ExpoVerse

Abstract

TEDI-Najah expo at An-Najah National University bring together students, companies, and visitors to showcase academic projects, graduation work, startups, and career opportunities. Despite their importance, these events are commonly managed using manual and disconnected processes, which create challenges in booth organization, participant coordination, information accessibility, and real-time communication. As the number of participants and activities increases, these limitations negatively impact both the organizational efficiency and the overall expo experience. This project presents ExpoVerse, a smart digital platform developed to enhance the planning, management, and interaction of the An-Najah University Expo. ExpoVerse provides a unified digital environment that connects students, companies, visitors, and administrators through a centralized system designed to automate workflows, improve navigation, and support meaningful engagement throughout the event. The platform defines four main user roles: Students, Companies, Visitors, and Administrators, each supported by dedicated functionalities. Students can create profiles, upload CVs, submit projects for approval, collaborate in teams, and present their work through assigned booths. Companies can register their profiles, showcase services or products, publish job opportunities, and interact with student applicants. Administrators manage approvals, booth allocation, scheduling, and overall expo configuration. Visitors can explore projects and companies, interact with content, and navigate the expo using a virtual interactive map. A key component of ExpoVerse is its interactive map, which digitally represents the university plaza and supports multiple booth zones and layouts. The map enables intuitive navigation through zooming, panning, and booth selection, making it easier for visitors to locate projects and companies. The platform also integrates real-time notifications, a chat system, and an AI-powered chatbot that assists users by answering questions related to projects, booths, and expo logistics. ExpoVerse is implemented using modern web and mobile technologies. The frontend is developed using React for the web application and React Native for the mobile application, while the backend is built with Node.js and Express.js. Data is stored using MySQL hosted on AWS RDS, and media files such as images and CVs are managed through AWS S3. The system employs secure authentication and role-based access control to ensure data protection and reliable operation. By transforming the traditional expo into a digital and interactive ecosystem, ExpoVerse improves organization, accessibility, and user experience, supporting An-Najah University’s vision for innovation and smarter academic events.