Following last month’s Open Letter to the Editor, as one of the few who did attend ICE UK but nearly didn't, here are some of my thoughts on the show.
The good points were that it was in the middle of the UK and so more accessible to more of the country than if sited in London or south of London. Easy access, free entry and free parking made getting to and from the event excellent. The exhibition was well lit and spacious (helped by having no crush of people) with the staff helpful and pleasant.
The down side was that not all the companies were exhibiting and thus it becomes a question of cost benefit. Can I justify this trip? For many people it would take the whole day or even require one night’s accommodation. The question is then what can I achieve at the exhibition I could not achieve from my desk by searching the web and using the telephone?
There are a number of other exhibitions I also attend. Many of these have a limited number of exhibitors. Where this is the case they have tried to overcome this limitation by having other exhibitions going on in parallel, with entry to one giving automatic access to the others. So long as the other exhibitions have some overlap or are complementary in some way, then it helps attendees cover much more ground in the one day. Hence, Practical Vacuum is run alongside MTecH, Medical Devices, Optical Vision and a couple of other exhibitions.
This year I decided to attend because I was local and because I was prepared to give it a chance even though I thought it would be marginal if I got any benefit from attending. However my immediate thought on leaving was that I need not bother in future. That I could not justify attending the one exhibition in isolation again. Thus, unless there is some additional way of attracting me next time there will be one less attending.
II also have the impression that some of the exhibitors will not be willing to exhibit again unless there is some way of getting more people through the door. Hence, if the next ICE UK is going to be at the same place and same format then, at this distance, I see even less reason to attend as there are likely to be fewer exhibitors.
I think it would be a pity to lose ICE to the UK but it needs a re-think.
Charles A Bishop
CA Bishop Consulting
I am replying to Peter Mann’s letter in your August issue. We wanted to exhibit at ICE UK 06, but having exhibited at IPEX and with the installation at Alcan & Tullis Russell carrying through to the end of May, we were not able to exhibit. However I was determined to attend. And I am so glad I did. What a day!
For The Reel and Shaft Handling Co, the exhibition was a raging success! To cut a long story short, I quoted for three very different reel handling options, including equipment from a supplier I met at ICE, each with different advantages. The machine builder’s customer, a leading paper mill, invited me to present the solutions to a committee of operators and managers to evaluate the different options. An order was placed for two bespoke reel handling systems, including an integrated weighing system and is currently in build. So for me, ICE UK was a great success!
My viewpoint on why visitors had not turned up. I believe there are a number of compounding factors, some cultural and some relating to the exhibition itself.
British industrial culture has on one level a ‘bunker mentality’. “We make widgets. We concentrate on selling widgets. When we have money to spend on new equipment, then we’ll start looking. Spending money on visiting or exhibiting at exhibitions is an unnecessary luxury.”
British managers are hindered by a strong ‘blame culture’, making them reluctant to try or even put forward new solutions. If they buy the same equipment/supplies as forever and something goes wrong, it’s not their fault. If they choose a new supplier/solution and something goes wrong, it’s their neck on the line. Therefore, why bother looking and putting your job at risk?
The ICE UK exhibition was undersold! Therefore the number of visitors enlightened enough to take a day out was already limited. Surely, an exhibition such as ICE needs to reach out to a wider audience, drawing in not just ‘converters’, but those who convert. In my opinion, that would greatly increase the potential pool of enlightened visitors.
As for the cultural attitude, I have a suggestion for exhibitors and reporters alike: don’t focus on the sausage, focus on the sizzle! There are many exhibitors I have talked to who felt that despite few visitors, they had had a successful exhibition and will return next time. Myself included.
Stephen Weston
The Reel and Shaft Handling Co
Related ArticlesICE UK flows forward ICE UK 06 - where were you?
