New Era for Exhibitions
Forged during the ‘ adapt or perish ’ challenges of the pandemic , TrenIQ CEO Sheetal Sachdev , has developed and launched QHost , an end-to-end one-stop SaaS to streamline the management of all the processes for exhibition organisers . With big brands signing up , they say this will spell a new era for the exhibitions industry , writes Richard Forsyth
SaaS products for the exhibitions industry had a fragmented approach to organising shows , forcing managers to adopt several disconnected pieces of software before , during and after a show . Combinations of software are used , and the procurement quagmire was exactly what inspired the creation of QHost .
Decluttering IT for exhibitions “ The ‘ pain ’ felt by exhibitors using software for support , was that they had to invest into several products and manage them independently for each phase of an exhibition ,” said QHost CEO , Sheetal Sachdev . “ It could be complex , timeconsuming , expensive and messy when dealing with these , all in sequence .”
She realised there was no SaaS that dealt with the whole process from endto-end , that could be carried forward to further shows as one source of data , and she had a clear idea of how to develop it .
“ We created the only platform that allows event organisers to use one technology for every phase , so pre-event it ’ s an event website , during it becomes a virtual event and post-event it becomes a marketplace . Normally , they would sign up with at least three different service providers . This is one place for everything , so it ’ s easier and keeps the data central and available .”
Not only solving problems during the dark days of the pandemic , it has since evolved as a complete support platform for exhibitions and shows , online and hybrid .
“ My non-exec advised me to be ready because as he said , this is a monster , this is big ,” Sachdev recalled .
She realised she was dealing with something disruptive and industry changing .
Being the first is important “ We began in 2021 , straight away attracting clients such as Conde Nast and Clarion ,” said Sachdev . “ Our
Sheetal Sachdev platform supported the launch of virtual events such as Vogue Wedding Show , Architectural Digest and Top Drawer to name a few and we had incredible metrics – like 10 million page views . Only a year in , we are transforming the way major exhibitions are run . We now need to continue to grow the proposition in the events industry and keep momentum . This is definitely the way forward for running these kinds of events , we have proven its value to our initial clients .”
The platform is customisable to each client ’ s branding and requirements and provides a marketplace for sellers to showcase their collections , whilst consumers can see trends and launches , schedule meetings , raise enquiries and request quotes , whilst international payments and worldwide deliveries are possible .
Sachdev is forming a dedicated team and a robust structure around the business , with an eye on further product development .
“ Being the first to do this is important , and we intend to keep ahead . My priority is this . It ’ s what is needed by the industry , and we have it , this is a big moment .” EN
December — 57