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Help9 Industry Events to Look Out For, #Eventprofs! (2016 - 2017)
The event industry has hosted some fantastic events during the first half of this year and rallied when things didn’t quite go to plan (read more about that here).
We all know that consumers of events are looking for very different things in the events of the future. Low cost, quantity and passivity are no longer the buzzwords of the moment, now it’s all about total value in relation to cost, meaningful experiences and the opportunity to become co-creators of content.
Year on year, reports by professional bodies such as the UFI show that the event industry is growing exponentially. One way to keep up with all the latest developments, news and trend predictions is to attend relevant conferences and exhibitions.
Here’s a list of 9 upcoming industry events to be hosted in the next 6 months that we’ve got our eye on, and you should, too.
Event Marketing Summit, 10 – 11 October, UK
In EventBrite’s Pulse Report marketing budgets for events in the UK were the most likely to increase, with more than 30% of organisers stating that they planned on spending more in the following year.
We all know that marketing an event well is key to successful attendance, whether it’s by social media or email. Over the past 3 years, the Event Marketing Summit has become increasingly popular for its insightful presentations and discussions, and excellent networking opportunities.
IMEX America, 18 – 20 October, Vegas
The largest event of its type in North America, IMEX America has so much to offer attendees including learning sessions and seminars, powerful networking opportunities facilitated by an online scheduling system, high quality exhibitors and all for free! Registration, entry and educational sessions cost nothing.
Event Tech Live, 9 November, London
Europe’s first exhibition and conference dedicated to event professionals interested in technology, Event Tech Live offers tech demos, over 40 educational sessions and Q&As with over 100 expert speakers. With nearly 2,000 leads generated at Event Tech Live 2015, this year the event promises to be even bigger and better!
BizBash Live: The Expo, 15 November, New York
An event (powered by Boomset) where leading event thought trailblazers come together to inspire, innovate, and collaborate during one day packed full with hands-on workshops, exhibitor experiences, and insightful presentations. BizBash claims you won’t have your ‘AHA’ moment if you don’t attend!
IBTM World, 29 – 1 December, Barcelona
IBTM has much to offer: a comprehensive knowledge programme spanning across 7 key topics, as well as the opportunity to meet and network with thousands of attendees including a diverse range of exhibitors, hosted buyers with top level purchasing power, and trade visitors from around the world.
The Special Events Show, 10 – 12 January, California
TSE is great for event producers with over 100 education sessions, over 200 speakers, and over 5,000 attendees to network with. TSE also offers the unique opportunity to attend ‘Showcasing Events’ which present the perfect opportunity to network in a less formal setting as well as gain plenty of inspiration for your own events.
International Confex, 1 – 2 March, London
Whether you’re looking for suppliers, venues, to make contacts, learn something new, or keep up to date with event industry trends International Confex will have something for you. Hosted in the same venue as the Event Production Show and office* show, you get three exhibitions in one when you attend International Confex!
ITB Berlin, 8 – 12 March, Germany
The world’s leading travel trade show, ITB Berlin is the event to attend when it comes to global tourism and destination events. With over 10,000 exhibitors from 187 countries across 5 continents as well as attendees in the tens of thousands, ITB Berlin offers unique diversity.
IMEX Frankurt, 16 – 18 May, Germany
We’ve spoken about IMEX America; IMEX Frankfurt is its European cousin and is definitely one to seriously consider attending. Renowned for it hallmark hosted buyer programme of over 4,000, IMEX Frankfurt provides outstanding business opportunities for both buyers and exhibitors. ‘Business is Personal’ was the theme for 2016, 2017’s has yet to be announced but we know it’ll be a good one.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
We’ve already mentioned that attending industry events is a great way of keeping up to date with all the latest trends, creating new contacts and building relationships with like-minded industry professionals, and broadening your intellectual horizons. However, with so many industry events on offer throughout the year it’s important to carefully consider which ones to attend and which ones to engage with from afar.
Here’s how to weigh up the pros and cons of attending, whether you’re exhibiting or just visiting:
• What are your objectives? Do you want to create new contacts, gather sales leads, learn about industry developments, launch a new product, break into a new market or geographical location, or strengthen relationships with existing clients? Which event will best help you achieve this?
• Who else is going? Examine the guest list. Who is speaking, who is exhibiting, and who else is likely to attend (head to social media for this one)? Then you need to discern, out of these, how many you want to connect with and if they will help drive your business’ growth.
• How much will it cost? Weigh this against the previous two points and determine what sort of ROI you’d be looking at. Don’t forget to include registration fees, transport, accommodation, and food.
• Have you done your due diligence? Do you know anyone that has been previously, how did they find it? If not then get on forums and social media, and use this as a way to forge new connections – ask around!
There are huge benefits to attending industry events, whether its only one a year or several! We encourage you to find the one(s) best suited to your business goals and make the most of this amazing community that we have all contributed to building.
Guest Bio: Alanna Bestwick is part of the Creative and Marketing team at Scarlett Entertainment, a global entertainment specialist working on over 2,000 events around the world every year. A whiz at creating engaging inspirational copy for the company website and blog, you can find more of her exciting reads here.
Mark your calendars, event community! You’ll be able to connect with Boomset at BizBash, Event Tech Live, and IMEX Americas.
