2014: The Year of the Horse (and Successful Events!)

February 22, 2014

David Lane

David Lane is the new Marketing Content Writer for the GES EMEA region where he manages the GES EMEA blog and authors content for all marketing materials.

We’re all excited to see the Chinese New Year come in today, and 2014 (or 4712 in the Chinese calendar) brings us the year of the Horse (or Wood Horse if you really want to get specific!) That got me to thinking: What does the year of the Horse have in store for us? That’s one of the best parts of working at a global company, I get to contemplate global traditions!

In the spirit of Chinese New Year, here’s my guide to 2014 under the year of the Horse:

1. Travel – Horses (and therefore 2014) are great for travelling, which is great news all round! As a supplier, we are supporting more and more shows in Europe including EWEA Annual Event in Barcelona, Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global in Brussels, and CWIEME in Berlin just to name a few. As an organizer, this a great year to take your show abroad, as these stats from Exhibitor Magazine illustrated in a lovely infographic. Or even as an exhibitor, now is the time to follow a show on its international journey and expose your product offering to the world (just keep us in mind, we can still help you out!)

2. Intelligence – Horses are intelligent creatures, so what can you do to make sure your event is more intelligent? I will call on FaceTime to help answer this one for me, after all they describe technology and data as “integral to the way we do exhibitions”. For us as suppliers we have moved our Data Services team into our EMEA HQ, to provide a more intelligent and integrated approach between all of our event services. For organisers making sure that you have the right data and registration service is critical to planning your next event, the data you collect can help you optimise your layout and increase those ever important NPS statistics. And of all of the groups, exhibitors have the most to gain from using data capture devices, making sure the event doesn’t end on the last day is now a real possibility!

3. Social – We’ve all seen herds of wild stallions (no, not the Keanu Reeves kind) galloping across the plains in old western movies, so they’re clearly sociable animals. We need to make sure our events are equally sociable. We have now expanded to cover all the major social media channels to keep our finger on the pulse of the events world (including adding yours truly to the mix!) which has helped us immensely; we’ve even started to draw leads in through LinkedIn! Adding interactive apps alongside your social marketing mix to events is a great step, Marketing Week Live had a great reward and share social app at last year’s event and it’s something we want to see more of. Sending a Tweet or an update out from LinkedIn/Facebook is a great way of telling your contacts that you’re around and that they should pop by for a coffee and a natter, it may be simple but it could land a massive new lead.

So what are you looking forward to in 2014? Do you have any fun, horse related facts to share with us? Leave a comment, we’d love to hear from you! And I’d also like to take this opportunity to say: ????or “May all your wishes be fulfilled” (I admit, I did Google it so I hope I haven’t said anything offensive!)

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Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact