Beating their own record
The eighth World of Events is seeking to attract a record number of exhibitors. Stiffening competition puts the organisers on the offensive, not the defensive.
In February 2006 World of Events is again coming to Wiesbaden. With its exhibition, conference, workshops, forums and the WOE Night, the event gives a complete picture of what is happening in the industry. The organisers are again forecasting record participation. "We want to beat our 2005 results," is the declared aim of Corporate Communication Manager Beate Nöhre and Thomas Krohne, Manager of the Rhein-Main-Hallen in the Hesse state capital. They are looking optimistically into the future. The eighth event is likely to outstrip all previous shows - the organisers expect "even more visitors and even more exhibitors" for 2006. Around 360 exhibitors, say the organisers, will be showing to an expected 7500 visitors. The World of Events newspaper is its most important information medium. The current issue has reached a circulation of 140,000 for the first time.
In the run-up to the fair, the organisers steal a critical glance over to Düsseldorf where Euro Expo Event was staged for the first time in December concurrently with the Deutscher Eventtag. The organisers are quite relaxed at seeing imitators cashing in on the success of the Wiesbaden event and launching smaller spin-off shows. "Actually, it upgrades our World of Events and endorses our own concept", Nöhre explains. For a successful event on an international - or at least national - level you need wide-ranging experience and prime contacts in the business. Krohne explains: "We have the original product - the promise of quality is what brings our exhibitors and visitors in." The Live-Forum which premiered this year, will be part of the exhibition in 2006, too. The two-day program provides an opportunity for artists and musicians already associated with WOE to perform. A prerequisite for musicians, artists, comedians, comperes, magicians and other forms of entertainment, who can present their acts to future customers in this setting. For visitors, entrance to the Live-Forum is included in the ticket price. Acts include Soul Kitchen, The Wright Thing, The Latin Pop Connection and Men in Blech.
Last year WOE-Night successfully returned on the first evening of the fair - a highlight of the annual sector summit. This time the ambience will match the event: it will be held in Wiesbaden's elegant Kurhaus, affording partners, sponsors, guests and exhibitors an appropriate setting for conversation away from the fair and conference.This year's convention is about "creative market strategies" and is being organised by Euroforum Deutschland. Current strategies and successful concepts will be discussed. Presentations will discuss the World Youth Festival, the involvement of Hyundai Motor Germany in the 2006 World Cup, the 60th anniversary of the Würth Group in a 16,000-m2 tent village and Hilti Brand World. Innovative forecasts will be offered by Adjiedj Bakas from Amsterdam, who according to the organisers is one of Europe's best trend watchers and Ulrich Wünsch from the International University of Applied Sciences Bad Honnef. The organisers have also successfully booked singer and extreme sportsman Joey Kelly for the conference.
The largest group of visitors in 2005 were company representatives who accounted for 40% and therefore the majority. Surprisingly well represented were small and medium sized businesses (21 % of company representatives) and banks and insurance companies (24 %). The automotive and pharmaceutical industries (each with almost 10%) also accounted for a similarly large share of the overall number of visitors. Managers and employees of event, advertising and PR agencies accounted for the second largest group of visitors with a 26% share.
Half way through this year, 50% of the available exhibition surface was already firmly booked. The organisers are responding to this lively interest with countless innovations for the next World of Events and a new Homepage (www.worldofevents.de) with many features. This web site offers information for exhibitors and journalists, visitor information about the sector's summit event as well as orientation for those who want to find out more, and the information required to book exhibition space directly. The web site would not be complete without the online version of the World-of-Events newspaper - which can be read, downloaded or printed out in PDF format. This redesigned Internet presence also features an exhibitor directory, photo gallery of the last World of Events and full results of the visitor survey.
The trade fair and conference take place on February 8 and 9, 2006.
m+a report Nr.8 / 2005 vom 08.12.2005
m+a report vom 8. Dezember 2005