Third Conference Question Time attracts 80 meetings professionals

The third edition in the Conference News Conference Question Time (CQT) series was held last night (26 September) at 1 Wimpole St in London and attracted 80 meetings industry professionals. The core topic for the event was ‘Meetings industry tradeshows: are they delivering what is needed?’
 
The expert panel on the night featured Julian Agostini, MD of Mash Media Group and owner of International Confex and the Event Production Show; Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group; Graham Hill, Head of Venues and Events at Square Meal; and JJ Jackson, Director of Perming Artistes. The event was facilitated by Richard Foulkes, Vice-Chair of the Business Visitors and Events Partnership (BVEP) and Paradise Experiment Founder.
 
The evening’s discussions covered much debated meetings industry tradeshow issues such as offering free Wi-Fi at exhibitions, student access and the future of event industry exhibitions.
 
Excel London’s James Rees posed the question: what is the future of the exhibition industry? Gallus Events’ William Thompson added that exhibition organisers have a duty to create the best events for our industry. “International Confex, it is over to you,” he said. Mash Media’s Agostini said that exhibition visitors are forward thinkers, exhibitions are here to stay and that he wants to make International Confex the ’tomorrow’s world’ of the industry. He said the industry should be running the best events out there but it is a challenge that needs the events industry to buy into and show with their feet.
 
Speaking about the power of exhibitions to deliver a return on investment for buyers, trade visitors and exhibitors alike, Perming Artistes’ Jackson said that technology can mean losing some of the serendipity of networking at these event industry shows, while Square Meal’s Hill said that he wanted to hear that people want to come to his exhibition to book business, not just to network.
 
One member of the audience told the panel: “We have forgotten the basics, the shows need the right footfall and buyers not spending the whole time in the seminar rooms”. Bauer said that buyers know they are there to do business and have no time to waste. She added that IMEX recognises B2B is at the core of its event and so education sessions during show hours are limited to 30 minute slots, while longer sessions are held before or after the core show hours.
 
Square Meal’s Hill said seminar interest does validate a quality buyer and that they are an essential part of his show but they try to not “overdo them”.
 
On Twitter one audience member, @HannahQEICC, said: “Great discussion on pros and cons of educational sessions at industry exhibitions. As a buyer I loved them, as an exhibitor not so much.”
 
For the full report on what was discussed read November’s issue of CN.
 
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