Some big news already this year, namely the departure of Fish from the exhibitions arena, a move it attributes to funding being withdrawn by risk-averse venture capitalists. It’s an undoubted setback for the industry.
Measurement is key to the success of the exhibition medium and stands are sold or lost on an organiser’s ability to provide accurate data for exhibitors. RFID technology offers a potential means of winning over those exhibitors, offering data that gives financial controllers the confidence to sign off on their company’s attendance at our shows.
However, while Fish can provide this data, the technology was never embraced by organisers and the cost of getting it installed in venues proved prohibitive.
Time will tell if Alliance Tech, which bought Fish’s exhibition and conference business in the US, is able to win the industry over in the States.
Fish, meanwhile, will now focus on the B2C market, particularly experiential events. "We made a decision to recalibrate our focus on the experiential B2C event space, and divest our emphasis on trade shows," said FISH founder and CEO Michael Gilvar in a statement.
Antony Reeve-Crook, Editor of Exhibition World, arc@mashmedia.net
