The role of exhibitions, festivals during economic downturns
Now, just as after 9/11, consumers are facing economic trauma syndrome. For many, the first area to get the chop is marketing, advertising and promotional events such as exhibitions and festivals. Expo Centre Shareholder and executive director of the 2009 Joburg Easter Festival, Raymond Burke, believes that business should maintain a 360 degree approach to marketing despite a challenging climate, always looking for a new marketing and sales opportunity.
“Retreat is not an option, but rather innovation and regeneration of concepts, exploring new ideas and aggressively propagating value propositions. This involves the careful evaluation of all projects and proposals to determine which will be the most cost-effective in building brand awareness and driving sales,” explained Burke.
This, he says, is where exhibitions - particularly those that are interactive experiences and not just static displays - play a pivotal role in engaging consumers, who are otherwise bombarded with messages without the benefit of a tactile experience.
“Multi-dimensional experience”
“Exhibitions deliver a multi-dimensional experience that cannot be mimicked through any other media,” he says. “Successful exhibitions are memorable experiences that lift those involved above the clutter found in most other promotional strategies.”
Research by the Centre for Exhibition Research in the US shows that two thirds (63%) of attendees at exhibitions make purchase decisions while 31% actually purchased products or engaged in services while at a show.
“Consumer mindsets reach critical purchase mass at exhibitions,” says Burke, who predicts that 2009 will see the advent of more exhibitions in South Africa towards the second half of next year.
“What consumers would want to see,” he adds, “is value from an event,” and cites recent research conducted by the Johannesburg Expo Centre that led to the creation of the Joburg Easter Festival.
“The results point to greater expectations from publics. Past shows over the same period ended up offering little more than a funfair with a flea market. The Joburg Easter Festival will change all of that with a multiple focus that includes a wide variety of attractive value propositions for exhibitors and visitors alike, as well as a large dollop of entertainment opportunities - many of them unique to the event and the Expo Centre venue.”
Aims to be a catalyst
The Joburg Easter Festival, which takes place from 3 - 13 April 2009, aims to be the catalyst for building an annual festival in Johannesburg, the cosmopolitan heart of South African commerce, while also providing an expansive platform for exhibitors to showcase products, goods and services in a desirable commercial environment. The objective of the organisers is to make it a “Great Day Out!”
The vast expanse of the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, is one of the only venues in the country able to accommodate a smorgasbord of exhibitors, housed by category, to attract an expected 250 000 visitors that rank in the upper LSMs. Visitors will be targeted from towns and cities within a two-hour driving range of Johannesburg.
Importantly, the Expo Centre has been chosen as the International Broadcast Centre for World Cup 2010, which means that major improvements, costing R60 million, will be carried out at the venue in less than two years. This includes a significant upgrade in security, with the installation of a very high tech system.
The various halls at the Joburg Easter Festival will focus on the following interest areas: Sport, Digital Life, Living Space, Creative Kingdom, Kid's Carnival, Around the World and the outdoor Get Go Show with The Showcase providing many entertainment platforms. These will include an arts festival, outdoor and Bollywood film festivals, rock and pop music festivals, Afrikaans music festival, Joburg Easter Festival Model of the Year contest, Adventure and Extreme Zone, with a carnival atmosphere pervading the venue every day.
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