Kai Hattendorf sets out the data that prove we are experiencing an accelerating degradation of digital business environments, and argues that this dramatically revalues the utility of the exhibition hall, conference hall and networking spaces: Across the business events industry, we have long argued that trust is built through physical presence…
Kai Hattendorf draws together strands from multiple sources in an attempt to isolate the seven most important issues facing our sector in the coming year. In an era of accelerating change and unpredictable complexity, this is a call for observation of what’s happening, serious debate and contemplation of multiple perspectives, and for flexible, mission-focused leadership.
Informa plc and Dubai World Trade Centre are merging their Live B2B Events businesses into a Joint Venture, called “inD”. The new company will be in charge of Informa’s wholly owned B2B Live Events business in the United Arab Emirates and wider IMEA region (excluding Saudi Arabia), as well as DWTC’s B2B Live Events business.
The events industry rarely lacks opinions. There are countless conversations, articles, and posts, about the purpose, priorities, and mechanics of successful business events. There are prophets and preachers, pundits and partners – all promoting what they claim (or seek to sell) as the truth or the best way forward. Yet there are just as many…
Kai Hattendorf observes that much has been written and discussed in trends, outlooks, and on stages around the breakdown of the traditional business flow: For decades, the rhythm of the exhibition industry was rigid: Venues booked five years out, marketing campaigns launched twelve months out. That era is over, so how do we adapt?
From Exhibition World: International consultancy for the for the exhibition and conference industry, Germany-based jwc GmbH, has announced a shake up in its management structure that sees former UFI CEO and MD Kai Hattendorf join as managing partner, and founder Jochen Witt transition to executive chairman. The leadership changes include Sebastian Witt also named as…
This unique business partnership case study from the world of exhibitions has a wide range of potential lessons for all sectors of the business events industry, not just for other trade show organisers. “What got us here will not get us there” has become an MBA cliche, but in this case Messe München and the…
“We have many of the necessary puzzle pieces… but need a much stronger mid to long-term positioning for our industry.” Industry thought-leader Kai Hattendorf argues that the Business and Professional Events sector has thus far failed to present itself as a genuine industry, and has been only intermittently successful in communicating the full spectrum of…
For all those confused about the roles and aspirations of the umbrella organisations that aim to provide global leadership for our industry (and our Alphabet Soup of business event associations!), Kai Hattendorf’s article is a must-read: Global Meetings Industry Day to move from US Travel Association to EIC—an alignment, or a strategic power play?
Kai Hattendorf draws some worrying conclusions from his analysis of a high-level survey and White Paper on corporate meetings by ELX. Event teams want to act strategically, but without robust measurement, executive buy-in, or visible impact, they remain internal service providers, unable to unlock their events’ enormous full potential.
Kai Hattendorf with a deep-dive into a sector he knows intimately, drawing out lessons that are of value to meeting professionals both within the trade show sector but also far more widely. Main takeaway: “Experiences, not Engines” drive success.
By Kai hattendorf, Global Business Events Industry Strategist: America’s reputation as a tourism and events hub is strained, with travel down, costs rising, and accessibility questioned. How can this be overcome, and what might happen next? Fees, access issues, and image concerns weigh on the country’s standing in the international meetings market…
By Kai Hattendorf, Global Business Events Industry Strategist: I rarely report on single conference sessions, but recently in Singapore there was one that stood out to me, as it really showed the regional take on geopolitical developments. My take: The region is no longer waiting for Washington, as panelists shared their assesment that, while the…
Hattendorf argues that government support is vital for SME participation in international trade fairs, and is critical for many early-stage export-oriented companies’ success. We now have evidence of what happens when the government funding tap is turned off (in UK) and clear ROI data for schemes that have been consistently running for decades (in Germany).
Ex-UFI CEO turned industry thought-leader Kai Hattendorf was ubiquitous at this year’s IMEX, challenging the industry to up its game in terms of global advocacy, arguing that this is even more critical than ever during a time of geopolitical flux and uncertainty, and then eloquently demonstrating in a series of interviews how to frame the…
From Thoughts & Observations on Business Events with Kai Hattendorf: Today is the 10th “Global Exhibitions Day”. It was launched in 2016 by UFI to bring together many actors across the trade show ecosystem that had been mulling a joint advocacy activity for a while. Now, every year, exhibition professionals in more than 100 countries…
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