CHICAGO (May 27, 2016)—In an effort to foster greater community engagement among attendees, Abilities Expo Chicago will introduce the Abilities Meet Up Zone at the Chicago Abilities Expo on June 24–26, 2016 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center.
In the tradition of a town square, the Abilities Meet Up Zone will be a dedicated area on the show floor where attendees can engage with their peers, experience the Expo more fully, and enjoy a deeper connection as they learn from and share with exhibitors and other experts in the vibrant disability community.
The Abilities Meet Up Zone provides notable added value for exhibitors by extending show engagement and attendee time onsite, as well as enhancing the Expo’s brand presence in advance of, while at and after the event.
“In order to engage our community and provide them with a more experiential visit, we have created this zone for attendees to interact with each other and meet one-on-one with experts knowledgeable about the types of disabilities they may have,” said Abilities Expo Co-owner Lew Shomer. “It is the next step in enhancing the overall Expo experience for our attendees.”
The Abilities Meet Up Zone morphs reality into the realm of social media, as the community can engage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest and Youtube before, during and succeeding the Chicago Abilities Expo. At the Expo they will be treated to an impressive line-up of exhibits, workshops, events and activities to appeal to people of all ages with the full spectrum of disabilities. They will also have a place to relax with refreshments and a golden opportunity to connect with others who face similar challenges.
Whether they are people who have just had an accident or are the parents of a child with CP, they can discuss personal issues with people who have experience with similar challenges and organically share their experiences online with their individual social networks. Once onsite, the Abilities Meet Up Zone can translate those online relationships into tangible networking opportunities, face-to-face reunions and new resources for information and advice.
For instance, a photo booth area will allow people to capture the joy of the moment and share it liberally with friends, tagging #AbilitiesChicago and increasing the Expo’s reach into the disability community.
Lisa Wells, founder of Wheel:Life, and her team will act as facilitators of the Abilities Meet Up Zone, making introductions, sparking conversations between attendees and experts and getting like-minded people to share experiences. “The Wheel:Life team is thrilled to be a part of this exciting new Abilities Expo feature,” she said. “The Zone will be a casual, fun place where people can go for a relaxing break from the Expo hubbub. While “in the Zone” they can forge new relationships, gain different perspectives about current issues and generally enjoy themselves.”
For more information on the Chicago Abilities Expo and its many exhibits, event and workshops, visit abilitiesexpo.com/chicago.
