CASE STUDY |
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“ A lot of it is the same for running any trade show ,” adds Robinson . “ But you have to be aware of different cultures , which is why we ’ re not rushing to go into the UAE - we want to do it properly . With only one office in the UK - if we ’ re going to do business in the UAE , we need to make sure that we pick the right kind of partners in the local area . The language barrier could be more of a problem in those particular markets .
“ As we know , in our industry , 2025 is not a long way off at all . We ’ ve probably missed the window to launch anything new out there in 2024 , so we ’ ve set our sights on Q1 or Q2 in a couple of years .”
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Cultural differences Even in the US , there are differences to be aware of . Natives do not usually say the term ‘ delegate ’; use different metrics such as square feet instead of metres and often use ‘ booth ’ rather than ‘ stand ’.
Robinsonson admits : “ Perhaps we were naive in the beginning . But we learnt lessons quickly that just because you ’ re in a new market and English is the primary language , it doesn ’ t mean everyone refers to things in the same way you ’ d expect .”
It is not just about language barriers or the branding and promotion of the event , but operationally there are also different challenges , continues Robinson : “ In Europe , exhibitors , in particular , are used to doing shell schemes for smaller booths and having custom booths for larger booths . In the US , they use pipe and drape .
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“ There are other nuances of doing business in the North American market compared to Europe , which we are yet to discover . We ’ re trying to make sure that we do as much research and due diligence as possible . The time zone is obviously the biggest challenge which means there are some late nights .”
Lockdown launch The Hydrogen Technology Expo has seen impressive growth in three years since launching during lockdown . The event started with 125 exhibitors in 2021 and it will have around 550 by the time it
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Above : Mike Robinson |
takes place in Bremen for the final time in September .
After the 25,000 sqm of space was sold out in Bremen , TGE signed a contract with Hamburg Messe at the end of last year to host the event until 2028 .
With the city hosting the largest wind energy Expo , WindEnergy Hamburg , Robinson says the venue was a perfect choice .
“ The local government are really pushing hydrogen and wind . It ’ s a key energy hub , not just in Europe , but internationally . And of course , it ’ s a first-class venue and facility .”
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38 — Autumn |