Rosita Mariella Rosita is an art historian and researcher based in Madrid. She’s been working in the art market since 2015, for galleries and collections based in London, until she joined ARTSVP in 2021.
Table of Contents
- What are exhibitor portals?
- Key benefits
- How do Exhibitor Portals work?
- Features to look for in an exhibitor portal
- VIP invite allocation: send exclusive invitations to priority guests.
- Booking links – share the event with your mailing list with a booking link.
- Custom notifications – Receive alerts via email or WhatsApp when guests have arrived.
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Since launching exhibitor portals, over 3,000 galleries worldwide have used them to streamline their VIP invitation process. Designed to protect guest data while giving exhibitors full control over their invitations, these portals have become an essential tool for art fairs looking to modernise access management. In the past few months, we’ve refined these portals further, making them even more intuitive for both fairs and exhibitors. One of the latest features, real-time WhatsApp notifications, ensures galleries know the moment their VIP guests arrive. See an example in the image below.
What are exhibitor portals?
Exhibitor portals are a secure and efficient way for galleries to manage their VIP invitations at art fairs. Instead of handing over client details to fair organisers, exhibitors can send out invites directly, while tracking guest bookings and check-ins in real time.
With many fairs now operating on digital passes, exhibitor portals have become a crucial solution for maintaining guest privacy while ensuring a smooth invitation process.
Key benefits
- Data privacy protection – Galleries never need to submit client details to the fair.
- Efficient VIP management – Fairs no longer act as intermediaries in the invitation process.
- Autonomy for exhibitors – Galleries can send and track invites independently.
- Seamless integration – Guests receive clear, traceable invitations from galleries.
By removing the need for fairs to manage VIP lists manually, exhibitor portals reduce admin work while ensuring a better experience for both exhibitors and guests.
How do Exhibitor Portals work?
Exhibitor portals allow fairs to allocate VIP invitations to each gallery. Exhibitors then distribute their invites directly via the portal, where they can:
✅ Send personalised invitations
✅ Monitor guest bookings
✅ Track real-time check-ins
By eliminating unnecessary bottlenecks, the portal ensures that every invite reaches the right guest without compromising privacy.
Want to see how it works? Watch our video guide below.
Features to look for in an exhibitor portal
When choosing an exhibitor portal, look for key features like:
VIP invite allocation: send exclusive invitations to priority guests.
The fair provides each gallery a certain amount of invites, that can be of different type (e.g. VIP 1, VIP 2, Public Days etc. ). To create invites, follow these instructions below:
After generating an invite, galleries can send it directly to your guests via ARTSVP. The guests will receive a personalised email with a unique link to their invitation. The subject and body of the email can be modified before sending. More info here.
Booking links – share the event with your mailing list with a booking link.
Galleries can extend their reach by using trackable RSVP links to invite a broader audience beyond their core VIP clients. These links can be easily shared via email campaigns, social media, or newsletters, allowing galleries to engage collectors, art enthusiasts, and potential buyers who may not be on their direct contact list. By tracking responses, galleries gain valuable insights into guest interest and attendance, helping them refine their outreach strategies and ensure a well-curated experience for both existing and new visitors.
Custom notifications – Receive alerts via email or WhatsApp when guests have arrived.
Exhibitor portals now offer custom notifications, allowing galleries to receive alerts via email or WhatsApp as soon as their guests check in at the fair. This feature ensures that galleries can offer a seamless and personalised experience, ensuring VIP guests are welcomed and attended to upon arrival.
Over the past few months, we’ve continued improving exhibitor portals based on feedback from fairs, galleries, and guests. Over the past few months, we’ve continued improving exhibitor portals based on feedback from fairs, galleries, and guests.
If you have any ideas or feedback from using a portal please let us know here.
Written by
Rosita Mariella
Rosita is an art historian and researcher based in Madrid. She’s been working in the art market since 2015, for galleries and collections based in London, until she joined ARTSVP in 2021.