The Event May 2012

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R22.80 May 2012 www.theevent.co.za

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MARKEX, GET SET, GO! TRADE SHOWS VISITORS to the annual Markex event in June will once again see all the familiar attractions and exhibitor stands that keep them coming back year after year.

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HE success of South Africa’s biggest marketing and corporate gift show lies in not tampering with its proven formula, while adding a couple of new additions each year to keep it fresh and relevant. So while visitors aren’t in for any major surprises, they’ll get exactly what they expect and need from the 26-year-old event, says Leatitia van Straten, who has taken over as the marketing director. Markex World of Events remains unchanged despite some behindthe-scenes management shuffles as eventing companies Montgomery and Specialised Exhibitions merged to become Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery. The merger led to some duplication of roles that required a restructuring process, says Leatitia, who is the marketing director of the combined company. This year the exhibitor bookings for Markex have risen by about 5%, and Leatitia hopes for a similar 5% increase on the 10,500 visitors who attended last year. More visitors than usual have already preregistered online, but it’s impossible to tell whether that signifies a potential increase in numbers, or whether people are just signing up in advance online rather than registering at the door as usual. “The amount of visitors will probably stay more or less the same but a

Markex

5% increase in visitors would be nice to match the increase in exhibitors,” Leatitia says. One challenge is that most of the suppliers who exhibit at Markex are based in Johannesburg, while the industry they are catering for is concentrated in Cape Town. “Joburg isn’t South Africa’s marketing hub, that’s actually Cape Town, so in terms of size the show is a pretty good representation of the marketing people in Johannesburg. We have a show in Cape Town but we don’t run it annually because the suppliers are in Joburg and it’s expensive for them to go down to Cape Town.” She attributes the success of

Markex to the strong support it receives from the industry, and because there is nothing else like it in the country. “We have to be innovative and put in new exciting titbits every year, because to attract visitors there has to be something fresh at every show, but we’ve pretty much kept it the same and kept the key relationships.” The show brings together buyers and sellers of promotional gifts, corporate clothing, conference and exhibition venues, design and décor and event planners. Visitors are chiefly from creative and advertising agencies, PR companies, event organisers and brand managers.

A new attraction this year is the Digital Media Village, featuring companies that provide expertise and services in the increasingly important world of social media and other online platforms. The Village is supported by the Digital Media and Marketing Association (DMMA) and will feature internet cafés run by the exhibitors. “It will be an interactive area for digital media to keep visitors up to date with social media and how to use it successfully,” says Leatitia. “The exhibitors will showcase solutions like digital marketing strategies for a product line or an event, so that’s a new element to the show.”

Another addition will be workshops run by The Event Greening Forum, promoting ways to host “green” events and use more ecofriendly materials. About 70 industry-relevant workshops and talks will take place during the three-day show. They will include more than 25 professional speakers participating in the USB Speakers Pavilion, so visitors can see them in action before they hire them to appear at the events they organise. Also new this year will be presentations by the Dream Team, which represents professional entertainers and musicians available to appear at events. One area of the exhibition hall will again be reserved exclusively for trade visitors. Although Markex is designed purely for the trade anyway, there’s a difference between end user buyers and those who are resellers of the goods and services on offer, says Leatitia. “The majority of our visitors are marketers from the corporate side so they are end users, and this area is reserved for the resellers of promotional goods rather than general corporate visitors. So it’s an exclusive area that’s quite difficult to get into,” Leatitia says. Other attractions are the return of the Loerie Awards Travelling Exhibition, which will present the winners of the 2011 Loeries, and the Pendoring Awards, which promotes Afrikaans advertising and will encourage visitors to enter the contest this year. Markex 2012 will be held at Sandton Convention Centre from 12-14 June 2012. Lesley Stones


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