What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 27 February 2017

Welcome to another week and with Spring around the corner, this is really exhibition season for anyone working in Events. It was Awards season last week and now exhibition season, what will be next we wonder?

Last week was the North East Venue Expo in Newcastle, the week before was the BNC Show in London and this coming week see's the start of International Confex at Olympia. Combined with the numerous emails hitting our respective inboxes to attend both the CHS Show in Leeds in April and The Meetings Show in June, and its clear that exhibitions for events, and indeed most industry's are here to stay. 

What is clear though is that visitors don't just want to visit an exhibition, they want to be engulfed by it and use it as a complete opportunity to be engaged.Experiential events are quite the draw these days as attendees look for something unexpected, and with so many events and online experiences competing for our time, audiences to gravitate towards events that are producing amazing experiences. 

So which exhibitions are delivering in terms of education and our increasing demand for entertainment combined? Here at Cloud 9 Towers we love to know so we did some digging!

 

James Cameron’s “Avatar” created a world people were drawn to and an Avatar exhibition, AVATAR: Discover Pandora, has opened in Taiwan where Pandora becomes a “real” place and visitors can interact in a hands-on way to learn more about science and the wonder of Cameron’s 2009 movie world. 

This is not the first exhibition inspired by a film, as you may remember another of Cameron’s blockbusters – Titanic – has also inspired several exhibitions and permanent exhibits across the world. 

The exhibit plans to expand to other cities, before the 2018 release of the first of four Avatar sequels but this is not a one-off exhibition attended only by extreme fans as there is an increase in desire for virtual reality experiences.

Physco fan had the opportunity back in 2015 to attend and stay in the illustrious Bates Motel and the exhibition enabled visitors to step inside Norma and Norman Bates’ world in a truly unique and innovative way.

 

Closer to home and capitalising on the current popularity of escape rooms, Immersive Events have created a Prison Escape experience at Dana Prison in Shrewsbury. 

 

Attendees/prisoners are dressed in prison clothing and locked in cells and it's up to them to get out, navigate the guards, and other prisoners who may report the attempted escape. The first person who who makes it to freedom is declared the winner. Challengers can even decide to spend the night at the prison if they desire to. 

 

So these are exhibitions are not simply about walking round and collecting all of the freebies available (we can spot the freebie hunters a mile off!), they are instead a platform to change visitors to participants.  

Have a great week, enjoy! 

 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 16 February 2015

Welcome to another week and its certainly true that exhibition season is upon us in the Events Industry.

Paula was off at Coventa a few weeks ago, Giles has just returned from Convene and Rubina has only just recovered from Love Business East Midlands where she was in major network mode.

As this week sees Confex, the Event Production Show, Office and BNC all take place in London, we thought we’d bring you a little guide to making the most of exhibiting. 

Not Reading the Exhibitor Manual is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Ensure you read and digest every piece of information the exhibition organiser sends to you and don’t just presume that everything will be provided – check the specifics. Electricity? Chairs? Furniture?

Also make sure you return all the paperwork by the deadline, last minute panics help no one!

Also be pretty clear about just what you are trying to achieve by exhibiting. You won’t know if you’ve been successful until you can quantify just how well you did. New Business? Number of Leads? Set a target!

If you manning a stand then this is not the time to be shy. You need shiny happy people that are happy talking to strangers and comfortable drawing people to your stand in a cheerful, friendly manner. Whoever you have, remember that they are representing your brand so make sure they have good people skills as well as good knowledge of what you are all about as an organisation.

There is little point in having a raft of beautiful people if they know nothing about your products or what you are trying to achieve so make sure everyone is up to speed in advance.

If you have invested in the show, then it’s also time to think carefully about your stand design and graphics to ensure it effectively communicates what you do. Pictures really do tell ‘a thousand words so make them big, bold and brand related.

On a busy exhibition floor it is vital that you make a good first impression and research shows you have about 7 seconds to engage with someone – remember the old adage, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression!

So stand out, look inviting and interesting and who knows where it might lead!

But just why should people visit your stand? If you have a huge budget it’s easy to make your stand really inviting and ensure an audience, but even if you are on a budget, there are lots of simple ideas which can really make a difference.  Have a candy buffet, offer refreshments or cupcakes or run a fun competition.

Please do remember, that no matter how long the day has been, exhibition staff should smile and make eye contact at all times.  If you are chatting away or playing games on your mobile phone, sitting down with your arms crossed, yawning, stuffing your face or looking grumpy, then you could be missing that all important new client…

It can be difficult to gauge how many staff you need at an exhibition, but do remember that people will only wait a limited amount of time to speak to someone before they move on and in all likelihood won’t come back. On the other side of this is having too much staff, who are all clamouring your attention. Try and get the balance right and do remember that exhibiting can be exhausting so make sure all of your team get regular breaks to eat, drink, check their phones, and even pop to the loo!

As with all Sales environments, as well as asking questions, make sure you listen. Only by listening can we understand just what our customers have to say and how we can help them.

We’ve all seen the obsessive bag carriers at shows, those who have little or no interest in your product, but want a free carrier bag or pen. So get the balance right, have information for potential customers to take away, but don’t overload them. And limit the nice give always to those who matter the most!

Additionally, do make sure you are happy to answer questions about price if asked. Even a bespoke service needs to be clear about what it is, and what it costs. Get to the point, and make sure you are understood and just what the benefits are.

Not everyone can afford a scanner, which is perhaps one the best ways to capture data, but most visitors will be loath to fill out a form or complete a questionnaire, so data capture needs to be short and sweet and if you can a fun experience.

A business card draw is a good way of getting lots of new contacts easily, and for the sake a bottle of bubbles, well worth the investment!

It’s always great to connect with industry colleagues and suppliers, but don’t waste valuable time when you could be targeting visitors. Save the chat for later at the bar and reserve your energy for the potential new customers. And what ever you do, never bad mouth a competitor or supplier, gossip spreads and it will do you more harm than good.

Tweet and be tantalising with your tweets, entice them to your stand. Just because you continually tell people to come and visit you using the exhibition hash tag that doesn’t mean it will happen! Give your social media messages some thought, and give them a great reason to maximise engagement.

Packing up Early is one of the deadly sins of exhibiting and normally you are specifically instructed about set down times, but if you have made the investment to be there then surely, you should get every last minute out of exhibiting that you can. You never know when that last great customer will appear!

And lastly, if you don’t follow up your leads after the show, then what a complete waste of time it was.  Follow up, and send a personal mail, not a mass one. Show that you have understood the customer, and even if you have to look them up, get a sense of who they are, and how you can work together. And then call them. Be Persistent.

We know everyone is overwhelmed with communication these days, so stand out and follow up.  It just might pay off!

Have a great week!

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 12 January 2015

Welcome to another week and now that the festivities are well and truly over its time to look ahead and start planning in detail!

Here at Cloud 9 Towers our diaries are already filling up with a marvellous mix of meetings, events, trade shows, client events and fam trips and without a doubt there will be a lot more to schedule into an already packed year.

If you are in the Event Industry then you’ll want to make sure that you have saved the date for all of the following shows and events and maybe, just maybe, we’ll see you there!

JANUARY
The Hospitality Show
19-21 January
The show will once again be providing a launch pad for British hospitality and food service opportunities, covering all things catering and tableware-related, as well as putting an emphasis on careers and technology. The latest product innovations from old and new exhibitors alike will be on display, while attendees can also enjoy the featured attractions.
NEC, Birmingham
Call 0207 886 3064
Visit www.hospitalityshow.co.uk

FEBRUARY
Event Production Show
18-19 February
This year, International Confex will be co-locating with the Event Production Show and, while the two will remain largely independent, there will be a steady flow encouraged between both in appropriate areas. The Event Production Show's offerings will be geared

towards the live event industry, including indoor, outdoor, sporting and music events. Attendees can avail of infrastructure suppliers showcasing their capabilities and offering details about the latest technologies. With over 200 exhibitors expected, inspiration will be rife.
Olympia, London
Call 0208 971 8282
Visit www.eventproductionshow.co.uk

Confex
18-19 February
International Confex will be following in the footsteps of last year's successful turnout, creating a community for buyers, suppliers, venues and destinations. The companies exhibiting will encompass UK and international destinations, venues, hotels and event support service suppliers. A focal point will be the 'Technology Sector, while the Technovation Station will provide hands-on access to the latest events-centric projects. 
Olympia, London
Call 0208 971 8282
Visit www.international-confex.com

Office Management & PA Show 
18-19 February

The Office Management & PA Show - which has grown over the past two years and attracts over 3,000 PAs and office managers - will also be co-locating with International Confex and the Event Production Show at London's Olympia. The event's core visitors are looking for solid business education on how to improve themselves professionally - and improve their business through their role - by extending their skills in negotiating, cost saving, external communications and networking.
Olympia, London
Call 0208 971 8282
Visit www.om-pa.co.uk

Business Travel Show 
25-26 February 
Now moving to the Grand Hill at London's Olympia, the Business Travel Show will be meeting the corporate travel sector's needs, delivering business developments along with networking and branding prospects. Over 6,000 corporate travel buyers and bookers from across the UK and Europe will be conducting business with more than 200 suppliers spanning the industry, including global travel brands and start-up companies.
Olympia London
Call 0207 970 4435
Visit www.businesstravelshow.com

MARCH
Best of Britain and Ireland
11-12 March

Best of Britain and Ireland will be holding its annual showcase for two cor sectors, serving the domestic tourism market and the conference, event and marketing industry. Visitors will be able to source new products and services as well as acquire information on the latest attractions, destinations, associations, regional tourist boards and more. 
NEC, Birmingham 
Call 0173 340 5735
Visit www.bobievent.com

Conference and Hospitality Show
24 March
The Conference and Hospitality Show is a free to attend event which connects event organisers with a variety of venues and suppliers. And in 2015 there will be an overarching focus on inspiration, with it generating a motivational education programme. More then 100 exhibitors will be putting in a an appearance, while Demo Zone will be offering interactive displays.
Centenary Pavillion, Elland Road, Leeds
Call 0751 236 5822
Visit www.conferenceandhospitalityshow.co.uk

MAY
IMEX
19-21 May

During the course of three days, IMEX will be playing host to 3,500 global exhibitors, featuring tourists boards, international hotel companies, technology providers and more. Also renowned for attracting high quality buyers, 15,000 senior decision-makers are predicted to be in attendence.
Hall 8, Messe Frankfurt, Germany
Call 01273 227 311
Visit www.imex-frankfurt.com

JULY
The Meeting Show UK
7-9 July 
Organised by meeting professionals, the event is centred on a large exhibition as well as networking prospects and professional education. Destinations from over 50 countries will be on display and the hosted buyer programme is the largest in the UK - drawing figures from the corporate, association, agency and public sectors.
Olympia, London
Call 0207 970 4410
Visit www.themeetingshow.com

SEPTEMBER
The Venue Expo 
8-9 September

The Venue Expo 2015, now in its second year, will once again be attracting MICE industry professionals, venues, hospitality suppliers and event support suppliers from all corners of the UK. Taking place at the brand new Exhibition Centre in Liverpool, visitors have the chance to attend seminars and conduct business with one another. 
Exhibition Centre, Liverpool
Call 0151 702 7752
Visit www.thevenueexpo.co.uk


Square Meal's Venues & Events
16-17 September
In 2014, Square Meal's Venues and Events saw over 7,000 event organising professionals descend to meet over 250 of the UK's top venues and suppliers - and the 2015 show is set to do the same. Spread across colourful floors will be a host of expert seminars, tasting master classes and workshops; ideal for anyone who plans events as part of their job.
Old Billingsgate, London
Call 0844 412 7963
Visit www.venuesandevents.co.uk

OCTOBER 
Office*
13-14 October 
Offering a unique platform where key corporate buyers can meet and do business with a range of relevant and carefully selected suppliers, office* successfully welcomed 4,019 attendees to its 2014 event. This year, Personal Assistants, Executive Assistants and Office Managers, among others, throughout the UK will be browsing the electic floor, accessing the education programme and meeting with 175+ exhibiting brands. 
Olympia, London
Call 01273 645 127
Visit www.officeshow.co.uk


The Showman's Show
21-22 October
The Showman's Show was held in 1984 and it has since emerged as the only outdoor show of its kind in the UK. The event has been capable of appealing to 5,000 visitors and in excess of 340 exhibitors who demonstrate the most sophisticated structures, equipment and entertainment demanded by the event industry at large.
Newbury Showground, Berkshire
Call 01747 854 099
Visit www.showmans-directory.co.uk

NOVEMBER
World Travel Market
2-5 November

World Travel Market - the leading global event for the travel industry - is a vibrant must attend business-to-business event presenting a diverse range of destinations and industry sectors to UK and International travel professionals. It is a unique opportunity for the whole global travel trade to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business.
ExCeL, London
Call 0208 271 2160
Visit www.wtmlondon.com

IBTM World
17-19 November
Held in Barcelona, the Global Meetings and Events Exhibition (EBITM) offers professional education and networking opportunities across a three day programme. The event features over 3,000 suppliers from over 100 countries across the world and information on industry trends.
Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain
Call 020 8271 2127
Visit www.ibtmevents.com

So that’s it for this week folks, enjoy! 

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 10 March 2014

Welcome to another week and its a busy one all round this week again, kicking off with a photocall this morning for Shannon at Birmingham Airport, who are once again headline sponsors of the 2014 Midlands Media Awards, which we run for the Birmingham Press Club.

Adrian, Shannon, Paula & Ed at the MMA Editors Lunch

Last week we hosted an editors luncheon at Bournville College to officially launch the awards and today's event at the airport is sure to be a heightened one as we understand its taking place in the control tower.

Just in case Shannon gets her hands on any controls, we would like to apologise in advance to any airline diversions taking place today! 

In other news this week, we are off to Confex on Wednesday. In addition to catching up with some of our favourite venues we always use the event as an educational platform to discover new venues and options for our clients. 

Also this year, there are some great speakers including Karren Brady CBE, Vice-Chairman of West Ham Football Club, business ambassador, UK sporting executive and star of The Apprentice, who will provide the keynote speech on day one of International Confex this year.

Following Confex, Paula is off to enjoy the hospitality of Visit Scotland which is running a  whirlwind tour over the weekend of some of the finest venues. We kick off with a showround of the Best Western Plus Keavil House Hotel in Edinburgh before travelling to The Bay Hotel.

From here its off to the Balbinie House Hotel for lunch and then to the Hill of Tarvit Manion House which includes some traditional Hickory Golf on the Kingarrock Golf Course.

After a little free time in St Andrews we are then off to Fairmont St Andrews for an overnight stay and dinner in the Squires Restaurant.

Saturday is time to blow the cobwebs away!  Get the adrenaline pumping and try our hand at Land Yachting along the famous West Sands Beach where Chariots of Fire was filmed.  A hugely popular activity for groups apparently, but we are not too sure this is Paula's thing and Carol and Rubina in the office have an ambulance booked on stand by!

After we have enjoyed a showround of the  five star Old Course Hotel & Golf Resort followed by a lovely lunch in the new Ham’s Hame overlooking the Old Course, we'll travel a short distance to the city of Dundee, famous for Jute, Jam and Journalism, where we will visit the  Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa to see the facilities available for meetings and conferences.

Our next stop is Malmaison Dundee, which opened its doors in February this year. We will see the meeting and F&B options available and then relax with some free time prior to dinner. Dinner this evening will be hosted in the beautiful Kinnettles Castle not far from the city.  We will discover how the Castle can be booked exclusively and enjoy a fantastic dining experience before returning to Malmaison overnight.

Sunday starts with a trip to Perth Racecourse for a look at the facilities available for conferences, meetings, incentives and corporate hospitality.  We will meet Land Rover Experience who work closely with the racecourse and provide team building activities either on site or at their home location in Perthshire.

Our last visit takes us to the breath-taking Gleneagles Hotel, host to the Ryder Cup 2014.  We will see the vast facilities that are on offer at this resort and sample some of the delicious cuisine over lunch before participating in some of their onsite activities to conclude our visit before departing for returning flights home.

Sounds like a great trip, if somewhat exhausting and we have been warned to pack our waterproofs just in case of the weather! So fingers crossed it will be warm and dry outside and as wet as we like inside (the various bars!). 

That's all for this week folks, have a good one!  

What's Floating Around Cloud 9? 18 November 2013

Welcome to another week and its all about EIBTM this week - where the global meetings and events industry connects - so we are off to Barcelona!

EIBTM is the leading global event for the meetings, incentives, conferences, events and business travel industry, taking place in the award winning business and tourism destination of Barcelona. The event gathers over 15,000 MICE industry professionals for three days of focused access to a dynamic business environment with over 3,100 exhibitors, thought provoking professional education and business networking to drive your business into the future.

The event runs from 19-21 November 2013 for another must attend exhibition and on the 18 November for the EIBTM Forum, is a  thought provoking conference, open to all EIBTM participants.

We lucky to be going as guests of Accor but its not a complete jolly as we have a very very early start and a packed schedule of meetings throughout the event. However, even the busiest schedule allows a moment to enjoy the view from the Pullman Barcelona Skipper hotel, which is where we are staying. Barceloneta Beach is temptingly close. Multiply that temptation by two - for the two swimming pools - then factor in the tasty tapas in the Blend Restaurant and you have all in all a rather lovely hotel!

We are well versed in attending events as Hosted Buyers but this will be our first time at EIBTM so we are perhaps a little more excited than usual -  and on asking around about tips to make the most out of the event, the overwhelming advice seems to be - wear flat shoes! 

This reminded us about our trip to the Meetings Show back in the Summer when Paula did have a rather unfortunate shoe mishap and had to cancel a couple of pre-scheduled appointments to make a timely dash to Kensington High Street in search of a shoe shop! 

We are also already making sure we are signed up for the other leading event shows next year so we can ensure a Cloud 9 presence at all of the leading industry events.

Some of the team are off the the BNC Global Event Show in February at the Brewery in London. The BNC Global Event Show is an exciting exhibition based in the heart of the City of London. The Show is designed to bring top event planners together with leading UK and international event suppliers in a refreshingly relaxed environment.

The also have leading experts from the events and meetings industry to present interesting seminars and discussions. Stay at the cutting edge with talks on a range of topics such as marketing, event creation, food and drink and much more. Past guests in include Michael Douglas from Genie Mobile on the possibilities for mobile technology, Kate Conway from Tesco on harnessing the power of digital, William Thomson from Gallus Events on organising experiences, and Sam Bompas from Bompas & Parr on the exciting uses for jelly for events! 

One of our favourite shows returns next year and that is the Conference & Hospitality Show in Leeds in April which is the only exhibition outside of London for the meetings industry so make sure you register and keep checking their site for updates and news.

Of course one of the bigger shows within the Industry was always Confex which seemed to have lost some of its sparkle over the last few years, but with new owners in place, and a thankful return to Olympia (we do like Excel but its a pain to get to for us!) we are hoping for a better event. 

International Confex is established as the UK’s leading exhibition and has been supporting the meetings and events industry for 30 years.

 

In this diverse and vibrant industry, International Confex's role is to provide the annual meeting place for the events world and to connect event professionals such as yourself with the best venues, destinations, finishing touches, technology and event support services the industry has to offer.  With the help of our fantastic exhibitors and event experts, International Confex is the place to be to do business and seek advice and inspirational ideas for your events and it's a great opportunity to get that all important face time that can be so difficult today.

 

International Confex takes place over two days in March in London’s Olympia and hosts over 900 exhibitors covering four areas - UK Venues & Destinations: Discover tourist attractions, unique or traditional venues, sporting venues, castles or country manors. The best thing about it is you only need to travel to one place, Olympia London.

 

International Venues & Destinations: Travel the world (no need to book a flight it's all in Olympia) and discover inspiring destinations, venues, resorts and incentive travel ideas and get amazing ideas for your next events outside of the UK.

 

Something Special: Something Special does exactly what it says on the tin and connects you with market leading suppliers who can provide those vital finishing touches for your events that will leave your guests and clients speechless with sudden urges to tweet about how fabulous you are.

Logistics: Whether you're seeking the latest audio visual, graphics, security, or lighting, our exhibitors can ensure that your events run smoothly and efficiently providing you with some jaw-dropping and cost effective  technology.

 

Over 7,000 visitors from leading agencies, associations and corporate organisations come through the doors to meet new and existing suppliers, attend high-level seminars, see new show features and most importantly, network with fellow event professionals.

 

So a bit of a Trade Show Special this week, enjoy or maybe in the spirit of EIBTM our sign off this week should be olé