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Adding Value Makes the Difference – Industry Comment from ITTFA

Adding Value Makes the Difference – Industry Comment from ITTFA

Time and research have shown that exhibitions are undoubtedly an important part of the sales and marketing mix, however they do involve a considerable investment and it is therefore imperative for exhibitors to make the right choices.  This decision has never been more important as we struggle through a period of recession and money has to be spent wisely.  With so many exhibitions to choose from, event organisers have to work hard to ensure that they are among the chosen ones.
Selling the space should only be the beginning of the story and not the end.  So how do organisers retain those important exhibitors, attract new ones and add value to the cost of exhibiting?
Exhibitors need to know that the visitor quality and mix is appropriate for their product or service.  Visitor numbers are not necessarily an indication of success, far better to have one visitor who is the decision maker and key to your business rather than 3 who are not.  So drawing in the top buyers and decision makers is a must for successful trade events.
A good organiser will find out all about his exhibitors business, how they function, understand their product and customer base, what their future goals are.  They will build a relationship with each client and prove that they are targeting visitors on their behalf.
ITTFA member, TTG ITALIA which runs two major travel shows in Italy, TTG Incontri and BTC, achieves this in several ways including running educational and training programmes and via targeted and crossed communication on selected groups of potential visitors and exhibitors.  Antonio Dell’Aquilano, Exhibition & Event Manager TTG Italia explains further.
“In 2009 we organized over 100 one hour training courses during the three days of the fair, dedicated to all segments of travel professionals. We want to repeat the same successful experience in 2010. We believe that if companies have to invest their money and personnel time in participating at exhibitions, as well as the business opportunities made by the meetings at the fair, they have to come out with added professional value for their personnel too. For the same reasons, we invest money in bringing very high caliber Italian and foreign speakers for seminars.
We also select segments of exhibiting companies and communicate their presence to a particular segment of potential visitors – for example we have hundreds of tour operators dealing with, among other products, golfing holidays; we target golf clubs, which are not normally associated with travel exhibitions, but they contribute by creating travel demand organizing golf holidays for their associates. We do the same with many different segments. On the other hand, we attract more exhibitors, telling them what we are doing, in terms of targeted communication, to bring specific visitors to the fair.”
TUR, leading Scandinavian travel trade fair held in Gothenburg each year also looks to going that extra mile and getting closer to its exhibitors.  Johan F Lundberg, Exhibition Manager of TUR gives us an insight into why TUR is so successful.
“We have an on-going project at the Swedish Fair in Gothenburg where we analyze the future for fairs in general and then try to break down the conclusions as to how this will affect our fair. There is no doubt that every participant (exhibitor and visitor) are looking a lot more at what they get for their money. We have to give them a tool so they can measure their ROI. We have to have an even more direct and open discussion with the business itself so we are aware of what is real for them. Therefore we have tried to be more involved in the on going discussion of businesses and also provide different platforms where they can meet. In our business plan for TUR we have highlighted that it is vital for us to get even more involved with all the players in the business. The main thing is to be a platform for the business to meet, to be the natural meeting place and outside the fair, provide conditions where the business can meet in real life and in the digital world. We want to be on show all year in a variety of places.
In order to achieve this we have tried to build up our webpage (tur.se) to provide news and topics for the business rather than only provide information about the event thus extending the life of the fair.  For 2010 we will look at articles on our webpage and give our whole customer base an opportunity to comment on certain topics on our new Facebook group.  We have also started “BookTUR”, a webpage where all the exhibitors can promote their best offers during the fair. You can´t buy anything on”BookTUR” you have to come to the fair to buy it. We use the BookTUR in all our public advertising which means that the exhibitors get free marketing for their products through our market. They sell more products and the public loves the good prices. It is a clear win-win!
We work harder to collaborate with all the different organizations in the business and together we carry out seminars, galas, dinners etc. Thus providing more opportunities to market the show and build our network.
All this will hopefully lead to the conclusion that TUR is the natural meeting forum for the business – not for our sake – but for themselves. To participate in a fair is a cost-efficient way to keep up the most important thing in all business, the personal meeting itself. There is no substitute for that. From such meetings you can build faith with your partners for successful long term relationships.
TUR and TTG Italia are setting high standards and like other ITTFA members go the extra mile to prove their commitment.  This is what helps exhibitors choose one show over another and in these challenging times it is important to build a close relationship for both parties to maximise results.
ITTFA is dedicated to the continual development of the travel trade show industry, increasing participation and setting high standards worldwide.  For details on all our members visit us at www.ittfa.org
For further information please contact:   Wendy Walker / Sara Armitage Evans, International Tourism Trade Fairs Association (ITTFA), Email. info@ittfa.org
admin | Jan 16, 2010 | Comments 0
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Communications minister to open Coast Conference

Communications minister to open Coast Conference

The Gothenburg Boat Show from 6-14 February is fast approaching once again. New features include the Coast Conference, which is to be opened by the Minister for Communications, Åsa Torstensson.
“The fact that Åsa Torstensson is opening the Coast Conference sends a clear signal that Swedish boating life is important,” says Anders Svedberg of the West Sweden Tourist Board.
This is the first time that the Coast Conference is being held in conjunction with the Gothenburg Boat Show and the theme of this year’s conference is ‘The Future and the Environment’. The conference is set to focus on the most important future issues for Swedish boating life. The Boat Environment Board (Båtmiljörådet) will present its revised environmental programme for pleasure craft for the first time and the author and debater Stefan Edman will offer a unique seminar – ‘The Battle of Bohuslän’. In addition, exciting novelties, trends, technical innovations and much more will be showcased.
The Coast Conference is being organised by the West Sweden Tourist Board, Gothenburg Boat Show and Sweboat from 9-10 February at the Gothenburg Boat Show.
The Coast Conference is to be held from 9-10 February. For further information, visit: www.batmassan.se/kustkonferensen
admin | Dec 22, 2009 | Comments 0
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Gothenburg Motor Show – Sweden’s largest new car show in 2010

Gothenburg Motor Show – Sweden’s largest new car show in 2010

goetenburgmotorsowThe Gothenburg Motor Show will focus on eco-smart cars

Smarter solutions for eco-aware private motorists and a focus on the car in the workplace.
The 2010 Gothenburg Motor Show promises to be a very interesting show with a number of innovations new to Sweden.

“Although the economic crisis has hit carmakers hard worldwide, we can present a full programme with several hot new items,” says Helena Borg, Event Manager for the Gothenburg Motor Show.

Today’s private motorist is eco-aware and interest in low carbon dioxide emission cars is driving sales. Very low consumption diesel cars as well as gas and electric cars are arousing considerable curiosity. The same goes for plugin hybrid cars, which can be a good option for those generally driving short distances. Visitors to the show will get a good idea of what is on offer as well as seeing that you can combine eco-smartness with cool and bold design.

For those using a car in their work, there is also much of interest at the Gothenburg Motor Show, which will focus for the first time on the car in the workplace, a focus that many will find useful since more than 600,000 private cars are used daily at work. The fair offers seminars, a display of selected car models and various financing options, and Ronny Svensson, CEO of Ynnor Consultancy, is more than satisfied with the cooperation and the offering.

“Firms, organisations and the public face increasing demands to purchase the right vehicle. There are many innovations with regard to the environment, regulations and opportunities for purchasing, leasing or joining a car pool. We’re pleased to have an event showcasing both car models and information from fuel producers.”

For more information visit www.motorshow.se

admin | Nov 08, 2009 | Comments 0
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Seven new flight destinations from Göteborg

Seven new flight destinations from Göteborg

cityairCity Airline is planning to launch seven new direct destinations from Göteborg Landvetter Airport next spring. The airline’s target is to double its operations during the year by increasing capacity by more than 100 per cent.

The new destinations are Palma, Alicante, Rome, Barcelona, Milan, Malaga and Athens, giving City Airline a total of 19 European destinations from Göteborg.

The decision to expand is based on City Airline’s positive focus on the leisure travel market, in which Nice has become a successful route. This together with a more stable business travel market means that City Airline now sees good opportunities to grow and gain market shares.

“The new destinations are a natural step in our efforts to become the leading airline in West Sweden. In the spring we’re expanding our fleet with two more aircraft of a larger model than our current models, in order to operate our new routes,” says Jimmie Bergqvist.

For more information, visit www.cityairline.com

admin | Nov 08, 2009 | Comments 0
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Coast Conference to focus on environment and development

Coast Conference to focus on environment and development

COAST CONFERIn February it’s time for the fourth Coast Conference in connection with the Gothenburg Boat Show

The Gothenburg Boat Show opens its doors again in February. The parallel 2010 Coast Conference will discuss important issues on the environment and the development of boating life on the Swedish coast.

“The theme is ‘The Future and the Environment’ and the ambition is ‘To make a difference’. We want to get all the interested parties in the boat sector, from boat builders and users to planners and service providers, to meet and really take concrete initiatives for the future,” says Anders Svedberg at the West Sweden Tourist Board.

The next conference will be the fourth and Anders Svedberg looks forward to discussions about the future, trends and innovations in boating life.

“Guest harbours have a considerably lower standard today than campsites. There is much to be done in this respect.”

There is currently a bill before the Riksdag on reduced VAT and the introduction of a tourist VAT for guest harbours, something that would make all the difference to boating life, according to Anders Svedberg.

“We’d see more entrepreneurs entering the sector. People who understand that a guest harbour is not about parking the boat, but about seeing the person in the boat.”

The Gothenburg Boat Show is to be held from 6-14 February. For further information, visit www.batmassan.se

admin | Nov 08, 2009 | Comments 0
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