Interview
Insights from RX’ s digital enabler
Paul Colston talks to RX’ s newly appointed digital product chief Jamie Harrison who advises exhibitors to lean into digital tools as business enablers
EW – How did you come to be in the events industry? What was your early career path and your early ambitions? I first encountered the exhibitions industry in 2001 while working for the digital agency Conchango. RX( then Reed Exhibitions) commissioned us to design marketing personas and refresh their digital customer engagement. That project introduced me to the events world and sparked enduring connections with RX.
Before that, my ambition had always been to build creative digital solutions and eventually found my own agency. My career was rooted in digital design and information architecture, and I dreamed of being an agency founder transforming challenging problems into innovative digital accelerators. But, once I discovered the exhibitions space, I realised it was where I could make the most meaningful impact. For more than 20 years, I’ ve been dedicated to enriching event experiences – first supporting diverse organisers and ultimately helping RX deliver outstanding customer experiences.
EW – Congratulations on promotion at the end of August to lead the company’ s full digital product estate. Tell us about that and your vision for its future. Thank you. It really is an exciting moment for me, and also a humbling one, because I know how much brilliant work has already gone into building RX’ s digital capabilities. What we have today is a powerful ecosystem that connects the entire customer journey – right from the very first moment someone discovers one of our events, through to the time they spend on the
“[ Digital ] Tools should act like a companion, quietly working in the background to make sure every exhibitor and every visitor gets more out of their time with us”
Left: Jamie Harrison show floor, and then back into their dayto-day business afterwards.
What really excites me is how this gives our RX event teams such a clear window into that journey. We can see, almost in real time, how people are engaging: what they’ re interested in, where they’ re getting value – and then respond in ways that make the experience more useful, more relevant, and ultimately more rewarding.
At the core of it all is our Business Builder suite – our own RX platform that brings registration, matchmaking, lead capture and analytics together in one place. Add to that our connected data foundation and registration platforms like Mercury, and we’ ve got the ability to deliver consistently across markets, while still moving fast as our customer needs evolve.
But for me, the vision isn’ t about the technology itself. It’ s about how natural it feels to use. These tools should act like a companion, quietly working in the background to make sure every exhibitor and every visitor gets more out of their time with us. When you see someone walk away with new connections, new knowledge, and a clear plan for what comes next – that’ s when the digital really feels magical.
EW – What new features and opportunities can exhibitors and visitors look forward to at the RX shows of tomorrow? Moving forward, our digital platform acts as a catalyst for enhancing customer value. For visitors, time on the show floor is invaluable, so we ' re building AI-driven‘ digital companions’ that surface personalised experiences in real time. These assistants will anticipate objectives, suggest exhibitors, content, and products, and help ensure every moment counts. Plus, attendees can take away a comprehensive digital record of their experience, streamlining follow-up and internal visibility.
For exhibitors, we’ re introducing a new exhibitor preparation experience
34 Issue 5 2025 www. exhibitionworld. co. uk