Exhibitor List Template Information

Overview

Use the Excel template and column order below to prepare a successful exhibitor list import. Each spreadsheet row can create an exhibitor, a main contact, and—if a booth number is provided—a booth record in the event.

Booth information is optional. If a row has no booth number, the booth record is not created and the other booth information in that row is ignored.

Download the blank Exhibitor Import Template (.xls)

Column Order and Content

The spreadsheet columns must stay in the order shown below. Each column maps to the corresponding information in Boomer when the file is imported.

Excel Column Column Name Imported Into Boomer Comments
A Company Contact company name and exhibitor name
B First Name Contact first name
C Last Name Contact last name
D Email Address Contact email
E Address 1 Contact address 1 and exhibitor address 1
F Address 2 Contact address 2 and exhibitor address 2
G Address 3 Contact address 3 and exhibitor address 3
H City Contact city and exhibitor city
I State Contact state and exhibitor state The value must match a state or province defined in Global Settings > Field List Values > States and Provinces.
J Country Contact country and exhibitor country The value must match a country defined in Global Settings > Field List Values > Countries.
K Zip Contact postal code and exhibitor postal code Format this column as text in Excel. Some postal codes contain letters as well as numbers.
L Phone Contact phone and exhibitor phone
M Phone Ext Contact phone extension
N Fax Contact fax
O Booth Number Booth number If this cell is blank, the booth record is not created and the other booth information is ignored.
P Booth Size Booth size Enter the total booth area as a number.
Q Booth Dimensions Booth dimensions Enter the booth length and width as text, such as 10x10.
R Booth Type Booth type Optional keyword. Default values include In-line, Island, and Peninsula.
S Booth Location Booth location Optional. Use this to further define the booth’s location on the show floor.
T Booth Pavilion Booth pavilion Optional. Use this to further define the booth’s location on the show floor.
U Authorized to Bill to Master This column may be hidden if it is not used, but do not remove it. It is used by venues with hotel rooms when a property management system and master accounts are involved.
V Is Main Contact This column may be hidden if it is not used, but do not remove it. If left blank, the imported contact becomes the exhibitor’s main contact.
W Sign Name If left blank, the exhibitor’s company name is used as the sign name. Otherwise, the value in this column is imported as the exhibitor’s sign name.

Tips for Preparing the Spreadsheet

Split a Full Name into First and Last Name

The import requires separate First Name and Last Name columns. If the source spreadsheet has the contact’s full name in one column, you can use Excel’s data-cleaning tools or formulas to split it.

For an overview of Excel data-cleaning options, see Microsoft’s guide to cleaning data.

To split the name with formulas, assuming the full name is in cell B2:

  1. Add a First Name column. In the first data row, enter:

    =LEFT(B2,FIND(" ",B2)-1)

    This formula finds the first space and returns the text before it. Replace B2 with the cell that contains the full name.

  2. Add a Last Name column. In the first data row, enter:

    =RIGHT(B2,LEN(B2)-FIND(" ",B2))

    This formula returns the text after the first space. Replace B2 with the cell that contains the full name.

  3. Copy both formulas down the remaining rows.

Before importing, convert the formula results to values and remove the original full-name column and the formula columns:

  1. Insert two new columns for the final first and last name values.
  2. Copy the First Name formula column.
  3. Use Paste Special > Values to paste the results into the new First Name column.
  4. Repeat for the Last Name formula column, pasting the results into the new Last Name column.
  5. Delete the original full-name column and the two formula columns. Keep the columns with the pasted values in the required import order.

Combine Booth Dimensions from Two Columns

If booth width is in W2 and depth is in X2, combine them in the Booth Dimensions column with this formula:

=IF(W2>0,W2&"x"&X2,"")

This returns a value such as 10x10 when a width is present; otherwise, the result is blank. Replace W2 and X2 with the cells containing the width and depth in your spreadsheet.

  1. Copy the formula down the remaining rows.
  2. Copy the formula results and use Paste Special > Values in the final Booth Dimensions column.
  3. Delete the formula column and the separate width and depth columns.
  4. If the Booth Size or area column contains formulas that refer to the width and depth columns, convert those results to values before deleting the source columns.

Assign a Booth Location or Pavilion Based on Booth Number

You can use an Excel lookup formula to fill in a booth location or pavilion based on the booth number.

  1. Add a second worksheet to the spreadsheet and name the tab BoothValues.

  2. Create a reference table that maps the beginning of a booth number to a location. For example:

    Booth Starts With Area Is
    2 Shoreline A
    3 Shoreline B
    4 Shoreline A
    5 Shoreline B

    You can map locations using one or more characters, including letters. The column headers can have any names, as long as the table clearly maps booth number prefixes to locations.

  3. In the import worksheet, find or add the Booth Location column.

  4. Enter a VLOOKUP formula in the first data row. For example:

    =VLOOKUP(--LEFT(Q3,1),BoothValues!$A$3:$B$6,2,TRUE)

    In this example, Q3 is the cell containing the booth number, BoothValues!$A$3:$B$6 is the reference table range, and 1 tells Excel to look at the first character of the booth number. Adjust these references to match your spreadsheet.

  5. Copy the formula down the remaining rows.
  6. Convert the formula results to values before importing. If you change the number of booth-number characters used for the lookup, update the 1 in the formula. If your reference table uses a different range, update the cell references as well.