Expo Platform and ShowOff Integration Guide – ASP Knowledge Base

Overview

Expo Platform is an event platform that can be used to support event apps, exhibitor management, event schedules, networking, and attendee engagement. This integration allows Expo Platform to pull event content from ShowOff using API access.

This is useful if you are using Expo Platform for your event app or platform experience, while managing core event content in ShowOff.

What this integration does

Expo Platform can pull the following data from ShowOff:

Sessions
Speakers
Exhibitors
Libraries

This allows content managed in ShowOff to also be used in Expo Platform.

Why use this integration?

This integration can help you:

reduce manual copying between systems
keep event content aligned across platforms
make it easier to provide the same core content in Expo Platform
support a smoother setup for your event app or event platform

It is a good fit if ShowOff is being used to manage event content and Expo Platform is being used to deliver the attendee-facing experience.

Before you begin

There are a few important points to understand before setup begins.

API access is required

Expo Platform needs API access to the correct ShowOff site in order to retrieve data.

Once ASP grants API access, they will provide you, as the organiser, with:

API Key
Password
Site ID

These details should then be shared with Expo Platform so they can configure the integration.

Expo Platform pulls data from ShowOff

In this setup, Expo Platform is retrieving content from ShowOff.

That means the content available in Expo Platform depends on what exists in ShowOff and how it has been set up there.

If data is missing in Expo Platform, the first step is usually to check the source data in ShowOff.

The correct content must be selected

Expo Platform may be configured to pull a specific seminar programme or specific libraries.

If the wrong programme or library is selected, the data shown in Expo Platform may not match what your team expects to see.

If Expo Platform needs a specific seminar ID, you can find this in your ShowOff back office by going to:

Modules > Seminars

Within the seminar area, you will see an ID shown against the programme, for example:

ID: 75931

This ID can be shared with Expo Platform to help ensure they pull the correct sessions.

Setup checklist

1. Confirm how the integration will be used

Confirm that Expo Platform will pull content from ShowOff
Confirm which data types Expo Platform needs to use
Confirm that the required content exists in ShowOff

2. Contact ASP first

Speak to your ASP Account Manager or project contact
Confirm API access is available for your event
Confirm the correct ShowOff site is being used

3. Receive your API details from ASP

Once API access has been granted, ASP will provide you with:

API Key
Password
Site ID

These credentials are required for Expo Platform to connect to ShowOff.

4. Share the API details with Expo Platform

Provide the API Key, Password and Site ID to Expo Platform
Expo Platform will use these details to access the required ShowOff API endpoints

5. Confirm the content Expo Platform needs to pull

Confirm which seminar programme Expo Platform should use
Confirm which libraries Expo Platform should use
Confirm that the required speaker, exhibitor and session data is available in ShowOff
If needed, provide Expo Platform with the specific seminar ID from Modules > Seminars

6. Test the integration

Ask Expo Platform to connect to the ShowOff API
Check that sessions appear correctly
Check that speakers appear correctly
Check that exhibitors appear correctly
Check that library content appears correctly

7. Review and go live

Review the data shown in Expo Platform
Confirm the correct ShowOff content is being pulled
Proceed once testing is complete

Who is involved?

Your team

Your team is responsible for:

confirming what data Expo Platform needs to display
making sure the correct content exists in ShowOff
reviewing the data shown in Expo Platform during testing

ASP

ASP is responsible for:

granting API access to the correct ShowOff site
providing the API Key, Password and Site ID
supporting with ShowOff-side technical issues where needed

Expo Platform

Expo Platform is responsible for:

configuring the integration on their side
using the API credentials provided by ASP
pulling the required data from ShowOff
supporting with Expo Platform-side setup or data retrieval questions

Troubleshooting

Expo Platform cannot access the API endpoints

If Expo Platform cannot access the API, check that:

API access is active
the API Key, Password and Site ID are correct
the details provided to Expo Platform match the correct ShowOff site

Data is missing in Expo Platform

If data is not appearing in Expo Platform, check ShowOff first.

In many cases, missing data is caused by the source content in ShowOff rather than the integration itself.

Check the following:

the session, speaker, exhibitor, or library record exists in ShowOff
the correct seminar programme is being used
the correct library is being used
the content has been set up in the expected ShowOff site

The wrong seminar data is appearing

Expo Platform may be pulling a different seminar programme from the one your team is updating.

Check that:

Expo Platform is pointing to the correct seminar programme
your team is editing the same programme that Expo Platform is using
Expo Platform has been given the correct seminar ID

If you need to confirm the seminar ID, go to:

Modules > Seminars

You will see an ID shown against the programme, for example:

ID: 75931

This can be shared with Expo Platform so they can pull the correct sessions.

The wrong library content is appearing

Expo Platform may be pulling a different library from the one your team expects, especially where library names are similar.

Check that:

Expo Platform is pulling the correct library
the intended content is in that library in ShowOff

Inactive records are appearing

ShowOff API responses can include both active and inactive records by default.

This is normal behaviour. Expo Platform’s developers may need to apply the appropriate API filters if they only want active records returned.

Not all records are visible in the API

ShowOff API responses may be affected by filters or pagination.

For example:

the API may return a limited number of records by default
filters may be applied that exclude certain records
pagination may need to be handled to retrieve the full dataset

If Expo Platform is not seeing all expected records, their technical team should review the filters and pagination being used.

The issue needs further investigation

If the checks above do not resolve the issue, ASP may need to investigate further.

To help with this, please provide:

the API endpoint Expo Platform is using
example records that are missing or unexpected
the data type involved, such as sessions, speakers, exhibitors, or libraries
a short description of what Expo Platform is expecting to see

Who should I contact first?

For a new setup, the recommended order is:

ASP

Contact your ASP Account Manager or project contact first to:

confirm API access
confirm the correct ShowOff site
receive your API Key, Password and Site ID

Expo Platform

Once you have the API details, Expo Platform can:

configure the connection
access the relevant ShowOff endpoints
test that the required data is being returned

ASP Support

If Expo Platform has already attempted the integration and something is not working, ASP can help investigate the ShowOff side.

FAQs

What data can Expo Platform pull from ShowOff?

Expo Platform can pull:

Sessions
Speakers
Exhibitors
Libraries

What will ASP provide once API access is granted?

ASP will provide you, as the organiser, with:

API Key
Password
Site ID

These details should then be shared with Expo Platform so they can configure the integration.

If Expo Platform needs a seminar ID, where can I find it?

You can find the seminar ID in your ShowOff back office by going to:

Modules > Seminars

You will see an ID shown against the seminar programme, for example:

ID: 75931

This can be passed to Expo Platform to make sure they pull the correct sessions.

If Expo Platform needs a specific library, what should I check?

Check that Expo Platform has been given the correct library and that the content your team expects to see is stored in that library in ShowOff.

If data is missing in Expo Platform, should I check Expo Platform or ShowOff first?

Check ShowOff first.

Because Expo Platform is pulling this content from ShowOff, missing data is often caused by the source record not existing in ShowOff, being in the wrong seminar programme or library, or not being configured as expected.

Why are inactive records showing in Expo Platform?

ShowOff API responses can include both active and inactive records by default.

If Expo Platform only wants active records, their developers should apply the appropriate API filter.

Why can Expo Platform only see some of the records?

This is often caused by filters or pagination.

The API may return a limited number of records by default, and additional filters or pagination handling may be needed to return the full dataset.

What should we do if Expo Platform cannot access the API?

Check that:

API access is active
the API Key, Password and Site ID are correct
the credentials provided match the correct ShowOff site

What should we provide if the issue needs investigating?

Please provide:

the API endpoint being used
example records that are missing or incorrect
the data type involved
a short description of the issue

Summary

The Expo Platform integration allows Expo Platform to pull content from ShowOff using API access.

For the smoothest setup:

contact ASP first
receive your API Key, Password and Site ID
share those details with Expo Platform
confirm the correct seminar programme and libraries are being used
provide the seminar ID if Expo Platform needs it
check ShowOff first if data appears to be missing
review filters and pagination if not all records are being returned