In the wake of cancelled and scaled-down exhibitions, how can professional exhibition organisers (PEOs) secure the right mix of exhibitors and visitors, and ensure viability – beyond containing costs? Buyers and sellers certainly want ROI – for both the money and the time incurred in being at a trade show.

One enhancement is for PEOs to improve productivity through prescheduled appointments (PSA) between buyers and sellers, instead of having visitors just pre-register or walk in. Yet many still have not adopted this practice, despite the range of proprietary and customised PSA software packages available.

There are also password-protected, buyer-seller direct communication systems, although some organisers fear “losing” visitors through such pre-show services.

Positive experience
However, organisers such as Reed Exhibitions and Conference & Exhibition Management Services (CEMS), who are using PSAs as an additional tool to attract the right target audience, say their experience has been positive.

Michelle Lim, Reed Exhibitions general manager, Singapore and Malaysia, says: “Matchmaking helps justify why participants should be spending resources on a particular exhibition. For both sellers and buyers, it is a more productive use of their time.”

Regarding the fear of subverting one’s own event – as expressed by non-users – CEMS managing director Edward Liu says that although there is a slim chance visitors could contact exhibitors outside the system, serious trade buyers would want to visit the exhibition and make face-to-face contact with exhibitors.

“Organisers would build into the PSA software some measures to safeguard the integrity of the system,” says Liu, whose company has developed its own system that it uses for events in Singapore, Beijing and, soon, Mumbai.

Industry requirements
While scheduled appointments are common at travel and tourism shows, buyers from industries such as mining, construction and shipping may be less interested in online business matching. For PALME Asia (an AV and lighting show), IIR Exhibitions brings in large corporate and public-sector buyers from Southeast Asia in a programme that it co-hosts with the Singapore Tourism Board.

IIR says scheduled appointments and networking events are important aspects of its agenda. IIR also recently held Cityscape Asia 2009, a B2B real estate exhibition. Oliver Ontiveros, managing director of Elysium Capital and an attendee of the exhibition, says: “Full credit to the organisers who introduced a wide range of investor/developer meeting functions over the three days.”

Budget concerns
Some small PEOs say limited budgets preclude using PSA technology. “It is fine for the ‘big guys’ who can spread their costs,” says one non-user. “With high overheads and low margins, sophisticated tools are not a priority. Since exhibitors and visitors are happy with our show, why bother jazzing it up?”

Reed’s Lim believes well-positioned exhibitions, regardless of size and with clear seller and buyer profiles, tend to have higher chances of success with business matching. She says: “Educating buyers to pre-fix appointments and plan their visit can be difficult. Some don’t like to restrict their time and date of visit. Others prefer the freedom to walk around to see what is interesting.

“For the first one or two years, there may be low utilisation and it may not seem cost-effective. But in the long run matchmaking has increased the quality and effectiveness of our events. “The success of the scheme lies in the company’s knowledge of the particular industry, that is, bringing and matching the right buyers with sellers.”

CEMS’s Liu says: “Progressive and innovative organisers may want to consider introducing new ways of providing additional services. The PSA system can enhance the positive experience of exhibitors and trade visitors.”