General Review of OB2009
Ocean Business started with a simple formula to deliver an event that successfully combined business with pleasure and after the second outing at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton the event is now firmly established as one of the most important international events in the ocean technology calendar.
The event was held from March 31st – April 2nd 2009 and attracted 2772 attendees representing 53 countries. In just one show cycle the exhibition nearly doubled in size and attracted 274 exhibiting companies all housed in a purpose built exhibition centre directly on the dockside. Companies were encouraged to take small stands and to focus additional investment in hosting training and demonstration sessions which were held alongside.
Over the course of three days exhibiting companies hosted 180 individual training and demonstration sessions which enabled buyers to actively compare equipment prior to purchasing. More than 1800 visitors attended these demos utilising the vessels, dockside area, test tank and classroom facilities at the National Oceanography Centre. A number of companies also brought in their own vessels with a temporary pontoon system put in place to accommodate the increased vessel traffic. R2 Sonic, who were exhibiting at Ocean Business for the first time, reported that the opportunity to host live demonstrations and to have companies compare equipment first hand had a phenomenal impact on their success.
But Ocean Business is not all about business! The social element of Ocean Business is meticulously planned to create a relaxed atmosphere that enables attendees to renew connections with old friends and colleagues and to continue business discussions in to the evening. ‘We start from the premise that visitors would prefer not to have to leave their offices and homes to attend yet another exhibition but recognise that it is necessary part of business. We focus on ensuring that Ocean Business is as enjoyable as possible so that visitors are encouraged to return again and we achieve this by planning a different social event for each night of the week. We spend a huge amount of time on the detail...........selecting the right venues, the right music and the right food and of course testing all the wines that we use for our now infamous Ocean Business wine trail!’ states Versha Carter, Director Intelligent Exhibitions Ltd.
For Intelligent Exhibitions there is only one objective and that is to attract as many visitors as possible ............ and by delivering an ‘event’ rather than just an ‘exhibition’ you can be confident that Ocean Business will continue to achieve just that.
The next Ocean Business event will be held from 5 – 7 April 2011. Exhibit space is expected to sell out fast. If you are interesting in participating please email jo.trippett@intelligentexhibitions.com for more information.
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