Exhibitors as performers
What's going on in the Netherlands? "Companies are presenting their best practices in a theatre-like atmosphere and visitors want to meet with other visitors..." - paving the way for more niche fairs, Ruud van Ingen tells us.
How has the Dutch trade fair industry developed over the last 20 years?
Ruud van Ingen: We can make out three trends. Trend one: The medium has professionalized over the past 20 years. The concept of participating in trade fairs as a matter of course has decreased, particularly in the last decade. Companies want to see the benefits of participating and compare the profitability of a trade fair with other media in their communication mix. Large market partners such as Jaarbeurs Utrecht, VNU Exhibitions and RAI Amsterdam have been calling for the certification of visitor numbers for years now.Trend two: Convenience. For many exhibitors, participation in a trade fair means an extra workload. More and more fair organisers are offering cut-and-dried solutions. Along with the required square metres of space, the exhibitor can arrange for the stand to be built and fitted, catering to be supplied, etc. with just one signature.
Trend three: Organisers are giving exhibitors more advice about their market position in relation to fair participation.
Who are the main players?
VNU Exhibitions (with the VNU information and media company and Jaarbeurs Holding BV as shareholders) is the market leader for trade events, while RAI Amsterdam, leads the market for events open to the public.
The vitality of trade events as a medium in the Netherlands is evidenced by the growing number of regional events. These are often based on existing fair concepts staged by VNU Exhibitions and RAI Amsterdam and are cloned at a regional level.
Last year, VNU Exhibitions introduced the Customer Value Program, focusing on the added value of the exhibitor's square metres. What counts is the maximum yield, in terms of leads, for the exhibitor. Previously, VNU Exhibitions was awarded the UFI Marketing Award for pioneering efforts in the field of lead marketing.
Regional concepts act as a local meeting place, partly centred around the catering, while the concept development of national fairs is led by what the exhibitor can gain from taking part.
Which are the strongest trade fairs in the Netherlands?
The strongest trade fairs are De Internationale Bouwbeurs - an international building fair and VSK, a trade fair for heating, sanitary engineering, climate control and refrigeration technology. Both are organised by VNU Exhibitions. VSK draws 60,000 visitors and 550 exhibitors.
The largest consumer fairs are the Huishoud Beurs by RAI Amsterdam with 230,000 visitors and 470 exhibitors, the AutoRai motor show and the Vakantiebeurs holiday fair by VNU Exhibitions with 140,000 visitors and 1000 exhibitors.
Which industrial sectors are best served by Dutch trade fairs?
Dutch industry has a large number of trade fairs. To serve the industry optimally, fairs are clustered. Industrial Week is a good example of this. For one week in October four fairs with a partly overlapping exhibition programme are held simultaneously in Utrecht. A growing number of information technology fairs have been seen in recent years, mainly small niche fairs aimed at specific groups of visitors.
What future strategies will the Dutch trade fair industry choose?
A strong focus on exhibitors yields. We will finally be able to offer reliable figures. Square metres and exhibitor numbers at the larger fairs will drop due to a concentration of suppliers. This is also linked to concentration in the various sectors. The information content per fair will increase, for example, with high-quality conferences and seminars. More and more exhibitors will be invited to present their best practices in a theatre-like setting. This will pave the way for more niche fairs. A more personalised form of mass communication. On the one hand, fair organisers will aim at large target groups with specific features. On the other hand, they will be familiar with their visitors activities and (future) investment plans. This means organisers will be able to offer exhibitors a more adapted "weighted" scope. Concepts will appear that not only bring visitors into contact with exhibitors but also increasingly enable visitors to come into contact with other visitors.Interview: Christine Seizinger
m+a report Nr.1 / 2006 vom 13.02.2006
m+a report vom 13. Februar 2006