We have a wonderful opportunity to review some of the content from the IAEE Senior Executives Roundtable which was held in Boston on 13 July. IAEE had a video team rolling the cameras during the day and we now can watch the panelists discuss a couple of topics.
I thought the panelists did a great job of addressing the topics presented by the moderator and answering the questions from the physical audience. It is interesting to note, that more “pointed” questions came from the virtual guests. Maybe because they were anonymous certain constraints fell to the way side.
Jason McGraw, CTS, CAE, Sr. Vice President of Expositions, InfoComm International
Jason led the panel discussion on Exhibition and Event Industry Makeover. Below is the description of this panel discussion from the IAEE website:
What will it take to create a new and better trade show business model?
That is the question it seems everyone is asking today. Never before has the business model of the modern exhibition come under more scrutiny or more criticism. Amid all the noise, there is precious little evidence of any real solutions. Here, for example, are actual excerpts from current online discussions:
• “Costs, regulations in F&B and building services need rehab.”
• “All industry segments share in the responsibility for what is happening.”
• “Organizers must stop “shaking down suppliers.”
• “Show cost pricing is out of control and exhibitors struggle to get the ROI needed to continue to participate in shows.”
• “Any business that has, essentially, been doing the same thing in the same way for the past 20 years needs revitalization.”
• “Cost shifting is killing our golden goose.”
This session featuring savvy and thoughtful industry professionals is designed to identify innovation, new thinking and real world solutions. Do not attend this session if its theatrics, shouting and finger-pointing you are looking for. That will not happen here. We will be too busy talking about crafting new solutions together.
The link for you to view this presentation can be found here. Once you have watched the material, please share with us your thoughts on the content. We would like to keep the conversation which was started in Boston going intil New Orleans and beyond.
