IAEM Name Change Story Overplayed
Trevor Foley -- Tradeshow Week, 2/6/2006
From my viewpoint "across the pond," I cannot believe the amount of coverage, or more appropriately bitching, being directed at the Intl. Assn. for Exhibition Management over its name change proposals. Maybe there wasn't quite enough notice given and clearly there wasn't quite a quorum at the vote but, quite frankly, so what?
The U.S. industry press and some IAEM members seem to be directing their energies in completely the wrong direction. The fact is that our industry has to move with the times and use language that works with, and more importantly, is understood by our customers (clients and visitors). The word Events doesn't replace Exhibitions, but it does paint a clearer, more dynamic and sexier picture of what our industry is all about.
In the U.K., we have just launched the Events Industry Alliance with minimal fuss, but with major impact. All of a sudden, the media and marketing press are more interested in our medium, clients and agencies are asking more questions, and it is opening doors in government too. Even financial institutions are queuing up for more information.
We must talk the language that our target audiences understand and will respond to. Of course, it is more than the word events; think also permission-marketing, engagement, experiences, interaction and more.
It is also a good time for our industry. We should be promoting, globally, our synergies in the marketing mix with online, sponsorship and public relations. At the same time, we can take advantage of the current difficulties being experienced by the broadcast, direct marketing and outdoor sectors.
Our industry, with some of the great research being done and the imminent arrival of ROI models, should be creating an epidemic of positive language and case studies showing brand successes in the use of live marketing.
As our industry press, you should be playing a drum-banging role in promoting the cause, not jumping on an insular bandwagon about whether bureaucratic processes have been followed.
Why the infighting in the United States when there are some much more exciting and eminently winnable cross-media battles to be fought? IAEM should be allowed to change its name today, work with the Society of Independent Show Organizers to achieve industry consolidation as a matter of urgency (along with the raft of other associations that only serve to fragment industry promotion activities) and get out and fight the right battles. It works!
Trevor Foley, Group chief executive, Events Industry Alliance, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, U.K.
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