ExpoPromoter

Exhibition News Awards 2012 Company Finalists Revealed

2012-02-13T07:35:00.002Z

After lengthy deliberation Exhibition News, the UK magazine owned-by Exhibition World publisher Mash Media, is pleased to announce the company finalists for our 2012 Awards.

This year, Mash Media presents 10 company-based awards covering organisers, venues and suppliers including our new category, Best International Launch. Competition across all of these categories was incredibly fierce and reflected the diversity of events and significant related achievements, within event industry. Those listed here as finalists should be proud of being shortlisted, as there are many who have not reached this stage.

Given the high calibre of our many Best Trade Show entries, we have also made the decision to list nine finalists for this award. There are up to six finalists for all remaining categories.

We will announce the finalists in our 10 people awards on Friday 10 February, so stay tuned for those details. The Exhibition News team would also like to send a special thanks to all those who entered for their efforts and for taking the time to compile such comprehensive, thoughtful nominations.

The Exhibition News Awards 2012 will be held at Olympia’s new-look West Hall in London, UK, on Thursday 29 March. Ensure your place at this must-attend industry event by booking your table or tickets now using our online booking system, or by phoning our events team on: 0208 971 8265.

Company Finalists 2012

Best International Launch
•    Aidex – Centaur Exhibitions
•    Grand Designs Live Australia – Diversified Exhibitions Australia
•    IMEX America – Regent Exhibitions
•    IFSEC Arabia and OSH Expo Arabia – UBM Plc
•    IFSEC West Africa – UBM Montgomery
•    Occupational Safety andHealth Expo Africa – UBM Montgomery
Best International Venue
•    ADNEC – UAE
•    Amsterdam RAI – The Netherlands
•    Cape Town International Convention Centre – South Africa
•    EuroExpo Lyon – France
•    Riocentro – Brazil
•    Singapore Expo – Singapore
Best Launch Show
•    Edible Garden Show – Channell Events
•    Home – Clarion Events
•    Commissioning – CloserStill Media
•    Ideal Home Show at Christmas – Media 10
•    The Renewables Roadshow –Renewables Roadshow Limited
•    The London Bike Show – VOS Media
Best Consumer Show
•    Taste of Christmas – Brand Events
•    Taste of London – Brand Events
•    National Home Improvement Show – Centaur Exhibitions
•    Ideal Home Show – Media 10
•    50+ Show – Pro Publications
•    BBC Good Food Show Summer and BBC Gardeners’ World – BBC Haymarket
Best Trade Show
•    Marketing Week Live – Centaur Exhibitions
•    DSEi – Clarion Events
•    London Vet Show – CloserStill Media
•    The Pharmacy Show – CloserStill Media
•    Lunch! – Diversified Business Communications
•    The Energy Event – Emap Connect
•    IFE – Fresh Montgomery
•    World Travel Market – ReedExhibitions
•    International Firex – UBM
Best Employer
•    Aztec Event Services
•    Business Design Centre
•    Excel London
•    Media 10
•    Melville Exhibition and Event Services
•    The NEC
Best Venue
•    Business Design Centre
•    Earls Court
•    Excel London
•    Olympia
•    Ricoh Arena
•    The NEC
Best Supplier to Exhibitors
•    Access Displays
•    CEVA
•    DB Systems
•    Melville Exhibition and Event Services
•    Smart AV
•    Total Displays
Best Supplier to Organisers
•    Agility Fairs
•    Aztec Event Services
•    CEVA
•    Melville Exhibition and Event Services
•    Solutions 2
•    Thorns Group
Sustainability Award
•    Earls Court and Olympia
•    Excel London
•    Melville Exhibition and Event Services
•    Smart AV
•    The NEC
•    UBM Live

Source: Exhibition World

One-Touch Social Media Sharing for B2B Events - RFID and LinkedIn

2012-02-09T08:00:00.002Z

The LinkedIn LikeStation

Excelerated Apps announced the world’s first successful implementation of one-touch social sharing on LinkedIn, powered by UpD8r RFID technology.

The UK & Ireland SAP User Group is an independent organisation set up to serve the needs of all SAP and Business Objects users, providing members with a forum to share knowledge, best practice and expertise with industry peers.

The User Group conference in November 2011 saw the successful implementation of UpD8r for Events, allowing registered delegates to share updates from the conference with all of their LinkedIn contacts.

Simply by touching their RFID-enabled lanyards at any one of the ‘LikeStations’ located around the event, delegates were able to share activities they were involved in, presentations they had seen, or even the networking events they were enjoying!

By using the UpD8r solution, the SAP User Group were able to extend the reach of their event beyond the 400 delegates present, to over 32,000 LinkedIn users – each a potential new member of their organisation, or exhibitor at their conference.

“The UpD8r solution brought a new dimension to our event and was very well received by delegates and exhibitors alike. The post-event analysis was excellent and delegate feedback was very positive.” – UK & Ireland SAP User Group

The UpD8r for Events solution can also be used for lead capture, and plans are already underway for the 2012 Conference to use the solution on all exhibitor stands to track interest in products and services, as well as to enable social sharing of content throughout the event.

Via

Zimbabwe to Build Convention Centre at Victoria Falls

2012-02-09T07:38:00.000Z

AFRICA – The Zimbabwe Government is to construct a multi-million dollar convention centre at Victoria Falls.

The proposed centre is would be the venue for the United National World Tourism Organisation General Assembly jointly hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia in 2013.

A 1,000 hectare piece of land has been proposed six kilometres south of the iconic tourist attraction and natural wonder, Victoria Falls.

The Zimbabwe Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi said his government was in a process of holding Environmental Impact Assessment stakeholder consultations in accordance with the provisions the Environmental Management Act.

The Minister said the exact details of the centre would be revealed after the stakeholder consultation were held, but initial plans show the project will have a seating capacity of 3-5,000 delegates with several committee rooms, a golf course, a five-star and a three-star hotel.

“We prefer to work quietly on the construction of the convention centre because we do not want to scare away investors,” he said.

In an interview with local Zimbabwean news agency, Chronicle, the Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Retired Colonel Christian Katsande, said the current capacity of hosting events of a biggermagnitude was limiting the town.

“It was high time for the convention centre and to make sure that we are really positioning Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe to host such big events,” he said.

Via Exhibition World

10 Tips to Empower Your Event Website With HotelsForEvent

2012-01-18T07:41:00.001Z

HotelsForEventis a useful online hotel pricecomparison and bookingservice developed especially for event organisers. It allows the creation of a fullyfeatured hotel search engine within minutes. Setting up this service on anevent website increases customer loyalty by offering visitors the largestonline hotel database with the best online rates, while also allowing theorganiser to receive revenue from every booking.

Learn main features of the service and 10 tips to set it up.

Summing Up 2011...

2011-12-22T15:37:00.000Z

MerryChristmas and Happy New Year!

May the New Year be filled with wonderful adventuresand many successes! Get your prediction from ExpoPromoter here.

We had lotsof successes this year…

ExpoPromoterbecame an associated member of UFI, AIEE and IFES
ExpoPromoterAffiliate Network reached more than 900 b2b web sites
We havecreated useful online tools for event organisers, which can be implemented on eventweb site and even updated them:

- TicketForEvent– online registration and e-ticketing service for event organisers. One canalready purchase e-ticket and choose a seat in the event hall. Very soon theinteractive scheme option will be also available.

- HotelsForEvent– online hotel price comparison and booking service, which aggregates data from9 online booking systems. In just a few months the service grew in 23,5% – and relevantsearch is now made within 235,000 hotels all over the world.

We keep on growing,that is why you should expect more surprises next year. We shall offer you muchmore!

Thank youfor being with us!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2011-12-20T08:32:00.000Z

May your New Year be filledwith wonderful adventures and many successes!

Want to get a prediction for the year 2012? Click here

ExpoPromoter Goes On Bringing Professional Buyers' Delegations to the Major Events of Rimini Fiera and Fiera Milano International

2011-12-16T07:49:00.000Z

ExpoPromoter Hosted buyer programme is appreciated by many Europeanevent organisers for the ability to attract to international trade fairs highlytargeted professional attendees.

Successful 2-year cooperation of ExpoPromoter withwell-known Italian exhibition organiser Rimini Fiera resulted in attraction of delegationsfrom CIS countries and Baltic region. Exhibitorsreceived guaranteed potential leads and signed more contracts with new marketrepresentatives. Attendees in their turn didn’t waste their time onorganization of a trip and received a full-scale service instead.

Rimini Fiera provides the professional buyers with all thenecessary facilities to fulfill their business interests – privileged travellingand accommodation conditions, matchmaking solution, personal assistant/translatoretc.

After event organiser confirms buyer`s participation in theevent, registered buyer gets access to the Rimini Fiera online matchmaking applicationin order to plan his business meetings with the exhibitors. User friendlyinterface and functionality of the solution makes exhibitor search very easyand meeting arrangements are made automatically and quickly.

Thus, individual schedule is created for each buyer to hold12 business meetings in one day. Moreover, professional visitors experience no difficultiesin communication, since every buyer is provided with personal assistant whoseforeign language is fluent and specified.

Professional buyers` delegation gathered by ExpoPromoter tovisit 61st International Hospitality Exhibition SIA Guest in November,2011consisted of 33 companies from Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic countries.Delegatesconducted 396 business meetings.

ExpoPromoter regularly receives orders from the leadingEuropean event organisers to form professional buyers group. At the momentExpoPromoter attracts representatives for such international trade shows as Macef,Sapore, Technodomus and Rimini Wellness.

Ifyour company`s profile fits any of the named exhibitions please contact ExpoPromoter’sVIP Buyer Department at e-mail: ako@expopromoter.com

Macef

January,26-29, 2012

Organiser –Fiera Milano International

The International home show. Showsectors: Table and kitchenware; Home décor; silver; bijoux, gold, fashion andaccessories; Gifts, trade and big volume.

Sapore

Fabruary,25-28, 2012

Organiser –Rimini Fiera SPA

The B2Bevent for the food and beverage sector. Innovationsand trends in the Ho.Re.Ca. industry.865companies, 79,823 professional visitors, 3,000 business meetings betweenexhibiting companies and foreign buyers from 42 countries.

Technodomus

April,20-24, 2012

Organiser –Rimini Fiera SPA

Theinternational expo of wood technology for the construction and furnitureindustries.The leadingmanufacturers of machines, parts, accessories and tools for the woodworkindustry get together over five days to present their latest products andtechnological innovations. More than 100companies from the CIS countries are expected to join the delelgation.

Riminiwellness

May, 10-13,2012

Organiser –Rimini Fiera SPA

Fitness,wellness and sport.

Expositionsectors: Fitness; Wellness; Wellness food; Sports and sports fashion; Services;Rehabilitation.

More than $1 Million Raised in Support of IAEE Public Relations Campaign Industry-Wide Initiative Launched to Increase Awareness of Face-to-Face Events

2011-12-09T10:35:00.006Z

LAS VEGAS, 8 December 2011 – Today, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE) announces it has raised more than $1 million in support of its public relations campaign to increase awareness about the long-term benefits of face-to-face exhibitions and events.

At the heart of this project is a drive to raise funds to support the campaign's goal which is to tell the industry's story while strengthening the exhibitions and events industry's reputation as the preeminent medium for conducting business. No other media brings buyers and sellers together as effectively.

IAEE Chairman Vinnie Polito says, "I am thrilled by the support from hundreds of our colleagues and their organizations. Never before, in IAEE's 83-year history, has there been such a collaborative effort to achieve one goal. As a result, we are now well-positioned to launch and support a vital campaign that will benefit our own industry and the customers we serve."

He continues, "I sincerely appreciate the efforts of the Public Relations Task Force led by Kimberly Hardcastle, Paige Cardwell and Nina Carrara, as well as my fellow directors on the board who were led by Visit Orlando's President and CEO Gary Sain. The generous contributions pledged as a result of these efforts will be invested carefully to meet IAEE members' expectations."

Early supporters who not only supported the campaign financially, but who also submitted compelling stories of their exhibitors' successes include the Consumer Electronics Association, SEMA, INFOCOMM, Monster Cable, the National Association of Broadcasters and the National Restaurant Association to name a few. The three-year-long campaign will focus on communicating the strengths and relevance of face-to-face opportunities, increasing the favorable impression of events, compiling real stories about the power and uniqueness of trade shows, differentiating trade shows from other forms of engagement and leveraging new media and digital opportunities to expand reach and build an online presence.

Additionally, from the initial creation of the Campaign, industry associations including of the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI); Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA); Major American Trade Show Organizers (MATSO), and The Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO), have been instrumental in the development and establishment of their long-term commitment to the Campaign.

Supporting Organizations Include:

Champions:
American College of Surgeons in Chicago
Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau
Atlantis
Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau
Conference Direct
Consumer Electronics Association/CES
Convention News TV (CNTV)
CTIA – The Wireless Association
Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau
Destination DC
Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau
Freeman
Global Experience Specialists (GES)
Global Pet Expo
Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau
Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau
Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau
Hargrove
Hawaii Convention Center
Helms Briscoe
InfoComm International
International Housewares Association
LA Inc. The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau
Los Angeles Convention Center
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau
Maritz
McCormick Place
Messe Frankfurt GmbH
MGM
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
New Orleans Metropolitan CVB
Northstar Meetings Group
Orange County Convention Center
Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau
Premier Beauty
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)
Rosen Hotels and Resorts
San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau
San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau
San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau
Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO)
Society of the Plastics Institute
Solar Energy Trade Shows LLC (SETS)
Tourism Toronto – Convention and Visitors Association
Trade Show Executive
UBM Live
US Poultry & Egg Association
Visit Denver
Visit Mexico
Visit Orlando

Leaders:
American Society of Anesthesiologists
Anaheim – Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau
Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau
bxb Online
Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau
Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI)
Experient, Inc.
Ft. Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau
George R. Brown Convention Center
Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau
Greater Vancouver Visitors and Convention Bureau
Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAPPA)
Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC)
Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association
Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau
Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau
Minneapolis Northwest Convention and Visitors Bureau
Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau
Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI)
Performance Racing
St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission
Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau
Tampa Bay and Company
Visit Baltimore
Visit Charlotte
Visit Jacksonville

Supporters:
AE Ventures
Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR)
ConvExx
Craft & Hobby Association
Exhibit Surveys, Inc.
Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA)
Light Speed
Major American Trade Show Organizers (MATSO)
Mears Transportation
National Automobile Dealers Association
Portland Oregon Visitors Association
VP International
Western Veterinary Conference

About IAEE
Since 1928, IAEE continues to provide quality and value to its members through leadership, service, education and strong relationships. IAEE is the largest association of the exhibitions and events industry in the world, with a membership of show organizers, exhibitors and exhibition suppliers. Organizers of more than 20,000 exhibitions and buyer-seller events around the world are members of IAEE. Through the 2006 consolidation with the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), IAEE delivers valuable industry research reports. IAEE also supports IAEE Services, the IAEE Public Events Council, The International Center for Exhibitor and Event Marketing, and the Exhibition and Event Industry Audit Commission, which are IAEE councils that provide products, programs and information to members. IAEE recognizes its strategic partners: American Airlines, ASP, Inc., Bearcom, Mexico Tourism Board, Orange County Convention Center and Visit Orlando, Vertical Nerve, Inc. and VoiceLogic. Visit www.iaee.com for more information.

ExpoPromoter is also the member of IAEE.

10 Tips to Increase Your Event Attendance and Gain Visitors Loyalty

2011-12-07T07:25:00.001Z

1. Well-organised event

Never think your attendees won’t notice anything. If you are organizing an event – take good care, be attentive, consider the smallest details and hire professionals to make it a perfect event and unforgettable experience for your clients. Positive feedback is the best tool to promote your event and attract more exhibitors and visitors. Similar to social networking negative comments in the world of Internet turns out to be a disaster for your event. Keep in mind Jeff Bezos’ words “If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends”.

2. User friendly event web site

Make sure that your event web site is not only stylish and modern, but also informative and has a user friendly interface. Potential clients are to find necessary information quick enough to make a decision about participating in your event. Make certain that they don’t get lost in your web site – make it simple, functional and clear.

3. Respect your visitor and save his time – he’ll be grateful

Do you have a lot of spare time? Why do you think event attendees have more?

First of all, don’t hesitate to implement online registration and e-ticketing service on your event web site. It will provide your participants with a time-saving opportunity to buy a ticket online and avoid queuing at the entrance. Note that your time will be saved as well, in addition to contracting your expenses. Due to automation of registration, billing and check-in processes you will have your costs on hiring additional staff cut.

4. Provide attendees with additional benefits

Do as much as you can to provide your event attendee with all the information he needs to plan his trip right on your web site. Place a link to air/train tickets finder, car rental website, online hotel booking system. In addition to saving your visitors time you can also get commission from service companies and additionally monetize your visitors flow. (e.g. Google Flight Search, HotelsForEvent etc.)

One shouldn`t forget about the matchmaking solutions offering your attendees the opportunity to plan meetings with exhibitors in advance.

5. Hosted buyer program

If you are about to organise a trade show or exhibition spend some money to attract professional visitors. Scale geography of your event, gain participants and attendees loyalty – provide them with guaranteed business meetings using matchmaking services to make profitable deals.

6. Invite your past event attendees to join next event and encourage them with discounts

If you use online registration system, then your past attendee’s data base is ready to be put in work. E-mail your past visitors to invite them to the next edition or inform about a new event launch. The interest may rise if you offer a discount by sending a promo-code. Give attendees special offers and increase their loyalty!

7. Don’t spam

You may lose your visitors if you go too far trying to get in touch with them. People nowadays receive a pile of emails every day and if you go on spamming them don’t wait for a positive feedback. Stay positive and unobtrusive.

8. Attract your audience by informing

Give maximum information about your event on your web site, in corporate blog – everywhere. Firstly, it will prevent you from answering unnecessary questions and save your precious time. Secondly, the more information you distribute, the more people you are likely to engage. Describe all aspects of your event and don`t forget to write from the point of view of each visitor group (exhibitors, attendees, press etc.), they require information to be put in a different way.

9. Don’t ignore the power of social networking

Creating pages for your event in social media is a good way to address your target audience in person and analyse public opinion. Don’t be too formal, but avoid familiarity. Post something familiar to visitors and exhibitors – for example photos/videos from the event, news from the participants etc. It’s important to find balance in combining business-style communication and informal style of social networks.

10. Leave your promotion to professionals

To increase your event awareness use popular event calendars – some of them are free of charge and offer additional pre-paid promotion. The sum to pay for such promotions on b2b web sites is often reasonable, but you’ll save yourself a lot of time for core organization process. For example ExpoPromoter.com targets your advertising on b2b web sites from your event industry.

20 Reasons to Use Online Registration and E-ticketing Service For Your Event

2011-11-28T10:24:00.001Z

Do youstill hesitate whether to set up online registration and e-ticketing solution on your event website? Leave all your doubtsbehind and empower your event web site with new functions. Here are at least 20reasons to do it.

Free online registration service
Increase in visitor’s loyalty
Customization of Registration form according toyour wishes
Automation of online visitor registration ande-ticketing process with generation of unique QR-code
Involve less personnel to process registrationdata
Adjustable E-Ticket/Badge with additional info blocks(add logos, hall plan, maps…)
Ticket sale widget design customisation to fitin event’s web site
Creation of different types of tickets (visitor,participant, press, student…)
More than 90 payment options for internationaland local visitors
Promo codes set up
Free check-in software
No lines at the entrance
Time-saving
Real time notifications for everyregistration
Customization of visitor notifications
In-depth visitor registration and attendancestatistics – before, during and after the event
Automated data base arrangement for later use
Placement of ticket sale widget or a link to theregistration form at event web site and at the websites of your partners
Technical support
Commission charged only on tickets sold

All theseadvantages are available within TicketForEvent online registration and e-ticketing service. In addition, have your tickets sold via ExpoPromoter affiliate network(800+ B2B web sites).

78-th UFI Conference gathers friends and breaks records

2011-11-25T08:25:00.001Z

On November, 11, UFI members waved farewell to each otherafter spending 3 days at 78-th UFI Congress. Aimed to examine key industryissues congress managed to bring together almost 400 delegates from 52countries at the state-of-the-art Feria Valencia Exhibition Centre, Spain. Thisoutstanding attendance of 2011 edition breaks all records for UFI Congress’ inEurope and confirms this year’s theme, “Bridging Continents – Linking People”.

Mariya Shtanhrat and Paul Woodward

UFI Managing Director Paul Woodward stated that “as thevoice of the global exhibition industry, UFI represents member organisationsmanaging over 12 million square meters of exhibition space and organizing over3000 international exhibitions around the globe”.

This year’s event was marked by integration of innovativesolutions and discussions of industry trends in informal and relaxingatmosphere.

Two ExpoPromoter representatives took part in the event –Mariya Shtanhrat, ExpoPromoter Business Development Manager, and her associateJulia Kliuchkovska.

On their return Mariya and Julia infected all our staff withtheir extremely positive impressions about the Congress. This excitement couldn`tbe left unnoticed!

H.S. Bedi & Julia Kliuchkovska

Old friends` meeting is the best description of the atmosphere ofthe event. Thank to modern means of communication, which help connecting peopleand establishing friendly relations online, participants met as if they’d knowneach other for years – although for some of them it was their first meeting inperson. Whether being connected on LinkedIn, making friends on Facebook orfollowing on Twitter everyone felt like home – familiar faces no matter how youslice it :)

Mariya Shtanhrat, ExpoPromoter Business Development Manager:

“It was a great trip! Wonderful weather, hospitable Spain,beautiful Valencia and tasty national cuisine left warmest recollection.

”This is not the first UFI event I visit, so I was glad tosee many people I already know and pleased with a friendly reception.

”Generally, the program of the UFI event was well considered,as usual.

Presentations` topics were truly urgent, useful informationwas spiced with sense of humor and speakers artistically got out the message tothe audience. The most unforgettable speaker is definitely Stephane Garelli,Professor at IMD, Institute of Development Management (Switzerland) – hisnatural charisma sticked to everyone’s memory! Regular coffee breaks gave perfectopportunity to meet new people, talk business and not only :) .

”Not to forget about Valencia sightseeing tour, whichimpressed us with city’s beauty and lively atmosphere combining history andmodernism. And of course, a seabreeze… :)

Dinner at Valencia Opera House

”Still one of the best attractions was a sophisticated dinnerin enchanting atmosphere at Valencia Opera House (Palau de les Arts ReinaSofia). We had a great time together!

”However, the only disadvantage of the Congress is a lack oftime to get to know all of the delegates. So many people to meet and so littletime to do that!”

Once more UFI did a great work to encourage event industrydevelopment, create the opportunity to network with a wide range of expoprofessionals, share best practices and industry innovations. For example, thisyear everyone appreciated convenience of a useful device Poken, created tocollect and exchange digital information in the real world with one touch. Soparticipants had no need to collect paper business cards – UFI members went green:)As Poken officially announces on their Twitter account over 2000 paperless docscollected in pokenHUB of 400 delegates and 10 000 exchanged social businesscards.

We look forward to see everyone at future UFI events. We arealways open for communication and cooperation – stay in touch with us onFacebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

P.S. Warm congratulations to Arie Brienen (CEO JaarbeursHolding, Netherlands), who took over as UFI President at the end of theValencia Congress.

More photos from the 78-th UFI Congress on ExpoPromoter Flickr page

Fairtrade sets up HotelsForEvent widget for 11 events

2011-11-18T14:53:00.001Z

Starting from this expo season attendees of Fairtrade Messe (DE) events can use a new option on the events` websites – online hotel searching and booking solution.

HotelsForEvent provides fast and easy online search of accommodation near the venue through 235,000 hotels worldwide.

Using ExpoPromoter HotelsForEvent cloud solution for all of the Fairtrade Messe events is expected to increase visitors loyalty and ensure easy event hotel search.
Details

ExpoPromoter is in Valencia

2011-11-11T10:57:00.001Z

Take a look at the Exhibition World article about UFI 78th Congress and read our report next week.

EUROPE - The 2011 annual UFI Congress is underway in Valencia, bringing together more than 400 delegates from the international exhibition industry to discuss the future of exhibitions.

The two-day speaker programme is being moderated this year by Hakan Gershagen, senior advisor and board member at Belgian organiser EasyFairs. Key speakers include Stephane Garelli, professor at the Institute of Development Management in Switzerland, who will speak about the impact of the ongoing global economic crisis, and Mercedes Araoz, professor at the Universidad del Pacifico in Peru, who will address Latin America´s opportunity for exhibition organisers.

Feria Valencia’s president Alberto Catala Ruiz de Galarreta welcomed delegates from 25 countries to Valencia. He pointed out the current business, political and economic climate made it difficult to determine in which direction the world is headed.

The UFI Congress is an opportunity for members “to take a time-out in Valencia, share information and strategise on the pitfalls and opportunities ahead for the exhibition industry”, he said.

UFI 2011 president Eric Everard agreed the industry needed to continue to develop ways to promote the benefits of exhibitions to global marketers.

“If we can do our bit to convince business that, when times are tough, exhibitions and events are the place to focus their marketing dollars, then there will have been a silver lining in those storm clouds for our industry,” he told the congress.

A highlight of the UFI Congress programme is a panel discussion on how face-to-face business events will work in the future, with opinion from experts representing various aspects of the business events industry. The panel comprises Rod Cameron from the International Association of Congress Centres (Belgium), Martin Sirk CEO of the International Congress and Convention Association (Netherlands) and Denzil Rankine, founder and chief executive at AMR International (UK).

The event also sees the official handover of the UFI presidency from Everard to Arie Brienen, CEO of Jaarbeurs Holding in the Netherlands. Deputy director of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Chen Xianjin was recently appointed the 2013 UFI presidency.

Exhibition World

2011-11-08T09:19:00.000Z

Check out new video presentation of ExpoPromoter online ticketing service TicketForEvent! We receive hundreds of questions from organisers of events, striving to learn more about this solution. Find out about main features and advantages of the TicketForEvent solution and don't hesitate to post your comments ;) Refer your further questions to ticket@expopromoter.com

Link http://www.youtube.com/user/ExpoPromoter#p/u/0/8czJGQlZTSc

Watch our YouTube channel

HotelsForEvent launch: online booking solution for event organisers

2011-10-20T10:00:00.000+01:00

The HotelsForEvent online booking solution for event organisers has now been officially launched after promising results during the testing period. In that time, 1,821 bookings were made using the service, and turnover amounted to USD 1,020,362. The figures confirmed developers’ expectations.

This up-to-date service is in demand and satisfies the needs of both event organisers and visitors. On the one hand, HotelsForEvent makes it more organised and effective for visitors to plan their trip. On the other hand, event organisers earn visitors’ loyalty and gain extra income.

The service is created to suit event organisers’ needs in terms of an accommodation management solution, while helping to avoid unnecessary calls during the event organisation process. HotelsForEvent combines accommodation offers from the best online booking systems such as Booking.com, HRS, Expedia, Hotels.com, Hotel.info , Agoda, Otel.com and Travelocity. It also generates a comprehensive list of accommodation offers, valid for specific event dates and locations. “A price comparison, sorting feature, flexible filters and a ‘visual search’ option allows the visitor to obtain the most relevant search results. At the moment, the solution is available in 10 different languages, thus ensuring product availability for local as well as international visitors,” stated Gennadiy Netyaha, the CEO of the developer company.

ExpoPromo Group Becomes an Associate Member of UFI

2011-05-10T19:22:00.000+01:00

London, 10 May 2011 - ExpoPromo Group Ltd, the owner of ExpoPromoter – the largest online Affiliate Network for business events organisers – has been accepted as an Associate Member of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. The decision was taken at a UFI Executive Committee meeting held on 26 March in New Delhi.

UFI is the leading global association of trade fair organisers and exhibition venue operators, representing over 550 member organisations in 84 countries. As well as supporting national and international expo industry partners, it carries out promotion, research and training. The Association’s Approved Event scheme provides a widelyrecognised quality guarantee for both exhibitors at, and visitors to, an event.

UFI membership will enable the ExpoPromoter team to play a greater role in contributing to the industry’s development, through knowledge sharing. The team will also have an enhanced ability to provide individual partners with cutting-edge tools to promote and organise events. Membership also has multiple benefits for ExpoPromoter: the opportunity to network with a wide range of expo professionals; to be kept informed about industry developments; to share best practices; and to gain insight on how to provide the best
possible services for our clients.

In the words of Hennadiy Netyaha, CEO of ExpoPromo Group Ltd:
By joining UFI we now have a great opportunity to share information about the solutions we offer with key exhibition industry players. We operate an internet-based Affiliate Network, an efficient and user-friendly vehicle for increasing numbers of exhibition promoters, visitors and ultimately buyers. We not only promote events, but are also aware of the importance of visitor loyalty – and we help organisers build such loyalty with a range of online services. We are excited about upcoming discussions with industry partners which will allow us to develop our products to even better match our users’ needs.

More than 82, 000 events are currently posted on the ExpoPromoter Affiliate Network. Any event organiser can, with a single click, add an exhibition to the ExpoPromoter.com calendar, as well as the calendars of more than 700 of our web partners. The number of visitors to network sites continues to grow – last month the Affiliate Network recorded 2,295,598 unique page views.

ExpoPromo Group, which is headquartered in London, has representative offices in the Netherlands and Hong Kong. ExpoPromoter receives technical support from its office in Ukraine.

ExpoPromoter raises US $1M from Dekarta Capital

2011-01-19T12:43:00.002Z

Move marks first venture investment for US$100M fund

London, 19 January 2011 – ExpoPromoter, which offers a set of online services for event organizers, has received US$1M of Series A funding from Dekarta Capital, a private fund focusing on companies with extraordinary growth potential.

ExpoPromoter is the largest exhibition events database worldwide, covering 77,000 events by more than 8,000 event organizers. With an affiliate network of more than 500 business websites, ExpoPromoter provides a hub for any services that might be needed by someone organizing events such as conferences and exhibitions. This includes event promotion and advertising, online ticketing and logistical support such as hotel bookings. The service automates some of the time-consuming, labour-intensive but critically important activities involved in organizing business events. It also provides event marketers with clear insight into the return on investment each event delivers. This means organizers can focus their efforts on those activities that deliver the highest commercial value.

The Dekarta Capital Fund was created in 2008 to invest in both early stage and high-growth phase businesses. Managed by Alexander Lyadov and Denis Kim, Dekarta Capital is focused on supporting determined and resourceful entrepreneurs able to successfully shape and adapt to an ever-changing and uncertain world, creating exceptional value for its clients, employees and investors.

Hennadiy Netyaha

Hennadiy Netyaha the founder and CEO of ExpoPromoter, with a track record of more than 15 years in the exhibition and Internet sectors, commented: “The investment from Dekarta Capital gives us the opportunity to create more value for customers by developing our affiliate network, increasing the number of partner websites, expanding our event database and building up a strong infrastructure – all supporting the rapid growth of our company".

Alexander Lyadov

“Today, more than ever before, a company’s success depends on using resources wisely. We believe ExpoPromoter is well-positioned to address the need for event organizers to make every marketing dollar deliver predictable and measurable results,” said Alexander Lyadov, Managing Partner, Dekarta Capital. “In the events sector, where the investment battlefield is marketing, ExpoPromoter’s ability to clearly demonstrate ROI makes it an indispensable tool of choice for any event organizer.”

About ExpoPromoter

Expopromoter is part of ExpoPromo Group, which creates and supports a network of exhibition related web resources. ExpoPromoter constitutes a web-based catalogue of business events for more than 146 countries and across 25 industry sectors. It enables trade fair organizers, venues and service companies to promote their events more effectively. The beta version of the web service was launched in 2007. Its affiliate network currently registers about 600,000 unique visitors, over two million unique page views and total traffic of around 15 million visitors monthly.

The company is headquartered in London, with a technical office in Kyiv (Ukraine). Further information is available at http://www.expopromoter.org.

About Dekarta Capital

Founded in December 2008, Dekarta Capital is a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in early stage and growth equity investments in middle market companies. Presently, Dekarta Capital manages the assets of a private fund equal to US$100 million. The firm seeks to invest in all sectors with a focus on financial services, Internet, retail, media and technology. It typically invests up to US$1 million at the early stage and between US$2 million and US$15 million at later stages. The fund supports technology companies originated in Russia, Ukraine and Latvia, which have clearly demonstrated their potential to become industry leaders on the global arena. Further information is available at http://en.dekartacapital.com/.