A practical comparison of ExpoFP's floor-plan-first platform and Grip's AI-powered event matchmaking and networking software — so you can pick the right tool for your event.
Free
plan available
7-day
full-featured trial
$149/mo
published DIY pricing from
No app
needed for web wayfinding
Grip (grip.events) is an AI-powered event networking and matchmaking platform built for commercial B2B events — large trade shows, conferences, confex, and hosted buyer programs. Its core strength is connecting the right participants: AI matchmaking driven by machine-learning algorithms, pre-scheduled meetings in many formats, a white-label mobile event app, exhibitor lead retrieval via badge scanning, plus registration, exhibitor management, and onsite tools such as badge printing and smart badges. Grip is used by some of the world's largest organizers, including names like SXSW, Money20/20, Clarion Events, Informa, and Emerald, and it positions itself around one outcome: more business relationships and more revenue per event.
ExpoFP approaches events from a different starting point: the floor plan. It is a focused platform for creating interactive event floor plans, managing booth inventory, taking booth reservations and online booth purchases, publishing a searchable exhibitor directory, embedding everything directly into your event website, and giving attendees turn-by-turn wayfinding that runs in any browser — no app download required. Organizers draw or import their floor plan, keep booth availability in sync in real time, and use the map itself as a sales and navigation tool, with reporting on how visitors interact with it.
This page is for teams comparing ExpoFP vs Grip, looking for a Grip alternative, or trying to understand how an interactive floor plan platform differs from an AI event matchmaking platform — including event wayfinding software, booth sales software, and trade show floor plan tools — before committing budget for the next event cycle.
The two products approach the “map the show floor” problem from very different starting points.
Your priority is the exhibition floor itself: selling booths from a live interactive map, managing space inventory, publishing an exhibitor directory, and helping attendees find their way around without installing an app. ExpoFP has a free plan, a 7-day full-featured trial, and published self-service pricing starting at $149/mo, so you can launch a working floor plan in days rather than going through a sales cycle.
Your priority is networking outcomes: AI-driven matchmaking between buyers and sellers, pre-scheduled meeting programs, hosted buyer formats, and exhibitor lead retrieval inside a branded mobile event app. Grip is built for large commercial event organizers who want meetings and measurable relationship ROI at the center of the event — and who are comfortable with enterprise-style, quote-based pricing.
Rows use cautious wording where Grip's floor plan behavior is not publicly documented and should be confirmed with the vendor.
| Feature | ExpoFP | Grip |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive event floor plans | Core product — purpose-built editor, live interactive maps | Floor plans appear in the event appHistorically delivered together with floor plan partners (including ExpoFP) — scope should be confirmed |
| Floor plan editing | Full self-service editor; draw from scratch or import existing plans | Not a core focusNative editing capabilities should be confirmed with Grip |
| Booth management | Built-in booth inventoryStatuses, sizes, and pricing on the map | Exhibitor management focuses on profiles and tasksMap-based booth inventory should be confirmed |
| Booth reservations | Yes — exhibitors can reserve booths directly from the live map | Not a documented core featureConfirm with Grip |
| Booth purchases online | Yes — online booth sales on paid plansBooth reservation and sponsorships included from DIY at $149/mo; exhibitor payments can be enabled on DIY, Standard and Pro plans | Not a documented core feature; monetization centers on meetings and sponsorship |
| Real-time booth availability | Yes — availability updates live on the public floor plan | Should be confirmed; not part of Grip's published core positioning |
| Exhibitor profiles / listings | Yes — exhibitor directory linked to booths on the map | YesRich exhibitor and participant profiles feed the matchmaking engine |
| Search by booth, company, or category | Yes — built-in search across booths, companies, and categories | Yes — directory and recommendation search within the event app |
| Attendee wayfinding | YesTurn-by-turn wayfinding in the browser | Wayfinding is referenced as an event app feature; depth and setup should be confirmed |
| Mobile / browser experience | Web-firstWorks in any mobile or desktop browser, no download | Award-winning white-label mobile event appApp download is central to the experience |
| Multi-floor / multi-building support | Yes — multiple levels, halls, and buildings on one plan | Should be confirmed for map featuresThe platform itself supports large multi-venue shows |
| Website embedding | YesEmbed the floor plan and exhibitor list into your own site | Platform is app- and portal-centric; embeddable floor plan widgets should be confirmed |
| Self-service setup | YesSign up, build, and publish without a sales call | Sales-led onboarding with dedicated delivery and success teams |
| Lead retrieval / capture | Exhibitor discovery and floor plan analytics; pairs with lead retrieval tools | StrongBadge scanning, lead qualification questions, scoring, and team sharing |
| Public pricing | YesPublished plans from $149/mo, free plan, 7-day trial | No published pricingCustom quotes via demo/RFP |
| Product scope | Focused: floor plans, booth sales, exhibitor discovery, wayfinding | Broad: matchmaking, meetings, event app, registration, lead retrieval, onsite |
| Best fit | Organizers who need the expo floor mapped, sold, and navigable | Organizers who need networking and meetings as the core event product |
| Ideal buyer | Trade shows, expos, and fairs of any size, including small teams | Large commercial B2B organizers with meeting-driven event models |
Grip's publicly documented strengths are real: its matchmaking, meeting formats, and lead retrieval are among the most established in the industry. But floor plan creation, booth inventory, and booth sales are not what Grip is built around — for those, organizers typically bring in a dedicated mapping platform.
When the job to be done is the exhibition floor — designing it, selling it, and helping people navigate it — teams tend to choose the specialized tool:
If the commercial heart of your event is meetings — hosted buyer programs, curated 1-2-1s between investors and startups, or matchmaking across tens of thousands of participants — Grip is purpose-built for that, and ExpoFP does not attempt to replicate it. Grip's AI matchmaking, wide range of meeting formats, exhibitor lead retrieval, registration, and onsite badging make it a strong end-to-end choice for large commercial organizers who want engagement and relationship ROI as the primary product of the event, and who have the budget for an enterprise, quote-based platform.
The honest way to frame this comparison is map-first versus matchmaking-first.
ExpoFP starts from the physical reality of the show floor: every booth, aisle, hall, and level, with commercial logic (inventory, reservations, payments) and attendee logic (search, wayfinding) layered on top. Grip starts from the people: who should meet whom, when, and how, with the AI engine, meeting scheduler, and event app built to maximize those connections. Each platform is strongest exactly where the other is thinnest.
That means the real question is not "which is better" but "which problem is costing you more." If exhibitors are calling to ask which booths are still free, if your floor plan lives in a PDF, or if attendees get lost in a multi-hall venue, a matchmaking platform will not fix that — you need map infrastructure. If your attendees leave without meeting the right buyers and your exhibitors question their ROI, a floor plan will not fix that either — you need a networking engine.
Budget-wise, ExpoFP is a transparent monthly subscription; Grip is a custom-quoted enterprise engagement. Match the spend to the bottleneck.
It is worth being direct: ExpoFP and Grip are not head-to-head competitors so much as adjacent tools that solve different problems — and they have publicly partnered. ExpoFP has served as Grip's floor plan provider, with the two products used together at major events such as SXSW, Cannes Lions, Digital X, spoga+gafa, and Autumn Fair. Grip's own app experience references interactive floor plans and wayfinding, and ExpoFP is the mapping layer behind that at many shows.
In practice, many large organizers run both: Grip handles matchmaking, meetings, and lead retrieval, while ExpoFP handles the floor plan, booth inventory, and navigation. The combination works because the workflows connect naturally:
If you already use Grip and only need better mapping, adding ExpoFP is a low-risk, low-cost step. If you only need the floor solved, ExpoFP alone may be all you need.
Common questions for teams comparing ExpoFP and Grip.
Partially. ExpoFP is a direct alternative for interactive floor plans, booth sales, exhibitor directories, and attendee wayfinding — areas where Grip is not focused. It is not an alternative for AI matchmaking, pre-scheduled meeting programs, or badge-scan lead retrieval, which are Grip's core. Many organizers use the two together rather than choosing between them.
Start free, or upload your existing plan and have an interactive map running this week.
Information on this page is based on publicly available product materials and may change over time. If you represent this product and would like us to correct or update anything, please contact us. This is ExpoFP's own comparison and reflects our perspective based on publicly available information and user-facing product research.