Insight
Putting technology at the core
of growth strategies
ExpoPlatform’s MD Tanya Pinchuk discusses
the role of event technology in M&A
ccording to a recent
article from Accenture,
the IT environment
plays a critical role
in the success of transformation
arising from M&A deals (Accenture
Strategy, Revenue Growth Research,
2017). In it, the author claimed 41%
of companies see technology and
mobility as disruptors of their growth
strategies.
However, the same Accenture
Strategy Research found that nearly
half (47%) of executives are turning
this threat into an opportunity by
putting technology and mobility at the
core of their future growth strategies.
Anybody watching the news
headlines in our industry will know
why this is such an important subject
today. This year kicked off with Reed’s
buyout of Mack Brooks and according
to many commentators, we’re likely
to witness more M&A activity in 2019.
Carefully structured and scalable
growth is of paramount importance
for companies subject to, or
prosecuting a merger or acquisition.
Technology, after all, plays a large
role in establishing competitive
advantage. Updating tech and digital
event support systems at the point of
the takeover or merger, taking into
account new objectives, will help to
push home this advantage.
The problem is that it’s often
not possible to merge (for want
of a better word) two different
structures without replacing the
tools that underpin them. This is,
of course, quite an undertaking for
new companies, but nonetheless
a new tool that will cover the new
requirements is the right way
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk
“41% of
companies see
technology
and mobility
as disruptors
of their growth
strategy.”
forward.
The operational processes of one company will not
necessarily integrate smoothly with the equivalent
processes of the other, and in order to unify them we have
to rebuild processes taking into account the needs of both
organisations.
However, this strategic readjustment occurs at a time of
great change for the companies involved – and of course
these are not only the companies being brought together.
Suppliers on both sides of the merger won’t necessarily
have the best relationship and the task of managing this
falls to the organiser. The task is to integrate them through
the API or to replace the similar systems with the best
option, based on the newly mapped out processes.
There may be conflicting goals at all parties involved,
but in order to establish the way forward, the journeys
of exhibitors, visitors, and the organiser must be clearly
mapped.
When the merger/acquisition takes place, the organisers
face the biggest challenge – synchronising these processes
under one roof. And this is the right moment to introduce
new technologies able to reconcile the sometimes
divergent demands and priorities of
the merging parties – because there
are many.
Technology enables the planning
of exhibition hall layouts and
activities programmes; the sale of
stand/exhibition space; sponsorship;
registration; catalogues; security and
the supervision of exhibitor/visitor
networking and engagement to name
just a few.
In most cases we would advise
organisers to carry out their M&A and
tech transformation at the same time.
In this scenario, transformational
roadmaps spell out how event
technology can lead to the company
leapfrogging the competition, and
must therefore be an integral part of
merger integration plans from the off.
Modernised business platforms
help drive business growth from day
one, and ExpoPlatform has several
successful examples of providing
technology to companies on both
sides of the M&A process, where
problems of legacy, politics and
technology had to be solved.
Issue 1 2019
57