Feature
Sophie Holt, global
strategy director,
Explori and editor
of the Global Visitor
Insights report
“When we look at the views of over
13,000 trade show visitors around
the world who responded to our
recent Global Visitor Insights
study, they give us a very clear
message: It doesn’t matter whether
events are entertaining as long
as they can meet their business
objectives.
“The majority of our current
visitors (76 per cent) think trade
shows shouldn’t become more like
festivals.
“But this doesn’t quite tell the
full story. Unsurprisingly, younger
visitors (those aged 35 and under)
are much warmer to the idea of
festivalisation. This trend holds
true even when we compare the
views of just CEOs and business
owners; twice as many ‘millennial’
CEOs thought trade shows should
be more like festivals, than CEOs
in older age groups.
“Younger CEOs were also twice
as likely to say they would spend
longer at a show if it was more
entertaining.
“This suggests that whilst
organisers of shows in the UK
should be firmly emphasising the
business benefits of attending,
it is an important
trend to watch for the
future. Millennials
will increasingly
hold the most
senior roles in the
markets our shows
serve and they don’t
appear to be losing
their generational
preferences as they get
more senior in their careers. They
will expect organisers to deliver
both business benefits and an
entertaining experience.
“The good news is, the aspects
of a ‘festival-style’ event that
appealed most to our respondents
may not require a large investment
from organisers. Talks and
presentations delivered in different
styles, was a popular trend
across all age groups, especially
younger generations who define
themselves as content creators.
New technology, such as VR was
also popular, with up to 72 per cent
of respondents in some regions
telling us this was something they
would definitely like to use.
“The appetite for more
entertaining, festival style
shows is stronger when we look
outside the UK at markets where
the exhibitions industry is less
developed, for example 43 per
cent of respondents from Asia and
the Middle East think they would
spend longer at a more enjoyable
event; almost double the response
from markets such as Europe and
North America.”
Chris Brazier, group event director,
Diversified Communications
“While it’s important
to come across as
professional, it’s also
important to us to
show people a good
time. We feel we
have a responsibility
to make sure these
huge decisionmakers
at our trade shows
are enjoying
themselves as well
as finding solutions
for their businesses.
At Diversified we
work really hard
to make sure the
show experience
is an entertaining
and memorable
one for visitors and
exhibitors.
“We look at ways
to include laughter
in theatres, friendly
experiences through
networking and a
great atmosphere by
often utilising music
around the show – we
even put a huge DJ
booth in the centre
of the floor at Casual
Dining. It fitted in
with a huge part of
the iconography of
modern restaurants,
pubs and bars but
more importantly
created a lively
atmosphere for the
two days that the
sector gets together.
“We want people
doing business but
surely they are more
likely to do business if
they genuinely enjoy
being at the event?
By using elements of
what makes the best
festivals memorable
we find buyers feeling
that they want to
go to a trade show,
rather than having to
go to a trade show.”
June — 33