What should be the unique reference when importing exhibitors? – ASP Knowledge Base

🆔 Unique Reference Codes for Exhibitor Imports

When importing exhibitors into ShowOff, a unique reference code (Account Number) is essential. The system uses this code to identify and update existing exhibitors when importing new data.

The unique reference code can be any combination of letters (a-z) and numbers (0-9), but it must be completely unique for each entry.

📥 First Import

When importing exhibitors for the first time (no data exists in the CMS yet):

Field	Required?	Notes
Account Number	✅ Yes	Serves as the Unique Reference.
Company Name	✅ Yes	Used as a secondary reference by the system.

🔄 Subsequent Imports

For additional imports, the Account Number is used to match existing records:

Only entries with a matching Account Number will be updated.
No need to rely on Company Name once the initial import is complete.

🏢 Companies with Multiple Stands

Scenario	Account Numbers Needed
Company wants separate entries for each stand	One unique Account Number per stand
Company wants one entry with multiple stands listed	Only one Account Number, with stands comma-separated

⚠️ Important Considerations

When uploading via the CMS, a company record will also be added to the CRM (or matched to an existing company).
CRM matching does not always use Account Number; it may use Company Name instead.

Tip: If you need multiple entries for the same Company Name on the first import:

Temporarily make each name unique in the CSV (e.g., Company ABC1, Company ABC2).
Run a subsequent import to update using the correct Company Name and matching Account Number.

After the first import, all future updates should match only on Account Number, not Company Name.