From Paul Woodward in Manama, Bahrain: Tools for building better exhibitions businesses were on the agenda as more than 85 leaders of the industry met in Bahrain this week at the UFI Open Seminar in the Middle East. Fairs are growing again and delegates were keen to exchange ideas about how that growth could be enhanced.

Kicking off with a lively review of sustainability issues was Cape Town International Convention Centre’s CEO Rashid Toefy. As well as showing real passion for his topic, he shared a number of interesting, practical ideas including his formation of the Nurture our World (NOW) partnership. This brings together interested parties in the Cape Town events community to promote and share their best practices.

Karla Juegel urged organisers to view the world through the eyes of their exhibitors and, even more importantly visitors. She encouraged them to manage all aspects of their event experience so that they can be turned into a “3rd place”, a home away from home, where sales would be driven as much by mood and desire management as by ‘traditional’ appeals to rational decision-making.

Former UFI President Jochen Witt left delegates in no doubt that, if they don’t focus on pricing policies and tools, they are leaving “money on the table” whilst ESB’s Patrick Seitter talked about the lessons that could be learned by exhibition organisers from the sports sponsorship world.

In the afternoon, UBM’s Simon Foster told delegates about the company’s virtual events programme, commenting that he thought 2010 would be the year of the “hybrid event” where virtual elements were combined with physical activities prior to, during and after traditional face-to-face fairs. As he notes, exciting and engaging as it can be “online cannot properly replicate the handshake”.

The event was hosted by Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Authority at the Bahrain International Convention & Exhibition Centre.