Strategy
Strategy steps for future success
Denzil Rankine on why events require a strategy, not just a plan
ost organisers are
finding growth
increasingly hard to
come by. We also know
of disaster stories – Comdex, CeBIT,
Baselword and Interbike. These
leading, well-established events
failed to evolve with the market and
respond to changing customer needs.
If strategic planning had been part
of their DNA, I’m confident the story
would have been different.
One problem is that when an
organiser has a winning tradeshow
on its hands, it’s all too easy to ride
the wave. The event grows and
new opportunities come knocking.
The budget is set along with a plan
to deliver it, but little or no formal
strategy.
But this is not sustainable. Every
show should have a strategy that
reflects the realities not just of today’s
market, but that of the future. This
is one of the initiatives of AMR’s
Exhibitions 2.0.
the future.
3. Identify the gap with today’s
event
• The event needs accurately to serve
the market of today – and crucially of
tomorrow
• Figure out dispassionately where
you are missing the mark and how to
evolve to meet the needs of tomorrow
4. Move to the future show shape
and positioning
• Set a clear vision for the event and
its role – how it serves the future
market
• Define a series of practical steps,
edition by edition.
Setting the strategy for the event
Here is a simple set of steps:
1. Review the outlook of the
underlying market
• Events are governed by trends in
their served markets
• Use a simple structure to identify
and analyse the market – e.g. changes
in industry structure, technology,
regulation, etc – and understand what
the market of the future will be.
2. Assess its impact on customer
needs
• Event participants want relevance
and value
• Assess how market developments
will impact customer needs of
Making it happen
Strategy should be a continuous cycle,
embedded in the mindset of event
and business unit leadership, and
understood by the operations teams.
The strategic planning process
critical for every event – large or small
Today’s
served
market
Future served
market, shape
and needs
Market trends
Are we leading
or reacting?
Are we perfectly
connected?
Current
show
positioning
78
Issue 5 2019
Short-term
(t+1 year)
Mid-term
(t+2/3)
Long-term
(t+5)
Future show
positioning
(vision and role)
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk