In reply to Peter Mann’s letter in your August issue: interesting, but the reason is, that no one needs an ICE UK, I’m sorry to say.
The ICE management team unfortunately decided to "nationalize" the show in Europe and they started in the UK. I can imagine that they already might have thought that if ICE UK 06 was successful, to then expand to other European countries, for example, Italy. This "nationalization " is exactly in contradiction with the original ICE idea and how the show was initially marketed by Angel Business Communications and Michael Boyle.
Please remember the original ICE story. The idea was to establish one European ICE show at a nice place - easy for all Europeans to reach - and located right in the middle of Europe. Amsterdam was selected.
Invitations were sent out to customers all over Europe - of course including the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany. Unfortunately the first ICE show was unsuccessful, exhibitors and visitors were lacking, but the idea was right -and the last ICE in Munich was even better, if more people from the UK had visited the show.
My proposal to serve the UK market in the future is: keep one ICE show in Europe - Munich is a good selection - and organize one (or several) low cost flights out of Manchester. We as an exhibitor would even agree to slightly higher m2-rates in order to support the flight costs.
Ralph Pagendarm
Pagendarm BTT
The debate about ICE UK has generated some interesting and informed responses. As Peter Mann identifies, the number of Brits attending overseas events is consistently poor. Unlike mainland European colleagues, we don’t appear to regard events as an educational opportunity to learn about what’s going on, to pick up new ideas and to stimulate minds. As a marketing professional, I can well understand his frustration at the lack of marketing that goes on in this industry, particularly in the UK. Inviting known ‘hot prospects to ‘all-singing, all-dancing’ extravaganzas at mainland European HQs and producing glossy brochures often appears to be the limit of ‘marketing’ activity. Add to that a nice new website and its job done!
Charles Bishop advocates linking exhibitions with other ancillary industries but that’s been tried in the past. Unfortunately companies then have to compete with the marketing savvy organizations and are simply swamped to such an extent that converting becomes the poor unrecognized relation stuck in a corner that nobody else wants to be positioned in. Overall visitor numbers might look good on paper, but the relevant ones are small and companies have paid 10 times the amount to exhibit!
Stephen Watson rightly highlights the ‘bunker mentality’ and the cultural attitude that exists in the UK and supports the point identified by Peter Mann. There is no need for me to repeat them because they collectively have hit the nail on the head. Stephen however provides the evidence, that by adopting the ‘can do’ mindset business is there to be gained.
Ralph Pagendarm rightly reminds us of the original ICE story and the desire to have one leading European event which draws people from all over Europe. However, visitor attendance from the UK to all four mainland Europe ICE events has been low and the UK industry, after the demise of Convertex and decline of Flexo, was ‘crying out’ for its own converting show. For these reasons – and with the general backing of UK based suppliers, ICE UK was launched and did OK for a first time event. Ralph Pagendarm and Paul Pasanen should be reassured that it is not the intention of Michael Boyle to replace the main ICE event with national shows, but simply to assist reluctant travellers and provide a low cost platform for companies who still regard the UK as an important market.
In a meeting of the exhibitor steering committee immediately following the ICE UK event it was acknowledged that whilst the numbers were lower than anyone would have liked, it was not due to lack of visitor marketing but more likely down to issues identified by Peter Mann and Stephen Watson. The verdict from those exhibitor companies was that, based on the cost versus result ratio, they will be back.
Trying to change cultures can be a long process, but then ICE’s mission is to give the converting industry its own identity and it remains determined to do that, warts and all.
Dennis Cooper
Chairman, ICE UK Steering Committee
I personally believe that the time chosen was not ideal for us Scandinavians because of our holiday season. Furthermore the time and place in Munich seems to be better.
Paul Pasanen
UGA (United Graphic Agencies)
