ORGANISER INTERVIEW
In our last interview , you said that taking over at RX just before the pandemic started had allowed you to rebuild the business even better than before . How has the progress gone so far ? Few could have predicted the past three years , that ’ s for certain , and I hope that we will never see such an environment again . But if the last three years have proved and taught us anything , it is that here at RX , we face our challenges head-on , with more innovation and transformation taking place across the company than ever before .
How do you think the industry in general has progressed since then ? From my perspective , our industry has bounced back with remarkable force . Last week RELX announced our results for the first six months of 2023 and I ’ m happy to say that we grew 27 % with average like-for-like events running ahead of prepandemic levels by the end of the period .
We ran 120 events during the first half of the year , including 12 in China . We welcomed international customers back to Shanghai , Beijing and Shenzhen and we are set to hold 40 major events in China by the end of the year .
In June , JCK , our international jewellery show in Las Vegas , sold out its show floor and surpassed 2019 with over 18,000 visitors . Arabian
Hugh Jones
Facing challenges head-on
EN ’ s Joe Gallop catches up with RX CEO Hugh Jones , who says the company remains vigilant in its acquisition strategy following its purchase of Corp Events
Travel Market in Dubai saw a 5 % increase in attendees in 2023 compared with 2019 .
Such positive data reinforces what 78 % of respondents told our Global
Digital Insights team earlier this year - that trade shows offer them something unique , a magic that cannot be created elsewhere . You can ’ t beat the sense of community and collaboration that comes from meeting and doing business in person . The energy and buzz of a packed exhibition hall . The ability to see , hear , touch , smell
Autumn — 17