Kiosk, signage, app, information desk or QR-code assistant?
For a visitor's everyday questions, such as where something is, when it opens or what to bring, each of the usual channels has a limit. An information desk is one spot with staffed hours, printed signs cannot answer a question nobody foresaw, a touchscreen kiosk needs hardware and stands in one place, and a venue app has to be installed first. A QR-code AI assistant answers on the phone the visitor already carries, at the spot where the question comes up, in the language it is asked in, from the venue's own documents. It does not replace people or signs: it needs an internet connection on the visitor's side, and its answers are only as good as the documents behind them.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Side by side
| Criterion | Information desk | Printed signs and maps | Touchscreen kiosk | Venue app | QR-code AI assistant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where the visitor uses it | At the desk | Where the sign is | At the kiosk | On their phone, once installed | On their phone, at every spot with a code |
| When it is available | Staffed hours | Always | While the building is open | Always | Always |
| Languages | The ones the staff speak | The ones printed | The ones configured, often one | The ones it was translated into | The language of the question |
| A question nobody foresaw | Yes | No | Usually only what the menu offers | Usually only what was built in | Yes, when the answer is in the documents |
| Keeping it up to date | Briefing the staff | Reprinting | Updating the kiosk content | Updating the app content | Changing the document |
| What has to be put in place | A staffed desk | Printing and mounting | Screens, installation and maintenance | An app the visitor installs | Posters with codes and the venue's documents |
| Record of what people asked | Rarely kept | None | Taps and searches, if logged | Usage analytics, if built | Every question, by spot, time and language, without identity |
When each one is the right choice
Information desk
Matters that need a person or a decision, and visitors who prefer to talk to someone.
Printed signs and maps
The main routes everyone takes. Nothing beats a sign for the way to the exit.
Touchscreen kiosk
A large map that should be seen at a glance, and visitors without a phone or mobile data.
Venue app
Regular visitors who come back often, loyalty programs, tickets and bookings.
QR-code AI assistant
First-time and international visitors with everyday questions, at many spots at once, with a record of what was asked.
The limits of a QR-code assistant
- It needs an internet connection: the visitor's mobile data or the venue's Wi-Fi.
- Its answers are only as complete and as current as the documents behind them.
- It is not connected to live systems such as departure boards, queues or ticketing.
- It answers in writing; it does not read the answer aloud.
- It is not an emergency channel.
Frequently asked
Does it replace the information desk?
No. It takes the repeated everyday questions off the desk, so staff have time for the visitors who need a person. The asked-but-not-found list also shows the desk which questions have no written answer yet.
We already have kiosks. Does it work alongside them?
Yes. Nothing in the building has to change: the codes can hang next to a kiosk or on any sign, and visitors who prefer the kiosk keep using it.
We already have an app.
The same page can be opened from your app. The QR code is the route for the visitor who won't install anything; the two work together.
Does it need internet?
Yes: the visitor's mobile connection or the venue's Wi-Fi is enough. The page is light and opens quickly on a weak connection.
Where do the codes go?
On existing signs, directory boards and shop windows. No new structure or screen is needed, and spots can be added later.
Do we need to translate our documents?
No. You upload your documents in the language you work in; someone who asks in another language gets the answer in theirs.
What happens when the answer is not in our documents?
The assistant says it does not have that information instead of guessing, and the question goes to the asked-but-not-found list in your panel. That list shows which information is missing, and it downloads as Excel or CSV.
What is recorded about visitors?
The question, not the person: what was asked, at which spot, when, in which language and whether an answer was found. Visitors are never asked for an account, a name or a phone number, and question records contain no identity, IP address or device information.
We're looking for the first venue to set it up with
The software is ready and live. We start with a short setup on a limited number of spots: we handle the setup and configuration, the venue provides the documents, and at the end we read the report of what visitors were looking for together. Scope, duration and terms are agreed in a meeting.
Before we meet: we can build a trial page from the public store or exhibitor list on your website, so you can try the assistant on your own phone with your own venue's information.