Meet Mapzest: Riviera Connect - The EXPO for Business, Tourism & Hospitality

Come and meet Mapzest at Riviera Connect 2026

On Wednesday 7 October 2026 the Riviera International Centre in Torquay hosts Riviera Connect - The EXPO for Business, Tourism & Hospitality - and Mapzest will be there, on the exhibition floor, all day. It's free to attend, and it's the easiest chance you'll get this year to meet the team behind the Mapzest Discovery Platform in person.

If you run a hotel, a café, an attraction, a shop, an activity or an event anywhere on the English Riviera - or you work for an organisation trying to get more visitors to find them - come and say hello. Bring your questions, bring your phone, and we'll show you exactly what Mapzest looks like for a business like yours.

What you'll see on our stand

The Mapzest Discovery Platform, live - the Mapzest app, Mapzest Discover in the browser, our interactive digital kiosks and Mapzest Connect QR pages, all running from the same listing data. Update your opening hours, an offer or an event once, and it's right everywhere a visitor might look.

Your own free QR code - every independent business and community organisation on Mapzest gets a branded Mapzest Connect page and QR code, at no cost. We can look up your listing on the stand and show you yours.

The Mapzest Network - for brands and organisations that want to put themselves in front of visitors across the app, Discover web, kiosks and Connect touchpoints, in one conversation.

Real examples from this summer - how the Brixham Pirate Festival, the South West Sardine Festival and the ICF SUP World Cup used Mapzest to guide thousands of visitors through their day.

Why Mapzest belongs at a business, tourism and hospitality expo

Visitors don't plan a day out in one place any more. They search on a laptop the night before, tap a link on social media, scan a sign on the seafront and check a map on their phone as they walk. Mapzest puts a destination's businesses, attractions and events in front of them at every one of those moments - and keeps it all up to date without anyone having to reprint anything.

That's exactly the audience Riviera Connect brings together - accommodation providers, hospitality, attractions, retailers, local authority teams, and the business support organisations around them. Whether you want more visitors through your door, or you're responsible for helping a whole area get discovered, we'd love to talk.

Much more than one stand - who else is exhibiting

Riviera Connect brings together dozens of exhibitors from right across the Bay's economy, spanning attractions, food and drink, hospitality, finance, legal, marketing, education, IT and charity. Among them this year are the National Trust, House of Marbles, the Babbacombe Theatre, the Princess Theatre (ATG Entertainment), Torquay United Football Club and TLH Leisure Resort.

Food and drink is well represented too, with Bays Brewery, Salcombe Brewery, Hunts Cider and Cartwright Coffee all on the exhibitor list - alongside local charities including Rowcroft Hospice and Children's Hospice South West, and business support from the Growth Hub, South Devon College and CoreTechnics.

Torbay Council is out in force with several stands of its own: the Events Team, My Bay (the Bay's resident rewards scheme), the Estates Team, the Registration and Celebrant Service, and the Torbay Story.

Speakers, workshops, the Hi-Tech Zone and networking

Riviera Connect is built as an action-packed day rather than just a hall of stands. Expect expert guest speakers and practical workshops designed to help local businesses future-proof themselves, plus plenty of dedicated networking opportunities to meet the people you'd otherwise only ever email.

The Hi-Tech Zone shines a spotlight on the English Riviera's growing high-tech cluster - the innovation being built right here in the Bay, and the career paths open to students, graduates and career changers who want to be part of it.

Keep an eye on the Riviera Connect website and social channels for the latest programme updates, and check out the Riviera Connect Podcast in the run-up to the day.

Thank you to the sponsors

Riviera Connect is organised by the English Riviera BID Company and the Torbay Business Forum, and made possible by its sponsors - Platinum sponsor Bigwave Marketing; Gold sponsor Torbay Council; Silver sponsors Wollens, South Devon College, Enlighten HR, Insignia Creative, MD Elite Cleaning Services, Hotel Indigo and Brown & Brown; and Bronze sponsors Price First Taxis and Konsileo.

This year's event charity is Play Torbay, a small local charity that creates fun, accessible outdoor play opportunities for hundreds of children and families across the Bay every year.

See you on 7 October

Registration is free and only takes a minute. Come and find the Mapzest stand, tell us about your business, and walk away knowing exactly how you could be reaching more visitors this time next year.