Marketing Event articles from April 2007

Marketing Event archives from April 2007

From the Editor: Why the ABC needs to face up to its responsibilities.(Editorial)
April 1, 2007... The scandal that has engulfed the London leg of digital marketing and advertising exhibition Ad:Tech (page 4) has highlighted flaws in the exhibition auditing process. It has also presented DMG chief executive Mike Cooke and the Events Industry...

They said that..
April 1, 2007... - 'The ABC remains unconcerned that its inaccurate data has been used to distort the market and it's not good enough.' - Trevor Foley, AEO group chief executive - 'Germany's a mature market - there aren't many entrepreneurs willing to take...

Aztec Event Services signs a two-year deal with Emap.(Emap Communications)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Aztec Event Services, the audio-visual provider that underwent a management buyout last year and changed its name last month from Aztec Exhibition Services, has won a renewed two-year contract with Emap. The supplier will provide IT...

AMG and Ticketweb renew contract.(Academy Music Group)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Ticketing services provider Ticketweb has renewed its seven-year contract to work with Academy Music Group's (AMG) 11-strong portfolio of live concert venues. The venues AMG operates includes the Shepherd's Bush Empire in west London, The...

Green agenda for Piggotts' Look Digital.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Flag and banner manufacturer Piggotts has launched a digital division with the emphasis on producing environmentally friendly goods. Look Digital manufactures building wraps, stadium branding, flags, signage and branded parasols, among...

Lighting and sets enhance X-Factor Live.(Bandit Lites)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The X-Factor Live arena tour, which ran for six weeks across the UK, was produced by agency Production North with lighting supplied by Bandit Lites. Bandit lighting designer Matt Jensen debuted on the tour and installed a large...

Star Events buys Rigging Partnership.
April 1, 2007... Star Events has purchased The Rigging Partnership for an undisclosed sum. The Rigging Partnership provides custom-made rigging for the exhibition, concert touring, theatre and television industries. There have been no redundancies and...

Big screen glory.
April 1, 2007... PSCo is the exclusive supplier of the 103-inch Panasonic plasma screen, pictured during its launch last month at Video-Teque's Venetian-themed showcase at Sartoria, London. The high-definition screen is as big as a queen-sized bed and can be...

Team-building game teaches sustainability.
April 1, 2007... Agency Maximillion launched an environmental sustainability team-building game called Eden at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) on 19 March. The objective of the multi-media game is to build a sustainable local community...

Foley wants support from government.(Trevor Foley)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Events Industry Alliance group chief executive Trevor Foley reiterated his calls for greater government support when he addressed a breakfast summit during British Tourism Week last month. Echoing a call he made at the House of Commons...

Shakira designs a Seat car.
April 1, 2007... Car manufacturer Seat chose the UK leg of pop sensation Shakira's Oral Fixation European tour to host a dealer and media party produced by Wyndham-Leigh. The South American-themed event for almost 300 guests was held backstage at Shakira's...

Organisers' anger at Ad:Tech audit fiasco.
April 1, 2007... A scandal that saw DMG World Media promoting the wrong ABC-audited visitor attendance to exhibitors for more than three months after its Ad:Tech event has caused industry-wide condemnation and calls for both the organiser and the ABC to put...

Excel looks at ways to fund an extension.(Excel London)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Excel London has been granted planning permission for the second phase of its development and is now asking organisers to commit business before it secures financial backing for the pounds 150m project. The London Borough of Newham gave the...

Thinkbox and Sledge stage TV forum day.(Sledge Entertainment UK)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Sledge teamed up with television's marketing body Thinkbox to stage the Thinkbox Experience at the Camden Roundhouse on 27 February. The one-day event, which engaged almost 500 media planners with a range of opportunities for brands on...

Rola-Trac UK acquired by Eve Trakway.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Eve Trakway has acquired the UK hire business of Rola-Trac, including its Supa-Trac and Alli-Trac products, for an undisclosed amount. Rola-Trac supplies temporary walkways for the defence, aviation and construction sectors. Eve Trakway...

Extension to Farnborough is approved.(Farnborough International)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Farnborough International, organiser of the biennial air show, has been granted planning permission to erect a permanent event building at Farnborough Aerodrome. Rushmoor Council gave the go-ahead on 28 February for the 4,400 sqm venue,...

Impetus takes over struggling Raisley.
April 1, 2007... Experiential marketing agency Raisley has been saved from the brink of bankruptcy after being bought out for an undisclosed sum by rival events outfit Impetus Communications. By folding the ailing Raisley into the Impetus stable, managing...

New venue for Event Awards.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The Natural History Museum will host the 10th anniversary Event Awards on 14 September in a decision that sees the annual ceremony move away from the hotels on Park Lane. The museum's head of events and catering, Rupert Ellwood, said: 'I...

Speakers in place for Euro conference.(Conference news)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The International Special Events Society has announced that London 2012 organising committee chief executive Paul Deighton will be a keynote speaker at its European Event Conference. The theme of the conference is 'Future Thinking', and...

P&MM 'moves production to another level'.(Hilary Bowen appointed)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... P&MM has introduced an in-house production division, headed by communications director Debra Nightingale, to expand its client offering. The move has led to the appointment of Hilary Bowen as senior producer Bowen, who has 12 years'...

Bigger Crufts draws 10,000 more visitors.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Crufts attracted 153,000 visitors to the NEC when it visited the Birmingham venue between 8-11 March. The figure (pre-audit) signals an attendance increase of 10,000 since its 2006 outing. Organiser The Kennel Club expanded last month's...

Tributes as a Haymarket 'giant' retires.(Peter Osborne retires from Haymarket Exhibitions )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Peter Osborne, the chairman and founder of Haymarket Exhibitions, has retired after 38 years at the company. Haymarket Media Group chairman Lord Heseltine said: 'Peter is a true giant in the exhibitions industry. He has established...

Confex back on track as attendances soar.(Confex Group)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... International Confex 2007, with its redesigned show floor, attracted 13% more visitors than the 2006 event. Pre-ABC audit figures show that 12,500 attended the three-day Earls Court show from 20-22 February - the biggest rise for seven...

Imagination goes Swedish.
April 1, 2007... The Imagination Group has acquired Swedish Events company Hela Programmet International AB for an undisclosed sum. The move signals the continued expansion of Imagination's Scandinavian division following the appointment of managing director...

M&S fashion scoop boosts Vitality Show.
April 1, 2007... DMG World Media's The Vitality Show - held at Olympia from 29 March to 1 April - debuted a catwalk show and new media sponsor for its Style area. Show manager Hannah Pike said: 'The 400 sqm catwalk show concentrated on providing...

Private views available at Tut exhibition.(Tutankhamun)(Arts and Exhibitions International)(Hospitality in Partnership)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Visit London will welcome the return of Tutankhamun's treasures when a major exhibition arrives at the O2 in docklands in November. Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs will run for nine months and feature 130 artefacts. Visit...

Tarsus forms link with firm in Shanghai.(Tarsus Group PLC)(Intex Shanghai Company)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Tarsus Group has entered into a long-term partnership with Shanghai-based organiser Intex Shanghai Company with a view to expanding its portfolio in China. Three of Intex's exhibitions will be managed by Tarsus for an initial period of 20...

The Concerto Group sells Core Creative.(Hawthorns)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The Concerto Group has sold its production arm Core Creative to Leicestershire-based audio-visual supplier Hawthorns for an undisclosed sum. Core Creative, a former pounds 1.6m turnover division of the venue management and party package...

Shining Wit in East End food celebration.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Agency Shining Wit produced a two-day food festival at London's Spitalfields Market last month as part of its 12-month contract with property company Hammerson (Event, January). Taste East celebrated Spitalfields' history and East End...

Ex-NEC chief Morris on Ingenious board.(Ingenious Media appoints Andrew Morris )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Former NEC chief executive Andrew Morris has resurfaced as a board director at investment house Ingenious Media's live event division. Ingenious Live, formed in November, is made up of two venture capitalist trusts with a commitment of...

Ecoevent aims to cut waste.(Oxygen Event Services)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Oxygen Event Services has launched Ecoevent, a service that provides a waste-neutral and sustainable system for producing events. Oxygen Event Services creative director Ed Thurstan said: 'The events industry is one of the most wasteful and...

Furniture hire firm warns off copycats.
April 1, 2007... Furniture hire supplier Penny Banks & Co has signed up to the anti-copying in design organisation ACID. The company is launching a range of in-house designed furniture at the Exhibiting Show, taking place at Earls Court from 26-27 June, and...

Air guitar.
April 1, 2007... Jamiroquai set the record for the highest concert ever when they performed aboard a Boeing 757 on 27 February. The band teamed up with Sony Ericsson to play in front of an audience of 200 at more than 30,000 feet. The event, organised by UK...

Pounds 35m redevelopment for Aintree.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Aintree, one of 14 racecourses in the Pegasus Venues stable, has undergone a pounds 35m redevelopment. The home of the Grand National in Liverpool has added a grandstand complex comprising two main function rooms that can host up to 600...

Conference UK integrates Google mapping software.
April 1, 2007... Conferences UK, an online venue-finding service, has integrated Google mapping software - designed to halve the time it takes to find a suitable venue - into its service. The site, which contains more than 3,500 UK venues and 21,000 conference...

AEO Excellemce Awards to take place on 14 June.
April 1, 2007... The AEO Excellence Awards will take place on 14 June at Old Billingsgate. The annual accolades, hosted by the Association of Event Organisers, have traditionally targeted exhibition venues, contractors and show organisers. Following the body's...

Britvic goes on tour.
April 1, 2007... Britvic is touring the UK using a roadshow vehicle produced by DWT to showcase the launch of its improved bottle range for mixers and juicers across the on-trade. DWT redesigned and refurbished a nine-metre presentation suite to meet Britvic's...

Charter a train form GNER.
April 1, 2007... GNER is offering private and exclusive use of its trains at weekends on the East Coast Mainline between London, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, north-east England and Scotland. The east coast operator has launched a train charter service using...

Modular pop-up system launched.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Octanorm has launched a modular pop-up system called the Vario D400. The stand unit has anodised aluminium end caps to allow for accessories such as literature racks, bag holders, display panels, digital screens and counter tops to be attached....

20th anniversary.
April 1, 2007... The Promotional Marketing Exhibition taking place at Olympia from 17-19 April marks the 20th anniversary of its owner, Ian Allchild (left), taking his first incentive show to the venue in 1987. Allchild said: 'I have seen some changes in the...

650,000 see campaign for Trident gum.
April 1, 2007... Cadbury Schweppes launched its Trident chewing gum by integrating into its pounds 10m marketing plan a 10-week experiential campaign that is expected to reach more than 650,000 people. RPM created the sampling programme for Trident Splash...

Sputnik signs up for dance music festival.
April 1, 2007... Sputnik vodka has signed up as sponsor for this summer's Global Gathering dance music festival in a move that sees the Russian company's first foray into music. Festival producers Live Nation and Angel Music will stage the festival at Long...

SECC brought pounds 200m to Scotland last year.(Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) contributed pounds 196.5m to the Scottish economy last year, according to KPMG. The report, commissioned by the SECC in April 2006, reveals that the venue also contributed pounds 107.1m...

Online floorplan launched.(Opex Group)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Opex Group has launched an online floorplanning system in response to exhibition organisers' floorplan management issues. The management software allows show organisers to manage their floorplan amendments online and in real time. Opex...

DMG's TV ads bolster Ideal Home Show.
April 1, 2007... DMG World Media debuted a TV advertising campaign to promote its 2007 Ideal Home Show so it could build the consumer profile of the three-week event before its 2008 centenary year. The campaign, from 21 February to 28 March, was created by...

Splenda gets celebrity chef endorsement.
April 1, 2007... Cord Promotions is undertaking roadshow and sampling activity on behalf of sugar alternative Splenda. An initial six-week activity kicked off on 28 February at Sainsbury's, Tesco and Asda. Splenda marketing manager Abigail Storms said: 'It...

TBA takes charge of Wembley unveiling.
April 1, 2007... TBA has been appointed to manage the official unveiling of the new Wembley Stadium. The London-based agency, which has worked closely with the Football Association on many major tournaments, will also produce activity around the FA Cup final....

Crown expands into leisure.
April 1, 2007... Hospitality catering and event services firm Crown Group is expanding into the sports and leisure market after securing a 10-year contract to manage the cafe, bar, function and vending facilities of 75 leisure centres across the UK. Crown...

Mice Sportcel aims to bring tennis to life.(Association of Tennis Players)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The Association of Tennis Players has appointed Mice Sportcel to devise activity that will improve the live tennis experience and broaden the sport's appeal. The programme, which will launch next month, involves fan participation play...

Flower power.(RS Live)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... RS Live, formerly Park Avenue, launched the Grand Lisboa casino in Macau at the start of Chinese New Year. It staged a show for 800 guests on behalf of venue operator SJM, featuring dancers, a laser tightrope walker, lights and pyrotechnics. A...

Sounding off: In all this excitement we're forgetting the sales ethic.
April 1, 2007... In the past the roles of sales and marketing were intrinsically interwoven. It was commonplace to have 'sales and marketing' directors and managers. Companies expected investment in the marketing department to be as directly accountable as it...

Games chiefs decide 2012 brand identity.
April 1, 2007... The London Organising Committee for the Olympics is preparing to reveal its brand identity, according to special events manager Michael Dalziel. The news came in his 'Olympics 2012: an international event' presentation at the National...

Defence show opens Abu Dhabi complex.(Reed Exhibitions)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Reed Exhibitions became the first organiser to stage an event at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) in late February as its controversial defence show IDEX opened the 94,000 sqm venue. United Arab Emirates president Sheikh...

Modification work due to end at Ascot.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Ascot will reopen its doors for events and exhibitions from 1 July. Last year's pounds 200m Grandstand redevelopment was closed to event organisers from 1 November due to concerns over poor sightlines discovered during June's Royal Ascot....

Analysis: Growing role in marketing mix.
April 1, 2007... Agency Wyndham-Leigh surveyed 200 marketers and found that nearly half of them intend to increase their use of events - but there's growing pressure on them to justify the return on investment, writes Mike Fletcher. Event strategies are...

Focus on: Standalone roadshow events.
April 1, 2007... Instead of sharing space at a show, brands are increasingly striking out on their own. Jennifer Creevy reports. When Churchill Insurance wanted to resurrect the nodding dog for its latest TV advertising campaign, it chose to have the brand...

Live issue: aD:tech audit - Exclusive - DMG scandal rocks faith in ABC.
April 1, 2007... ABC is facing a serious threat to its business after it took three months to correct distorted attendance figures for the Ad:Tech show Mike Fletcher reports. The group chief executive of the Association of Event Organisers (AEO), Trevor...

Campaign: TDA recruitment.
April 1, 2007... The Training and Development Agency took its roadshow to three major cities to attract a new generation of school teachers, writes Claire Bond. Because of an ongoing staff shortage in the education sector, the government has invested in...

Showcase: The Baby Show at Excel London.
April 1, 2007... There'll always be proud parents - which might explain why the capital boasts a second Baby Show, writes Claire Bond. Imagine a show for which the target market is constantly expanding, the subject matter supercedes fickle trends and the...

Profile: Joss Davidge, Loewybe.(Biography)
April 1, 2007... Joss Davidge has marketed showers, chocolate oranges, pasties and Unilever products. But now he's spearheading the renamed, rebranded Loewybe agency - and says experiential marketing is the medium of the future, writes Claire Bond. ...

Germany: The recovering colossus.
April 1, 2007... Germany's once unbeatable events sector saw hard times this decade Caroline Thorpe looks at how it has changed. 'Germany is the number one trade fair region in the world. It has the world's highest export rates and one of the biggest...

UK Venues: Compared and contrasted.(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2007... From conferences and Christmas parties to corporate hospitality and open-air concerts, Lorraine Francisco puts a broad range of venues head-to-head to compare the style and execution of events across the country. LONDON - conference ...

Corporate hospitality: Because they're worth it.
April 1, 2007... Want to give your most valued clients a tailor-made treat? Lorraine Francisco looks at the bespoke packages available. Corporate hospitality is big business, no longer limited to sipping champagne and eating strawberries and cream at...