Exhibition World Issue 6 | Page 13

Stateside with Stephanie

Money 20 / 20 USA

scential ’ s Money 20 / 20

A

USA was held October 2022 at the Venetian Expo ( formerly Sands Expo ) in Las Vegas . The company also produces Money 20 / 20 at the RAI in Amsterdam and has announced plans for a third edition in Bangkok in 2024 . Most stands are 9-18sqm in size and set up for meetings and the show floor is laid out in a concentric circular pattern instead of a grid , designed to keep visitors on a journey . Some stands are triangular-shaped , and exhibitors made them work well .
Many trends we ’ ve been hearing about this year Money 20 / 20 has been doing successfully for years and include featuring curated content , matchmaking and appointment setting for exhibitors to attendees , attendees to exhibitors , and attendees to attendees . Event locales are chosen for bleisure purposes .
Complimentary upscale food and drink is available all over the expo floor . At one point
before a sponsored concert with the band Foreigner , I sat under a ‘ money tree ’ listening to a recording of birds chirping . It was subtle and cool .
Money 20 / 20 USA is a gathering of the financial community . As Denise Medved , SVP Money 20 / 20 USA , Futures Division , explained : “ We have a creative team who plan everything on the show floor . It includes every component , from chair and sign placement to food and drink choices , to exhibit space design , to all six stages – everything has a purpose and meaning . All decisions are based on the question ‘ is this on brand for us ?’” If expo floor ideas don ’ t contribute to community building and delivering on experience , they are discarded . The show ’ s revenue stream is not solely dependent on sponsors and exhibit space . Delegates are charged a high gate ( entrance fee ), so you know they want to be there . And with high prices , there are high expectations . Medved added : “ Throughout the event , the
Above : Money 20 / 20
Connections Lounge with 200 + tables is packed with meetings , normally lasting 20 minutes each . Our App has a high rate of adoption and is used to book those meetings .”
Big parties are held nightly keeping delegates and sponsors . Medved concluded : “ When the financial ecosystem meets annually in Las Vegas , we want them to know they are somewhere else . They want to do business and celebrate their special community .” That energy was palpable .

10 Trends I wish for in 2023

t ’ s that time of the

I year , so let the prognostications begin ! Instead of the usual predictions ( sustainability , bleisure and the like ), here ’ s my list of what I hope will trend in 2023 .

• Proving and delivering the value of exhibitions to visitors , exhibitors , and sponsors .
• The use of technology and data in executing a superior experience for all our stakeholders .
• Exhibitor and visitor training pre-show will be normalised and incorporated for all expos , not just a few .
• Bespoke sponsorships . Good-bye Platinum , Gold and Silver . Hello originality !
• ROI is now Return on Intention ! The intention ( reason ) a stakeholder went or exhibited at a show . ( Note : my favorite remains delivering on ROE – Return on Everything , but ROI is pretty cool .)
• It ’ s about the number of engagements . Not the numbers of exhibitors , visitors or amount of square metres sold .
• Bring back the ‘ Show ’ in
“ Communities must be consistently nurtured , but don ’ t have to be 365 / 24 / 7 ”
Show Business . Bring on the excitement ! Bring on the results ! Make sure any client activations you sell are memorable – people will remember the name of the company sponsoring the activation .
• Communities will be built - and sustained . Communities must be consistently nurtured , but don ’ t have to be 365 / 24 / 7 .
• The death of ‘ death by email ’. Is there a better way to communicate effectively with your clients besides endless , useless emails ?
• Airfare costs will go down . ( One can hope , right ?).
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