Interview
Opening a window into the future
Hugh Jones, CEO of global organiser RX, offers insights into how the company is orchestrating the modern event experience
What is RX today? RX today is a business built around helping industries grow. At our core, our mission is simple: helping people and businesses grow by creating communities and building businesses. We’ ve evolved from being primarily an organiser of events into a company that designs environments where industries can grow. Our events remain the heartbeat of those environments, but increasingly we’ re helping customers build partnerships, discover opportunities and generate business throughout the year. So, the mission hasn’ t changed, but it has expanded, and the tools we use to deliver it have become much more sophisticated.
How much of RX ' s value proposition now comes from technology, data and digital products versus the physical event? The physical event remains irreplaceable.
Business ultimately runs on trust, and there is still no substitute for standing face-to-face with a customer or seeing a product in person. But technology, data and digital products have become critical to amplifying the value of those interactions.
Five years ago, much of the value was concentrated in the days when an event took place. Today, technology helps customers discover opportunities before they
Above: Hugh Jones
arrive, connect with the right people while they’ re there, and continue generating value long after the event ends.
What’ s changed is that technology increasingly orchestrates the experience.
When someone walks into an RX event today, they’ re using digital tools to discover exhibitors, schedule meetings, navigate the show floor, capture content, generate leads, exchange information, and continue conversations afterwards. AI and analytics help us personalise recommendations, improve matchmaking, and create more relevant experiences for both visitors and exhibitors.
So, I don ' t see this as a choice between physical and digital. The future belongs to companies that combine both effectively.
When you look at your strongest events, are you really operating trade shows, or year-round industry communities? Increasingly, they’ re year-round industry communities.
The event remains the moment when the community comes together physically, but the relationships, insights and commercial activity increasingly extend throughout the year.
Success is defined by value and the strongest ones aren’ t necessarily the largest events. They’ re the ones that bring together the right people and create measurable outcomes.
Customers want more than exhibition space. They want market intelligence, connections, learning opportunities and access to people who can help them grow their businesses. They want a window into the future.
They also increasingly expect their industry communities to reflect the issues that matter to them. Sustainability, diversity, talent development and innovation are no longer side conversations. www. exhibitionworld. co. uk Issue 5 2026 31