Posted by

Barry Siskind

Community Manager

When I was a child my parents took me and my sister to New York City. The one   memory of that trip that shines brightly in my mind was that of a middle-aged, tuxedo clad smiling concierge positioned in the well-appointed lobby of a five start hotel. My parents sat with him, and my sister and I fidgeted, as he helped them complete an itinerary which included the sights of the city that the whole family could enjoy. He made us reservations at restaurants, arranged taxis and even got us tickets to the theater. This man’s job was to take care of us and to make our vacation one we would remember for a lifetime.” Wow”, I thought, “Everyone should have one of these.”

I checked the definition of Concierge on Wikipedia. Here’s what I read, “An employee, who lives on the premises of an apartment building or hotel and serves with duties similar to a butler.”

As I have travelled the globe I see concierges everywhere, in apartment buildings, hotels, hospitals, retail stores, and trade fairs.

While some trade fair concierge services remind me of the gentleman from my youth, most are simply there to point visitors in the right direction – more like traffic police than a trusted advisor.

Technology provides a strong argument for the demise of a concierge service. With a strong social media network, CGS and smart phone technology and enough Apps to see the world, what is still missing is the personal touch of a concierge.

Put yourself, for a moment, in the shoes of one of your visitors. They have travelled far and are staying in a recommended hotel. They will be visiting your fair and have received all the information from you and your exhibitors to help them plan their trip. But, basically they are on their own. Wouldn’t it be of real value to them to be met personally at their hotel by a fair concierge, someone who was stationed at the hotel and available to help this visitor make their trip successful? Then when they arrive at the fair, with agenda in hand, they are greeted again by another concierge whose job is to make their fair experience as meaningful as possible. If I were that visitor I would make that fair a “must attend” event on my annual agenda.

So much has moved us away from the simple pleasures of meeting and talking with people face-to-face. The world of travel has become less friendly rather than more. Maybe the addition of a concierge might be the right remedy to reverse those decreasing attendee numbers.