An interview with M. Stegmann from LOCATIONS

Martin Stegmann talks to AirLST about the new location of locations and developments in the MICE industry

On December 4, 2019, the first edition of LOCATIONS trade fair on the grounds of Motorworld takes place in Munich. Of course, we from AirLST are there and are looking forward to meeting old friends and making new contacts. Before that, we have an interview with Martin Stegmann , he is Director of Sales & Marketing at LOCATIONS and has given us an insight into the profile of the trade fair, new developments and this year's motto “More experience, more network, more knowledge.”

The LOCATIONS have been around for over ten years. In your opinion, what has changed the event industry the most sustainably during this time?

The event industry is constantly changing due to general and specific influencing factors and needs. And not all changes have the same impact on the industry. After all, the MICE market has very different facets and serves different areas.
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New technologies have certainly played a major role in the event industry over the last ten years. In addition to classic technologies such as mobile applications, there were newer technologies such as augmented and virtual reality. In some cases, however, we are still in the implementation phase and are subject to improving event management processes. The offer is there, but everyone must use what makes the most sense for themselves. Event managers now have more tools at their disposal in the process, and artificial intelligence has also focused more on automating events in recent years. Analyzing participant data has become increasingly important. With the ability to collect extensive data from participants, the security of personal data has of course become increasingly important with technical and organizational measures.

And last but not least, as part of the global issue, we have also discovered sustainability for the event industry and initiated change processes in recent years. But we still have a lot to change and rethink.

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LOCATIONS focuses on regions: Central Germany, Rhine-Neckar, Stuttgart, Rhine-Ruhr, Rhine-Main and now Munich. Are you observing different trends in different regions? To what extent is the event business regional?

‍Think global, act local. The event business is only regional, not just in terms of sustainability. Each region has its own characteristics, which event managers can make use of. Especially in the MICE sector. We thrive on regional diversity. Even though markets appear to be thematically the same, each region requires its own specificity, identity and culture. Perhaps there aren't any major different industry trends, but they are implemented differently in every region.

What are your expectations for the new location in Munich?‍

With the LOCATIONS Munich Region, the LOCATIONS trade fair will in future offer a new, targeted and optimal platform and complement the market in the conference and conference sector in a goal-oriented and solution-oriented manner with high quality standards. Based on the successful concept of regional LOCATIONS trade fairs, we would also like to adapt the offerings and topics to new regional markets and include other metropolitan regions in the LOCATIONS network. The focus is on the regional diversity of the Bavarian market. We want to complement markets sensibly and provide new impetus so that a new regional offering and thus a marketplace for event planners and event professionals in Bavaria is a win for everyone involved.

This year, the trade fair has received a new concept, its motto is More Experience, More Network, More Knowledge. Do organizers today have to focus on experience, direct and personal contact? Is this the opposite of the digital world or is it inseparable at all? And what role does knowledge play in the event industry?‍

In addition to the exhibition and extended networking opportunities, the sophisticated supporting program at every LOCATIONS trade fair offers exciting keynotes, workshops and learning labs on current industry topics in the areas of event management, live communication and experiential marketing.

Under the motto “More experience, more network, more knowledge,” trade fair visitors will also be presented with emotional event entertainment and brought MICE trends to life with all their senses. The trade fair is therefore an inspiring marketplace and place to exchange expertise. At no other event can so many regional event venues be reached at once, targeted information and questions answered as at LOCATIONS trade fairs. Our regional trade fair concept has proven effective. Of course, this includes direct contact with the provider and also with each other. That is why human interaction and personal contact play a very important role. This certainly does not correspond to virtual space and is contrary to digital events.

In my opinion, however, you cannot separate the digitization process from live communication. It supports our interactions, for example when networking, disseminating information, etc., but that's all. An event will always represent a real encounter. And that offers the opportunity to emotionally convey information and stands for dialogue.
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Visiting the trade fair is an experience. Visitors can expect a different form of information here than they are familiar with enough from the Internet. And that is why the focus must be on human experience — towards a real experience event. The visitor becomes a participant.

Thank you for the interview and the interesting insights! We are looking forward to a successful exhibition.