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In the July-August Convene issue, editors asked event professionals from around the world to share their sacred cows — those event practices or traditions that they think are out-of-date and need to be overhauled or replaced — and their solutions. Here we share their ideas that focus on exhibits.
Expo Halls
“The waste is a real issue when it comes to traditional trade shows. While there are sustainability concerns with digital options as well, there are plenty of opportunities to reduce carbon footprint by utilizing technology to reduce one-time use products on the show floor.”
— Josh Henry, CMP, Meetings Manager and Diversity & Inclusion Lead, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics
When it comes to conferences with exhibits — is the actual exhibit space always necessary? Is there value there, for not only the attendees, but for the exhibitors themselves? Are we doing them because we’ve always done them? For the planner, we’re trying to be more strategic because, especially for smaller or shorter meetings, they take up a lot of space, come at an enormous cost, and take a long amount of time to set up. And for the exhibitors, staffing the booth, ordering swag, and creating event specific collateral can take a lot of resources.”
Pricing Models
Sam Lippman
“The exhibition and convention industry’s most serious shortcoming is a lack of transparency. Many of our customers realize that cost shifting, inflated attendance numbers, and supplier exclusives get in the way of the true partnership they wish to have with show organizers.
“Even customers who have come to expect these practices as ‘the cost of doing business with us’ find they are often inconvenienced, over budget, and always annoyed.
“If we continue to squeeze extra revenue today from our customers we will lose them when something better comes their way. That’s why Clarion Chairman Greg Topalian mentioned Blockbuster’s late fees when he presented at ECEF 2024 — because when Netflix introduced a new business model, we all said ‘goodbye’ to Blockbuster and their hated late fees.”
— Sam Lippman, Producer, Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum (ECEF), Attendee Acquisition Roundtable, Exhibit Sales Roundtable, Large Show Roundtable, Midsize Show Roundtable, Digital Summit
STEAL THIS IDEA
At its events, the European Society for Emergency Medicine (EUSEM) plans simulation competitions, called Euro SimCup and Paramedics Cup, where participants are tasked to treat patients in disaster medicine scenarios. (Courtesy EUSEM)
Create More of a Buzz in the Exhibit Hall
Davi Kaur
“The exhibition is a sacred cow at medical meetings,” said Davi Kaur, CEO of the European Society for Emergency Medicine (EUSEM). Take the standard rows of cookie-cutter booths. When Kaur worked for the European CanCer Organization (ECCO), organizers revamped the exhibit hall, which previously had differently colored stands and a variety of activities and assigned exhibitors uniform booth spaces, but many exhibitors “felt they had lost their identity. Half the delegates liked it, the other 50 percent thought the exhibition was boring and preferred the old version with different color stands and different things to do at the stands.”
Kaur said delegates at medical meetings value the opportunity to learn about new treatments and devices. “The question is how to create an area that does not look like a fairground attraction and allows a good interaction between delegates and exhibitors,” she said. Her possible solution? Create a centralized area in the middle of the exhibit hall where exhibitors bring their devices or present their new treatments. “Hands-on experience is really important, so delegates can try out the machines in different settings,” she said.
Another option to draw delegates in is to offer gaming activities in the exhibit hall, she said, which is what EUSEM has done at its events. Delegates from different countries compete in simulation competitions, called Euro SimCup and Paramedics Cup, where they are tasked to treat patients in disaster medicine scenarios. “It is very popular and companies like it as it creates a buzz in the exhibition hall,” Kaur said.
BONUS 5th IDEA
Huddles, an alternative to exhibit halls, reposition supplier partners as solution providers offering consultations in a non-hard-sell environment. Read more at ’People Don’t Like to Be Sold to.’
Illustrations by Dale Crosby Close
Breaking Free From Convention: Event Pros Offer Their Insights
To learn what events industry practices planners believe are out-of-date and no longer useful, Convene editors went right to the planners themselves via our recent Salary Survey and other interviews. We curated and categorized their sacred cows, and how they would change them, for the July-August issue of Convene. Here are links to more results.
Earn and Learn a CMP Credit
Earn one clock hour of certification by visiting Convene’s CMP Series page to answer questions about all the articles above. The Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) is a registered trademark of the Events Industry Council.