easyFairs plans makeover for premier Benelux Meetings & Events Fair  

At a first debriefing last Friday, 28th March, easyFairs presented visitor figures for EMIF 2008 and announced some immediate changes for 2009

There were 3.341 visitors to EMIF 2008 over the two days, out of over 5.000 who had taken the time & trouble to pre-register online. “We lost more than a third of our potential audience in cyberspace, and this may well have been due to pre-Easter overload as people tried to clear their desks before the holiday”, explains easyFairs’ Marketing Co-ordinator, Annelies DeDecker

easyFairs listens to industry partners

Following initial feedback from the industry and EMIF’s strategic partners, easyFairs is making changes for 2009 and will concentrate its extensive resources on increasing the quality and quantity of buyers visiting the fair.

• The marketing fair CM2 will be separated from EMIF 2009. It will become a separate show: easyFairs BUSINESS GIFTS taking place on 24 & 25 September 2008 in Brussels Expo, alongside the brand-new easyFairs MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT.

• A Steering Group will be created with top representatives from the industry & the media to advise easyFairs and help them meet the whole industry’s goals for EMIF 2009.

• The educational content of the Fair will be further strengthened through the Associations’ Programme and the learnShops concept.

• A monthly newsletter will improve communication with EMIF’s different audiences in the build-up to the 2009 edition.

• easyFairs will provide a new meeting scheduler, free for all exhibitors and visitors to the fair.

“And there will be more changes as we continue to listen to the Meetings & Events Industry and respond to the challenge of delivering a better audience for next year”, adds Annelies De Decker

Many positive points to build on

There were many positive points have been noted for the future – the new fresh look of the exhibition in renovated Hall 3 of Brussels Expo; the quality of the Association Programme; the popularity of the ‘Site Inspection’ seminar; the new EMIF TODAY exhibition newspaper in print & online, published by EMIF’s strategic media partners….to name just a few.

And there were an increasing number of exhibitors who were creating a real buzz to attract visitors on to their stands and to network actively. Congratulations to the winners of the easyFairs EMIF TODAY Awards for the Biggest Buzz at EMIF 2008 – Ardenne Convention Bureau (national category) with runners up: Zuri and Martin’s Hotels and Meetincs from Luxembourg (international category) with runners up: City Events Company and Lille Europe Convention Bureau.

EMIF will deliver ROI

“easyFairs made a serious investment & commitment in acquiring EMIF last year. We are determined to ensure a good future return-on-that-investment for all the stakeholders involved – exhibitors, buyers, strategic partners, the City of Brussels and all the many others who have supported us throughout this first year. Stay with us and we guarantee you that return”, concludes easyFairs Managing Director Benelux, Cornelien Baijens

For more information, please contact:

Annelies Dedecker

Senior Marketing Coordinator

Conevex, an easyFairs company

Roderveldlaan 3

B-2600 Berchem

Telefoon +32 (0)3 280 53 00

Fax +32 (0)3 280 53 53

annelies.dedecker@easyfairs.com