By Gwen O’Toole

The Exhibition & Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) last night (3 June) unveiled its new brand campaign, ‘Got A Passion?‘, which is aimed at raising awareness amongst consumers and business on the power of live exhibitions.

The converted have long understood that exhibitions represent one of most effective ways of experiencing products firsthand with results that are measurable and immediate. With Got A Passion? the exhibition industry is now focussing its sights on those potential companies and visitors who may not be so familiar with this form of marketing.

The ‘How To Exhibit’ brochure

The cornerstone of the campaign is an interactive calendar of events which lists every industry sector and the exhibitions that are planned throughout Australia for the forthcoming 12 months on this website.

To drive potential exhibitors and visitors to the website, an online and print advertising campaign has been developed that targets key markets, and which can flex to reflect any industry sector.

“This campaign aims to reach out to everyone who either has a passion for what they sell or what they want to buy, and gives them an easy way to connect to that passion,” said EEAA president, Matthew Pearce.

“Its bold execution is completely fresh and unlike any campaign that our industry has ever undertaken, but we believe that now is the time to really promote the huge benefits exhibitions offer over other forms of marketing.

“Research clearly shows that exhibitions flourish in recessionary times because companies need to maintain a clear competitive edge. A constant flow of new products and technology is critical to their success and exhibitions are the only form of marketing where buyers and sellers come face to face and can see, touch, experience, discuss and gain immediate feedback.”

The campaign also includes a suite of three brochures to assist new exhibiting companies to maximise their return on investment: Exhibitions Work!; How to Exhibit; How to measure Exhibition Success.