Antony Reeve-Crook, Author at UFI Blog

The Events Investment Club for exhibition industry matchmaking
The Events Investment Club for exhibition industry matchmaking

The Events Investment Club for exhibition industry matchmaking

Global exhibition industry figureheads have come together to form an investment and strategic advisory council to help entrepreneurs and fledgling businesses in the exhibition industry. The Events Investment Club (working title) is the brainchild of former Reed Exhibitions chairman Mike Rusbridge and former Reed Exhibitions’ commercial director Nick Forster, who have pooled resources with a dozen leading lights from the international exhibition industry. The group, which held its first official [...]

By Antony Reeve-Crook| 2018-01-26T09:26:59+00:00 January 26th, 2018|All, Best Practices, Management|1 Comment

Using the right information to plot your digital path
Using the right information to plot your digital path

Using the right information to plot your digital path

If UFI’s Global Barometer is anything to go by, then the new year resolutions of many exhibition industry companies will revolve around the digitalisation of their businesses. Driven change Globally, 55 per cent of the companies UFI surveyed said they have already changed internal processes and workflows to be more digital, with the UK, Germany, the US and China most active in this respect, while a quarter of companies reported that they have developed a digital transformation strategy for the w [...]

By Antony Reeve-Crook| 2018-01-23T09:19:59+00:00 January 9th, 2018|All, Digital Innovation, Exhibition Industry Research|0 Comments

Building exhibition venues with profit forecasts, not bricks
Building exhibition venues with profit forecasts, not bricks

Building exhibition venues with profit forecasts, not bricks

For anyone who missed UFI's World Map of Exhibition Venues last month, the total amount of exhibition space available around the world grew 7.7% over the last six years, giving organisers more choice in all markets except Central and South America, where venue closure has led to contraction. But while this overall growth does not explicitly refer only to bricks on the ground where none previously existed, it seems to me that we must not fixate only on new venue development. While there are 14 mo [...]

By Antony Reeve-Crook| 2018-01-23T09:20:23+00:00 January 9th, 2018|All, Americas, Exhibition Industry Research, Operations & Services|0 Comments

How will we remember 2017?
How will we remember 2017?

How will we remember 2017?

As we wind down for another year, I found myself reflecting on the key development that for me will come to define the exhibition industry in 2017. In the private sector we have seen some major development, perhaps led by the entry of Blackstone Group, a private equity firm with funds of more than US$368bn under management, into the exhibitions industry. Blackstone bought UK organiser Clarion from Providence Equity for a sum reportedly close to £600m, giving it a solid foothold in Europe. This f [...]

By Antony Reeve-Crook| 2018-01-23T09:20:52+00:00 December 15th, 2017|All, Exhibition Industry, UFI Updates|0 Comments

Showcase Africa’s culture and economic opportunity
Showcase Africa’s culture and economic opportunity

Showcase Africa’s culture and economic opportunity

If the 84th UFI Global Congress in Johannesburg last month made one thing clear about Africa’s appeal to global exhibition organisers, it’s that while appetites may be whetted; work needs to be done to make much of the continent accessible. According to Carol Weaving, Chairperson of Association of African Exhibition Organisers (AAXO) and MD of Reed Exhibitions Africa, delegates were clearly investigating which African countries offered stability and room to grow their shows, the venues to house [...]

By Antony Reeve-Crook| 2017-12-12T15:35:55+00:00 December 12th, 2017|All, Exhibition Industry, Middle East – Africa, UFI Updates|0 Comments

Mercedes-Benz and the story of the exhibitor becoming the show
Mercedes-Benz and the story of the exhibitor becoming the show

Mercedes-Benz and the story of the exhibitor becoming the show

Exhibitions are singularly adept at gathering an entire market in one place for a short period of time. People pay good money to be in the mix when this happens, be it as buyer or exhibitor, influencer or influenced. The bigger the event, the greater the percentage of the international market in attendance. The world’s largest motor show, IAA Frankfurt, is one event that truly gathers the global community, car lovers are just one part of the circus that gathers in the industrial Germany city for [...]

By Antony Reeve-Crook| 2018-01-23T10:37:41+00:00 November 13th, 2017|All, Best Practices, Europe, Exhibition Industry|0 Comments

Raising the odds of our exhibitions’ success
Raising the odds of our exhibitions’ success

Raising the odds of our exhibitions’ success

With the evolution of exhibition formats, markets are expanding, shifting in such a way that our businesses are continuously presented with new revenue sources. Much of this comes from the digitisation of exhibition businesses. Exhibitions co-exist with online counterparts and therein lies a great deal of potential revenue, be it derived from the collection and exchange of data, dissemination of content or good ol' fashion sponsorship and advertising. As anyone on their way to Johannesburg this [...]

By Antony Reeve-Crook| 2017-12-11T15:22:10+00:00 October 31st, 2017|All, Middle East – Africa, Topics, UFI Updates|0 Comments

About Antony Reeve-Crook