Industry trends |
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buyers and sellers based on their behaviour at the show .
Hall dives further into the industry ’ s adoption of AI and machine learning , describing how the technology has highlighted the irreplicable value of live events for many event professionals .
Hall notes : “ We view technologies such as generative AI and machine learning as huge opportunities for our events , brands , and colleagues . Our adoption of AI is focused on offering customers more targeted connections … customers are seeking out real , live experiences and investing in channels that deliver authenticity and results more and more .”
Hall adds that , into 2024 , Informa plans to continue analysing its large volumes of customer feedback to see how they can best harness these technologies to provide value to their customers .
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Challenges both old and new Denton , Hall , and Jones are expecting to see both familiar and new challenges this year , often still due to pandemic fallout .
Jones highlights the impact of ESG conflicts , carbon footprints , and smaller business travel spends on the industry possibly resulting in fewer show visitors but higher quality connections . Jones says : “ Seeing trade show aisles bursting with visitors is no longer a good barometer of a successful trade show . Nor should it be judged on how many square metres an exhibitor takes . The barometer should be how much business is done .”
The conversation around talent acquisition and retention is set to continue : “ Our industry has been great at keeping employees ,” explains Jones . For RX , part of this retention is bolstered by its global DEI & B policy , which sees the
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“ Customers are seeking out real , live experiences and investing in channels that deliver authenticity and results more and more .” |
company invest in programmes and initiatives across its international brand – “ As we change going into 2024 , so must our behaviours change – we want and need our employees to be nimble , creative , and brave and keep taking the big bets !” Denton echoes that talent will be a pivotal conversation for 2024 , highlighting staffing and skills in particular : “ I ’ m not sure how long we can carry on referencing the pandemic , but it did drive a lot of skilled and experienced staff away from the industry .” Denton additionlly says that the industry has done more than just bounce back , it is booming , so the new challenge is backfilling the open positions while also hiring more roles . More talent acquisition means more effort needs to be made to retain them , so a focus on nurturing new and upcoming talent is vital . EW |