary SmartBadge hardware embedded with NXP NTAG chips alongside cloud-based software, and operates primarily as a per-event technology service provider to associations, medical/professional education events, and exhibitors.

Product overview

CISTEMS offers a unified suite of NFC-based event technology products for conventions and meetings. The core portfolio includes Smart Registration (NFC-based registration stations), CE Tracking (continuing education credit tracking via SmartBadge), SmartLeads (real-time lead retrieval with cloud-based data management), and Exhibit NFC Marketing (exhibitor kiosks with promotional and survey capabilities). All products leverage NFC SmartBadge technology and cloud-based accounts for seamless data access and management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smart Registration NFC-based registration stations for conventions and meetings that provide seamless attendee check-in and badge management, deployed on-site by CISTEMS for association and trade show events.
• CE Tracking Continuing education tracking system using NFC SmartBadge taps at session entrance monitors, providing immediate name, session, and admittance verification recorded in the organization's database for CE/CME credit with online verification, designed for medical and professional education events.
• SmartLeads NFC-based lead retrieval solution that captures attendee contact and demographic information in real-time using CISTEMS NFC technology, uploading data to personalized cloud-based accounts for immediate access, sorting, downloading, and analysis, with customizable apps and professional graph and charting software for trade show exhibitors.
• Exhibit NFC Marketing NFC-enabled exhibitor kiosks with SmartBadge integration for promotional marketing, lead retrieval, and instant visitor surveys on the exhibit floor, using NXP NTAG embedded in SmartBadges and high-resolution tablet kiosks with attention-grabbing promotional banners, designed for companies renting exhibit space at trade shows.

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.

• European NFC PartnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationCISTEMS has established partnerships with European NFC partners to expand its geographic reach and deliver custom NFC technology services for international conventions and meetings.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Cvent: Leading enterprise event management platform offering registration, attendee management, lead capture, and event marketing. Directly overlaps CISTEMS' Smart Registration, CE Tracking, and SmartLeads offerings as part of a broader integrated suite.
• Eventbrite: Large-scale event registration and ticketing platform serving conventions, trade shows, and professional events. Competes with CISTEMS' Smart Registration offering, especially for self-service and mid-market event organisers.
• Experient (Maritz Global Events): Long-standing registration, housing, and lead retrieval provider for association events, now under Maritz Global Events. Direct legacy competitor with similar association-customer base and service-led delivery model.
• Personify (Aria Solutions / Community Brands): Provider of association and event technology including registration, abstract management, and lead retrieval under the Community Brands umbrella. Competes with CISTEMS in the association and CE/CME event technology market.

Emerging players

• ExpoFP: ExpoFP provides online show floor maps and exhibitor/session tools, including lead capture features, with deep adoption by association-run trade shows. Adjacent competitor in the trade-show exhibitor tooling and lead retrieval space.
• DoubleDutch (Eventmobi): Provider of mobile event apps with built-in lead capture, attendee engagement, and registration features. An adjacent competitor to CISTEMS' NFC badge-tap and lead retrieval stack.
• Feathr: Event-focused marketing and lead capture platform using attendee data and digital tools for trade shows and exhibitions. Competes with CISTEMS' SmartLeads on exhibitor lead retrieval and post-event audience engagement.

Direct peers

• Swapcard: Event platform offering registration, networking, lead retrieval, and exhibitor tools for trade shows and associations. Overlaps CISTEMS' lead retrieval and registration capabilities and serves similar association customers.
• Aventri: Event management software platform for registration, attendee engagement, and lead retrieval. Direct competitor to CISTEMS' NFC-based registration and lead capture services for association and corporate meetings.
• Bizzabo: Event experience operating system combining registration, event apps, lead capture, and analytics. Competes with CISTEMS across registration, exhibitor engagement, and lead retrieval layers, especially for in-person and hybrid events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cistems-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CISTEMS