AirLST at the 2019 Locations Fair

Our exhibition report from LOCATIONS

On December 4, AirLST had an exhibition stand at the first Munich edition of Venues Represent trade fair. With a focus on event locations, Venues Messe is aimed at meeting and event planners in a metropolitan region. After the platform is already an integral part of the trade fair calendar in the regions of Central Germany, Rhine-Ruhr, Rhine-Main, Stuttgart and Rhine-Neckar, Munich was added as a new location this year. That is why we have in advance with Martin Stegmann, the Locations Director of Sales & Marketing spoken. In an interview, he answered questions about the development of the Messe locations and talked about his expectations for the Munich edition. The interview You can of course find it on our blog.

As an exhibitor, we presented AirLST as a solution for managing participants at individual events as well as as a corporate solution and for planning several events. We also had our On-site print station for printing name badges in a matter of seconds. For example, you can also produce employee passes or guest cards printed on site as required. We were very pleased with the response from visitors. Personalized name tags in corporate design and printed on site are great. We also note that there remains great interest in alternatives to Excel lists in participant management. But not only new interested parties, but also old friends and acquaintances stopped by the AirLST stand. A nice advantage of such a regional platform.

That the subject Sustainability Everyone is talking about it and the environmental factor is also becoming increasingly important in the event industry, was obvious. We were asked particularly frequently about the ecological footprint of our name tags. Of course, PVC cards do not particularly stand out when it comes to environmental protection. Fortunately, we can now rely on 100% biodegradable cards made from salts.

A trade fair is always also an industry meeting, i.e. trends, current discussion topics and developments are emerging. What were the topics of the exhibition locations? Since our stand was located opposite the stage, we kept our finger on the pulse and, despite the presence of exhibitors, heard something about the supporting program of the exhibition locations. There were lectures on the psychology of multi-sensual experiences in live communication, digital transformation and crisis communication, as well as a glimpse into the future as students of ISM Munich presented their future concepts for tomorrow's event industry.

More experience, more network, more knowledge

This year's Locations Fair was held under the motto “more experience, more network, more knowledge”, so it doesn't even have to explicitly say that these imperatives are closely linked to digital technologies. In the terms of experience, network and knowledge, the event and the digital world meet.

Technologies play in the area of experence, experience, perception, etc. play a significant role. New sensations and challenges highlight a situation from everyday life. That is exactly why experiences are so important for event marketing and why technologies should help bring about these exceptional situations: When a product is linked to such an experience, it is not only experienced, but incorporated as experience and memorable value.

The event industry is increasingly exploiting these consequences in advance via social media channels. Event apps, social media accounts and hashtags connect guests and visitors with each other and promote digital interaction. It has never been so easy to contact other people, participation is becoming social networks lighter. Well-prepared content increases information transparency around events. Topics and trends in an industry are discussed and developed in a digital community. This turns events into social events, which supports the demand for more experience.

Access to contacts and discussions also requires and promotes access to knowledge. At the same time, competencies that filter and categorize this knowledge must be trained. This also presents event planners with new challenges and lifelong learning. Instead of paper lists or Excel sheets, they can now be found in cloud-based online tools and mobile applications.

Digitalization offers the event industry countless opportunities to plan events more efficiently, especially at the planning level. New technologies are therefore not only changing consumers' experiences, but in particular the working methods of insiders.

Exciting questions and discourses that the Messe locations raise with its motto and supporting program.

Our conclusion: A friendly trade fair that reflects current trends and creates a familiar atmosphere through its regional focus. And when it comes to developing AirLST, we are on the right track, as we get played back in discussions with customers and interested parties. We are already looking forward to the next time when we can present completely new developments that are already in the starting blocks here. 2020 can come.

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