Attending Zoom Events expo

As an attendee in expo, you can manage your data, browse different booth products and services, and network with other participants. Expo is a Zoom Events feature that allows event organizers to set up a virtual exhibition that connects attendees with exhibitors and other attendees through networking and chat functionalities.

This article covers:

• How to access expo from the event lobby
  • Access expo from the event lobby on the desktop client
  • Access expo from the event lobby on a web browser
• How to complete the onboarding flow
• How to navigate the expo floor
• How to join booth and spaces
• How to use the expo toolbars
  
  • Expo floor toolbar
  • Expo booth toolbar
• How to use expo chat
  • Understand the chat panel's navigation view
  • Use expo chat
  • Use expo booth and exhibitor group chat
  • Use additional chat list actions
• How to navigate a paused or resumed expo

Prerequisites for joining Zoom Events expo

• Basic, Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Education account
• Zoom desktop client for Windows, macOS, or Linux: Global minimum version or higher
• Zoom Events web browser:
  • Chromium Edge: 80 or higher
  • Google Chrome: 53.0.2785 or higher
  • Safari: 10.0.602.1.50 or higher
  • Firefox: 76 or higher
  • Internet Explorer: 10 or higher
    Note: Microsoft has ended support for Internet Explorer (IE) 11 on August 17, 2021. Based on this date, Zoom has ended support for IE on September 30, 2021. Users can still use Zoom on IE after this date but we will no longer be supporting IE, fixing issues related to IE, or offering any customer support related to IE.

Note: For attendee access to the latest Zoom Events and Webinar features, we highly encourage attendees to update to the latest version of the Zoom desktop client.

How to access expo from the event lobby

Participants can join expo from the event lobby on either the desktop client or a web browser. The web browser support for expo allows users to join expo on the web browser and have the same experience as they do on the Zoom client. 

Note: Besides the different joining expo processes (on the desktop client and a web browser), the expo experience will be the same for attendees, regardless of using the desktop client or a web browser.

Access expo from the event lobby on the desktop client

Access expo from the event lobby on a web browser

How to complete the onboarding flow

After you access the Expo tab, you must be walked through a one-time onboarding flow before being placed on the expo floor. Once you’ve completed the onboarding flow, any return visits to expo will immediately place you on the expo floor. For example, this applies to attending expo on a different day but the same event.

Note: For a different event, each participant must be walked through the onboarding flow again.

The expo onboarding flow is a short series of windows that help you understand the expo experience.

Note: Once you start the onboarding flow and want to leave, you must either finish the onboarding process or click the Back button until you return to the welcome screen where you can click the Leave Expo button.

1. In the Welcome to Expo! dialog box, read the information and click Continue to begin the onboarding process.
2. In the Navigating Expo dialog box, click OK to end the onboarding process.

How to navigate the expo floor

After completing the one-time onboarding flow, you will be placed on the expo floor. By default, your avatar will be placed right above the Welcome area. From here, you can navigate your avatar across the floor by using your mouse or keyboard arrow keys in the following ways:

• To use the mouse, click the location you want your avatar to be. The avatar will move directly to where you clicked. You can 'click-to-advance' and use your mouse to click/navigate through the expo floor.
  
  • You can click and drag the expo floor (and booth floor), moving the floor map within your window.
  • When you click and drag the map, your avatar will stay in view and remain in its location.
    When you click Enter Booth to access a booth, your avatar will move to the selected booth.
• To use your keyboard arrow keys, use the arrow keys to direct your avatar around the expo floor.
• You can also use your keyboard +/- keys, your mouse wheel, your trackpad for zooming (2-finger pinch), or your track =++ pad to zoom in and out of the expo floor.

How to join booth and spaces

1. On the expo floor map, move your avatar to the expo booth that you want to join.
2. On the booth, click Enter Booth.
   You will join other attendees in the booth where you’ll see different spaces (meeting sessions) taking place.
   • The spaces that are active will display as In Progress , whether livestreaming is enabled or disabled for their space.
   • Inactive spaces will display the message: This space is inactive. Please come back later!. This means that no active sessions are available for you to join.
3. On the space that you want to join, click Join.
4. To leave the booth, click Leave Booth  on the expo toolbar.
   Your avatar will be placed outside of the booth on the expo floor.

Notes:

• Expo attendees can join booth sessions, even if sessions are not livestreaming.
• If Zoom Events hosts have PSTN/SIP enabled, participants can join and use audio via PSTN/SIP after they have joined a booth space (meeting session).

How to use the expo toolbars

Expo floor toolbar

On the bottom left corner of the expo floor, you can view and use the following options from the toolbar:

• Search bar
• Settings
  • Spatial View
• Near Me
• Mini Map 
• Zoom in /Zoom out

Search bar

On the expo floor, use the search bar to find booths or other expo elements. You can use the search bar in both the spatial and non-spatial views. When you enter the booth's name, you can click Enter from the pop-up search results and enter the booth.

Settings

Settings  includes the Spatial View option. When you click the Settings icon , an Expo Settings pop-up box will appear, displaying the Spacial View toggle. To close the pop-up box, click the Settings icon again.

• Spatial View: Under Expo Settings, click the Spacial View toggle to enable or disable the default spatial view. You can switch from the default spatial view to a non-spatial view experience.

  • In the non-spatial view, you will not see your own avatar or other participants' avatars. All other experiences are the same as the spatial view, such as joining a booth, joining a session, and so on. This experience is best suited for participants with accessibility needs and those who navigate by keyboard only.

  • In the non-spatial view, only the Spatial View toggle is supported on the expo floor toolbar. When you are in a booth, the non-spatial booth toolbar will be the same as the Expo booth toolbar in the spatial view.

  • Customized elements apply automatically to the non-spatial view.

Near Me

Click Near Me  to open a pop-up box. In the pop-up box, you can locate booths and other participants near you based on the proximity of your avatar.

• Under Booths, you can view booths that are close to you.
• Under Attendees, click an attendee from the list to view their profile. From here, you can initiate a 1:1 chat request–if they are open to networking–by clicking Chat.

To close the right panel, click the Near Me icon again.

Map

Click the Mini Map to display a miniature preview of the expo floor with an avatar dot indicator. The mini map allows attendees to click and drag the view box while seeing changes on their screen.

The mini map window is open by default; it can be minimized using the map icon. You can view the avatar dot indicator, showing the avatar's location, and zoom in/out of the map.

Zoom in/Zoom out

Click the zoom in button to enlarge an area of the expo floor. Click the zoom out button to reduce the size of the area of the expo floor.

Expo Booth toolbar

When you are in an Expo booth, you can view and use the following options from the toolbar on the bottom left corner of the screen:

• Settings
  • Spatial View
• Near Me
• Leave Booth

How to use expo chat

Understand the chat panel's navigation view

In the Chat panel's navigation view, attendees will see chat notifications. Private chats have numbered notifications (e.g. 1:1) and public chats have general notifications (e.g. expo chats).

Additionally, when you view the list of all attendees in chat, you can see the number of event participants. After 1,000 users join the lobby chat, the total number of participants will be displayed as 1,000+, 2,000+, and so on.

When you're in a chat, the back navigation arrow  will always be visible; click this to enter the navigation view from a chat view. The navigation view includes:

• Lobby Chat channel: When you click this, you enter the lobby's chat.
• Connections: When you click this, you will view your list of connections, at this event, and any pending connection requests.
• Matching: Use the matching feature so that you see the profile cards of recommended attendees—based on interests similar to yours—to connect with.
• Chats: This includes all 1:1 chats at this event. You can click this dropdown to expand or minimize your 1:1 chats. When you click a chat, you will enter that specific chat channel.
• Expo Booths: This includes the chat channel for the event's expo booths. The chat channels will be named after the expo booth's name. You can click the Expo Booths dropdown to expand or minimize your sessions' chats. When you click a chat, you will enter that specific chat channel.
• Exhibitors: This includes the chat channel for each exhibitor/sponsor that you interact with. You can click the Exhibitors dropdown to expand or minimize your exhibitors' chats. When you click a chat, you will enter that specific chat channel.

Use expo chat

1. In the Chat panel, find and click the chat that you want to access.
2. View, enter, and reply to chat messages in the chat channel.
   Other event participants will see your messages; they can react and respond to your messages.
3. Hover your mouse over a message, and under the message, click the reaction button  to send a reaction to other participants' chat messages.
4. In the top left of the chat view, click the back arrow  to return to the Chat panel's navigation view.
5. To upload files (in a private chat), click the file upload button , then select your file.
   Note: Attendees can upload files in private chats only.

Notes:

• Attendees can only send URLs and upload files in private chats only.
• Hosts and moderators can upload files and send URLs in public chats.

Use expo booth and exhibitor group chat

Note: Everyone can see your messages with everyone. Only the event host can save the messages and share them with others.

When you join a booth in expo, you can communicate in a group chat with other users and exhibitors/sponsors. Exhibitor or sponsor group chats will not be visible to you unless you join the booth. The booth owner is automatically assigned as the chat admin, and both the booth owner and booth representative(s) are placed in the chat channel. This chat feature includes a booth chat that's separate from in-meeting chat for a persistent, continuous conversation relevant to any booth. You can see booth chats in the same chat panel throughout the Zoom Event.

In the chat navigation panel, the expo booth and exhibitor group chats are visible under Exhibitors.

To connect with other attendees and exhibitor representatives in expo chat:

1. Enter a booth in expo.
2. Access and join the booth chat in the following ways:
   • If your chat is minimized, view the pop-up notification and click Join the booth chat.
   • If your chat navigation is open, join the booth chat from the chat navigation menu. The current booth will appear at the top of the navigation menu.

Use additional chat list actions

1. In a chat channel, hover your mouse over a contact.
   The contact's profile card will appear.
2. On the profile card, click the following action that you want:
   • Chat: This opens the chat conversation.
   • Block: Block this contact; by blocking this person, they can no longer send you any chat messages and the person's name will be removed from your chat list (and your name will be removed from their chat list).
     Notes:
     • Once you block a user, you cannot unblock them.
     • If blocked attendees click your virtual name tag, the Chat button will not appear for them to send you any new chat requests.
   • Report: Report this contact to Zoom Trust & Safety. Complete and submit a detailed report about why you're reporting this user.

How to navigate a paused or resumed expo

Event organizers and co-editors with expo permission can pause or resume expo during an event. Pausing expo will close the expo floor and remove attendees from the expo floor, directing them back to the lobby. Resuming expo will allow the expo floor to be open again (within the expo hours of operation).

When expo is paused

When expo is paused, you will receive a pop-up notification that expo will close soon.

• Click OK to remain on the expo floor until expo is paused.
• Click Return to Lobby to return to the event's lobby.

If you remain on the expo floor, you will receive another pop-up notification that the expo floor is closed. You will need to click Return to Lobby and exit the expo floor.

When expo resumes

When expo resumes, the expo floor will open again and all participants can return to expo (within the expo's hours of operation). Attendees will need to continue to check the lobby’s Expo tab to see when expo resumes.