Customer Centricity: Learning from the Events Ecosystem

Customer Centricity: Learning from the Events Ecosystem

Carole Boletti • November 9, 2023
Carole Boletti • November 9, 2023

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Stax’s Exhibitions 3.0 framework, which has been adopted by a number of international organizers, lays out the importance of placing customers—both exhibitors and visitors—at the heart of exhibition organizers’ business models. To get there, a data-driven approach enabled by digital and technology is critical. This customer-centric approach can be replicated across other industries as well. 


The Covid pandemic proved the importance of keeping audiences engaged outside of the period during the physical event. There are a multitude of ways to utilize customer data to shape exhibitions and provide more personalized show experiences. 

Exhibitions 3.0: Transformation and developing your

Event organizers have been explicit in their focus on customer centricity. A notable example is Informa’s proprietary data engine IIRIS, which has tracked c.1.5B customer interactions with 15M contacts in their KEMA (Known, Engaged, Marketable Audience), of which exhibition participants are a major constituent. Furthermore, the group-level acquisition of Industry Dive, a digital B2B media and digital services provider, has strengthened Informa’s audience engagement capacity.


Online marketplaces are another channel to facilitate outside-show engagement and increase the number of customer touchpoints. Examples include Comexposium’s THE SHOwP platform (formerly CXMP), Emerald’s acquisition of Bulletin which connects c.26,000 retailers and Clarion’s business sourcing platform Global Sources Online.


Stax continues to believe that placing the customer at the heart of organizers’ businesses will help them transform exhibitions into brands—the logical next step in the evolution of the industry.


Stax is the global leader in strategy consulting for the events industry. Our mission is to create value for our clients across the events ecosystem and guide transformation. With a 30-year track record, Stax offers strategic support to corporates and private equity firms across the events landscape. Stax is the go-to strategic advisor for the world’s leading organizers, venues, service providers, event tech, and investors, offering support for transactions and value creation. 

 

Our work is rooted in market and customer understanding, enriched by our unrivalled expertise across the events sector. Additionally, we also publish the annual Globex report, widely recognized as the definitive resource on market dynamics by international organizers and investors. 

Image of Carole Boletti

Associate Director | London

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