Syncromatics Provides Tracking Technology to Move Thousands of DNC Attendees

In addition to delegates and elected officials, California also sent an important piece of technology to the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Los Angeles-based Syncromatics’ bus tracking technology played a key role for the team that provided safe and reliable transportation to delegates, media, and VIP guests at the DNC in Philadelphia.

The Democratic National Convention Committee turned to Event Transportation Associates (ETA) to implement a temporary transit system capable of moving people from hotels scattered around the city and New Jersey to various convention sites. As a contractor to ETA, Syncromatics provided computer aided dispatching and automatic vehicle location software as well as a real time passenger information website so delegates could quickly check the location of their bus and transit time to their convention venues.

 “With tens of thousands of delegates, media, staff, and other honored attendees descending on Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention, Syncromatics was proud to provide leading-edge technology that allowed convention-goers to navigate the city safely, quickly, and easily,” said Syncromatics CEO Ian Sephton. “This experience at the DNC showed we can deploy our proven public transit technology to help event organizers set up turnkey transportation dispatch and passenger information systems. If we can make it work for the DNC, we can make it work for any event.”

In the span of only 48 hours, Syncromatics installed GPS tracking devices on the fleet of more than 400 buses sourced from over 20 private and public fleets in the area. Syncromatics also provided web-based dispatching technology to power the central bus operations command center and feed data to the City of Philadelphia’s Emergency Operations Center. More than just dots on a map, the Syncromatics software provided route based assignments for each vehicle, enabling dispatchers to anticipate service disruptions and take proactive measures to ensure passenger safety and troubleshoot potential issues.

“The Syncromatics technology was a huge improvement over vehicle tracking systems we’ve used at past conventions,” said Janie Hollingsworth, CEO of ETA. “What really set Syncromatics apart was the dedication and focus their staff brought to the dispatch center to help us get the most out of the technology. The security and logistical requirements make the DNC a very complex event, and Syncromatics’ experience in public transit was a tremendous asset for the DNC bus operations.”

In addition to behind the scenes dispatching, Syncromatics hosted a public website to enable convention attendees to track their buses in real-time. The mobile responsive website garnered more than 10,000 users during the week of the convention.