WMF 2026: 3D Map with Indoor Navigation
How do you build a system capable of guiding thousands of people through an exhibition spanning more than 70,000 square meters, with hundreds of exhibitors, conference rooms, event areas, and visitor services?
For WMF 2026, we at Tredo developed a solution that combines a 3D map, wayfinding, and indoor positioning, transforming the event’s traditional floor plan into an interactive digital experience.
The project was built using Mapdo, our 3D mapping platform, and integrated into the official event web app, Ibrida. For indoor positioning, we partnered with BlueUp, integrating a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon infrastructure.
The result is a platform that connects the physical venue with its digital representation, improving the visitor experience while providing organizers with new tools to manage and enhance the event.
The Context
WMF – We Make Future is one of the leading international events dedicated to artificial intelligence, innovation, and digital technologies.
The 2026 edition covered approximately 70,000 m² of exhibition space, featuring more than 800 exhibitors, 14 thematic districts, 90 conference rooms, thousands of B2B meetings, events, concerts, and activities spread throughout the BolognaFiere exhibition center.
In an environment of this scale, finding your way becomes a challenge for both visitors and organizers.
The goal was not simply to digitize a floor plan, but to develop a tool that could genuinely improve the visitor experience.
A New Challenge
Our collaboration with Search On had already begun during WMF 2025.
On that occasion, we introduced Mapdo, Tredo’s platform that transforms traditional floor plans into an interactive 3D map.
Visitors could explore the exhibition halls, browse exhibitors, locate points of interest, and navigate the venue through a digital representation that was far more intuitive than a static map.
That first experience allowed us to validate the project and lay the foundations for an even more advanced solution.
The Evolution of the Project: Wayfinding
For the 2026 edition, we decided to take the project one step further.
The objective was no longer just to represent the venue, but to help people move through it.
To achieve this, we developed a new wayfinding feature and integrated it directly into Mapdo.
Visitors can search for an exhibitor, conference room, stage, or service and receive turn-by-turn guidance that updates as they move.
The 3D map becomes a dynamic interface that accompanies users throughout their visit, making navigation simple, intuitive, and immediate.
Platform Development
From a technological perspective, the project required the integration of multiple systems.
Mapdo was connected to the official Ibrida web app, allowing visitors to access the interactive map without switching applications.
To enable indoor positioning, we integrated a Bluetooth Low Energy beacon network provided by BlueUp.
The beacons provide the positioning layer, while Tredo’s algorithms process the collected data to estimate the visitor’s location and generate navigation routes on the 3D map.
The result is a system where all the technical complexity remains invisible: users simply choose a destination and follow the directions.
Beyond Navigation
For us, this project represents much more than a wayfinding feature.
It demonstrates how a 3D map can become a true digital platform, capable of integrating services, data, and interactive content within a single environment.
Through Mapdo, it is possible to connect exhibitors, brands, services, products, and digital content, while also integrating other solutions developed by Tredo, such as 3D product viewers, product configurators, and space management tools.
Navigation therefore becomes just one of the many services available within a much broader digital ecosystem.
A Project That Reflects Our Approach to Technology
The project developed for WMF 2026 reflects the way we build our solutions.
We start from a real-world need, design the user experience, and develop the technology required to make it simple and intuitive.
Mapdo was created with this exact purpose: transforming complex spaces into intelligent digital environments.
For us, this means continuing to develop solutions that combine 3D technology, interactivity, software integration, and indoor positioning, creating products that can be applied in real-world scenarios and deliver tangible value to companies, event organizers, and end users.
