COVER STORY
50 years of success With its reputation for consistently delivering shows of excellence, Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery, South Africa’s largest trade show organiser, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
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FTER FIVE DECADES of serving the exhibition industry, it is clear that its accumulated experience, knowledge and expertise have become part of the company’s DNA. Marketers value the excellent opportunity that trade shows provide for on-site sales, valuable sales leads and increased brand awareness. They also know the importance of selecting the right show and the right show organiser. As the largest trade show organiser in South Africa, Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery offers a wide portfolio of world-class shows – across a broad spectrum of industries – which deliver a good return on investment for exhibitors. “We have built a proud heritage over the past 50 years,” says Gary Corin, managing director at Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery. “Our experience and strong reputation bring confidence to our exhibitors and visitors; our brand is synonymous with innovation, integrity and professionalism. “Adding to our pedigree, we are wholly owned by the prestigious Montgomery Group – one of the most widely respected exhibition companies in the world with trade shows, consumer shows and specialist projects currently spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Montgomery is a family business that dates back over 100 years. The group runs over 50 events in more than
15 countries, owns a specialist consultancy firm, has a total of 15 wholly owned or joint venture companies based all over the world, and also fully owns the Expo Centre in Johannesburg – the largest exhibition venue in Africa,” Gary explains.
THE EARLY BEGINNINGS Established as a locally registered business in 1967, Specialised Exhibitions (Pty) Ltd held its first exhibition in South Africa in 1968. As an industry showcase for the building and construction sectors, it was heralded a success by exhibitors and visitors alike. Interbuild Africa is still going strong today and next year will mark its 50th birthday. Other key industries were identified, which saw the portfolio of exhibitions expanding to reach many more business sectors of the South African economy.
ACQUISITION CREATES A MAJOR FORCE The acquisition of Exhibitions for Africa (EFA) in late 2007 by Specialised Exhibitions created a major force in the business-to-business (B2B) trade exhibition market in Southern Africa. Both companies had built extremely strong company brands with equally strong partner brand identification within their exhibition portfolios. The acquisition was effected professionally to the benefit of all parties and, today, the show brands still continue to grow and generate a good return on investment. “The acquisition expanded our exhibition offering and we operate across many varied industries, including mining; industrial; electrical and power generation; building, construction and building services; occupational health, safety and security; packaging; food processing; plastics; print and labelling; food and hospitality; and marketing, advertising, design and promotions,” says Gary. “Some of our largest brand names include Electra Mining Africa, Interbuild Africa, Propak Africa, Securex South Africa, A-OSH Expo South Africa, Machine Tools Africa, KZN Industrial Technology Exhibition, Hostex and Food and Hospitality Africa, Markex and Madex.
Many live demonstrations took place at Propak Africa 2016
WHY DO PEOPLE ATTEND EXHIBITIONS? THE CENTRE FOR EXHIBITION INDUSTRY RESEARCH (CEIR) provides a wealth of research studies to show the effectiveness and efficiency of exhibitions as a marketing tool. A report from 2015 confirmed:
69%
of visitors go to exhibitions to buy
6 • THE EXHIBITION PLANNER 2017
58%
66%
go to learn
are interested in live demos and interaction with products
46%
want to talk to new potential suppliers.
Visitors further want to:
• see new technology and new products • compare brands • f ind solutions to meet their business needs • have the opportunity to talk to experts.
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