Raúl CallejaEvent Manager of SHOW2BEa new trade fair operator that bases its activity on new disruptive technologies and trade fair marketing 3.0, says in this interview with PROA that communication is an intrinsic part of the trade fair proposal from the point of view of the organiser, the participants and the sector itself, because they all need visibility, engagementparticipation, branding and positioning, networks and connections.
- After 20 years working at IFEMA MADRID, how and why did you decide to create a new trade fair operator?
After 20 years of experience and learning in a multitude of sectors in which I have had the honour and privilege of managing leading international and national professional trade fairs, the opportunity arose to take advantage of all this knowledge to integrate and create a new professional trade fair operator and organiser which, from the private sector, covers a typology of trade fair needs at the service of vertical and hyper-specialised sectors. Undoubtedly, trade fairs are one of the most comprehensive and powerful marketing, communication and sales tools available.. There are many places all over the world where there are opportunities to organise trade fairs.
The agility and flexibility of private enterprise allows for a great deal of leeway. in the planning and design of trade fair projects and ecosystems. Our obsession for the perfect trade fair in terms of its usefulness as a tool in the marketing plans of companies, both for exhibitors and visitors, together with a vocation of total customer orientation and service to help them grow, is our leitmotiv in terms of the value proposition of the fairs in SHOW2BE. The opportunity arises from the firm commitment on the part of 4forEverythingThe company, an experiential marketing company in the field of production, wants to diversify and expand as a group of companies.
- What is your differential value and what do you offer companies that current trade fair operators do not?
Without forgetting that the real utility of a trade fair is the commercial embrace or the handshake, where the human component is intrinsic to the presence of the event, trade fairs today are not like they were ten years ago, and in five years' time they will have many new tools: phygitalisation, new metrics, exponential technologies, innovation, the design of highly customised trade fair ecosystems, hyper-personalisation, real-time data, festivalisation, 365 ecosystems, ... These are all elements that are being incorporated into the trade fair narrative. of a new generation of trade fairs. SHOW2BE is positioned in this scenario. Visualising what trade fairs will be like in five years' time, and bringing many of these new proposals to us today. Sustainability is an element that also forms part of the DNA of any of its trade fair proposals.
- In SHOW2BE's presentation letter, a lot of emphasis is placed on the use of tools based on disruptive technologies and trade fair marketing 3.0. Could you explain to us what this means, what kind of new technologies you use, what they contribute and what trade fair marketing 3.0 consists of?
In some markets, investment by companies in trade fairs accounts for a high percentage of their marketing, communication and sales budgets. St is necessary to provide tools to all companies that allows them to get the most out of it and maximise their return on investment. Trade fair marketing 3.0 consists of providing all the companies participating in SHOW2BE trade fairs with tools that allow them to manage and measure their return on investment, quantify and qualify the value of the economic return on their participation, personalise the event as much as possible for each company, as each one has specific objectives that are different from others.
Being able to measure and quantify KPIs is nowadays made possible by technology. Therefore, in this process of "phygitalisation" of trade fairs, the confluence of the physical and the digital, which integrates disruptive technologies such as extended reality, artificial intelligence and real-time data analysis, allows us to take the trade fair tool to another stage. This synergy transforms trade fairs and exhibitions into immersive phygital experiences.where the physical and digital worlds intertwine to create interactive and personalised ecosystems. In doing so, not only is sustainability enhanced and global reach expanded, but every experience becomes profoundly unique and every interaction opens a window to new opportunities for connection. Trade show marketing 3.0, with its phygital core, radically redefines our approach to trade eventsopening doors to new dimensions of participation, impact, visibility and innovation, where technology becomes the bridge between the tangible and the intangible.
- Has the trade fair sector changed after the pandemic hiatus? In what ways in particular?
It has been strengthened. The usefulness and necessity of contact and interaction between people has become clear. The rise of the digital has only empowered the strength of the face-to-face. This has accelerated the concept of Business to PeopleThis consists of taking the best of the B2B and B2C approach to focus on people-centred strategies, and on the personalisation and humanisation of the value proposition of each product and service. This is helped by innovative technologies, to personalise and create enhanced user and consumer experiences. There is a renewed focus on personalising the assistant experience.using data to tailor content and interactions to individual preferences. This is seen in the recommendation of stands to visit, sessions to attend, and in the creation of unique user experiences.
The pandemic has also reinforced the importance of sustainability at trade fairs.. This ranges from reducing the environmental impact of events to promoting sustainable practices among exhibitors and attendees, reflecting a growing commitment to environmental responsibility. And a very important factor in the exhibition field, the development of flexible business models.
- What is your situation in Spain?
The pre-pandemic figures were already exceeded in 2023, and the calendars for 2024 point to the consolidation and growth of international events, and the explosion of new specialised proposals. Trade fairs have returned to the calendars as a sign of normality and recovery, with an increase in the participation in person and confidence in these events as irreplaceable commercial instruments, and as part of companies' marketing plans. These trends and adaptations reflect positive developments in the trade fair sector.The new era of opportunity and growth in the wake of the challenges presented by the pandemic has begun.
- Given the proliferation of trade fairs all over the country, is this a sector with possibilities for profitable growth?
When trade fair products are offered with a differentiating value proposition, with a lot of value, and with a vocation for service, incorporating return services for exhibiting companies, investing in demand and in ensuring leads and sales for them, an ecosystem of belonging and trust towards the trade fair brand is created. Profitability should not be an objective, but a consequence of the value proposition..
What we do believe is very important is that behind the organisation of a trade fair, behind the 'operation' of a trade fair, there must be companies and professional services specialising in trade fairs. Of course, profitability is a priority for a professional trade fair organiser, but in my view it cannot be the only KPI. But profitability goes far beyond the trade fair brand itself. The economic contribution of trade fairs to any city undoubtedly represents an economic engine driving GDP and employment.
- Is the global geopolitical situation and the resulting consequences for the economy affecting this sector?
The trade fair is a reflection of any market.. And, therefore, it cannot be oblivious to market situations. But, logically, each niche, each opportunity, each sector is different, and geopolitical movements can affect you negatively or positively. We must always be alert to opportunities.
- What are the main trends in this sector?
The five main trends on which SHOW2BE as a trade fair operator is committed are the incorporation of technological tools to the management of the participation and user experience of the trade fair instrument, innovation, new metrics and data management, personalisation and festivalisation of trade fairs.
- What are the main challenges you face?
Along the same lines, without a doubt, are the adaptation to the rapid irruption of new technological tools, sustainability by minimising or compensating for the footprint of events, audience retention and recurrence, and a commitment to content of maximum value, tools that generate personalised experiencesand other marketing channels, creating spaces of communication, and networking and continue to incorporate services that go beyond the square metre.
- In today's hyper-connected world, where you can present your products or your business and connect with your potential customers digitally from almost anywhere in the world, are trade fairs still necessary? Why?
It has been demonstrated that they are absolutely necessary because of their usefulness, their effectiveness, their return, ... How much time and money would it cost you to meet or introduce yourself directly and in person to 1,000 new potential customers? You just have to crunch the numbers.
- What are the sectors to which the trade fairs contribute the most? Does SHOW2BE specialise or intend to specialise in any particular sector?
SHOW2BE is a professional trade fair operator with the capacity to develop B2P trade fairs from any sector, but mainly from industry, services and food&retail.
- What arguments would you use to convince a sector of the need to organise a fair or similar event?
Undoubtedly, a sector with a professional trade fair has more strength and visibility in the eyes of the administrations and its sectoral ecosystem. But if we had to summarise in ten points the advantages that the development of a trade fair brings to any industryThe following would be the following: visibility and reputation, relations and networking strategic, training and knowledge, promotion and attraction of talent, market influence, instrument to generate resources, market research, global positioning, innovation and development, and social and community impact.
- What does and what can communication bring to the trade fair sector?
Communication is an intrinsic part of the trade fair proposal from all points of view, both for the trade fair organiser and for the participants and the sector itself. Undoubtedly, each of these legs needs visibility and reach, engagement and participation, branding and positioning, training and information, networks and connections, ...
The very philosophy of the SHOW2BE brand is along these lines: what is not taught, what is not communicated, is not sold.