On day one of ICE UK 06 at the Ricoh Centre, Coventry, in June, about 100 visitors turned up. They were heavily outnumbered by exhibitor staff. Perhaps 200 turned up on the second, and last, day. At top whack, that's 300 people from your industry - converting - that must employ at least 10,000 in the UK alone.
Why? Why did so few of you go? It wasn't because you all flogged to the European and US converting shows last year, because the number of Brits attending those shows weren't that spectacular.
If the UK converting industry can support two dedicated trade magazines and an annual directory, there's some worthwhile business going on. And, like all successful and competitive industries, a lot of money is being spent on new plant and on R&D to help achieve a competitive edge. If your company isn't doing just that, it won't survive.
Exhibitions like ICE and magazines like Converting Today exist to help companies to market and promote their wares and services to within and without the converting industry. You must know that and you must know that finding out what's new, whether processes, suppliers or people, is a key ingredient to the long term viability of your company.
So I ask again, why didn't you go to ICE UK? Was it because you didn't know it was on? Because you didn't think it a worthwhile show? Becasue it was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Because you didn't think there was anything to learn from attending? Becasue you don't need to find new suppliers? Because you have no interest in investing in the future of your company? Becasue your boss wouldn't let you go?
These are serious questions which deserve more than an "I was too busy" answer. Please take five minutes to email the editor - mediapack@btinternet.com - and in a few words tell her why you didn't go to ICE UK, so that she can - with, I'm sure, due respect for anonymity - give us the lowdown on why in terms of visitor numbers, ICE UK was a failure, despite plenty of quality exhibitors.
Who am I asking all this? I assist a very successful UK company with its marketing and was at ICE UK, as they were, to assess market potential and help them to find new customers - and for the record, they did. Attendance at many UK trade exhibitions has been declining for some time, but never, surely, to the truly pitiful levels we saw at your trade show. As a marketing professional, I'm very curious to know why. I hope that you are too.
Peter Mann Buzz Associates
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