Few companies know about the topic of geo adaption more than dmg events . With more than 80 events across 25 countries , it continues to be a key component in the company ’ s growth strategy . In an interview with this publication last year , dmg events president Matt Denton told us the word ‘ cloning ’ is banned in his team . “ I don ’ t allow anyone to call it geo-cloning ,” he said at the time . “ We refer to it as geoadapting .” Denton ’ s logic was that , when you clone a show , it does not work , and it should not be treated as a copy-andpaste exercise . Organisers should instead look to adapt it at various different levels . One year on , dmg SVP for construction Ben Greenish says ‘ geo-cloning ’ is “ alive and well ”, but only in certain scenarios . “ A lot of people say geo-cloning is a thing of the past and it ’ s all about geo-adaption , and to a certain extent I agree ,” he says . “ But I also think geocloning is still possible when you have a mature and global industry .”
Speaking from Dubai , Greenish cites the medical or
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financial world as examples in which cloning may still work : “ When you ’ re taking a globally consistent industry to another market with professionals who are all at the same level - where the message and the professionals receiving the message is consistent the world over - it can work . “ Whereas geo-adaption is all about localisation . In construction , which we operate a lot in , every single market is maturing at a different pace and has different regulations , financial constraints , different politics . “ The culture , politics and freedom to operate , even in relatively mature markets like the UAE and Saudi , is vastly different . Even more so when running events in places like Kenya , Nigeria and Egypt . With emerging markets , you can ’ t clone . You have to adapt it to the local needs .”
The Big 5 Dmg ’ s ‘ Big 5 ’ portfolio , which includes its flagship event in Dubai , has grown to become a leader in the construction industry events arena since it first
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Ben Greenish
launched 40 years ago , with seven other shows .
Greenish says when taking these shows into other markets , his team has to redesign them from the bottom up , in order to reflect what that market needs - taking into account factors such as whether there is any manufacturing in that country or if all the products are imported .
“ We might geo-move the brand , but we have to geotailor the activity to make sure that we meet those requirements of the local
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market ,” he says .
Saudia Arabia is a region in which dmg has an everstrengthening presence , with over 15 events in the country . The company recently launched a water infrastructure expo in Saudi to capitalise on the region ’ s towering water demands .
“ Saudi Arabia ’ s relentless pursuit of water security has created a fertile ground for growth and innovation in the industry ,” dmg ’ s Denton had previously stated .
Saudi ’ s economy is “ booming on all fronts ,” adds
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14 — Autumn |