Meetings and Events Australasia (MEA) has announced a new format dubbed Event Pitch.

After feedback from the inaugural show in 2015, Event Show organisers have developed this new concept in line with what buyers and sellers want.

Linda Gaunt, MEA chief executive officer, said, “The success of a trade event is judged by monitoring three key areas. How much business was done, how many opportunities were generated and what our visitors and exhibitors learnt. Event Pitch was created with this in mind and will deliver on all three fronts.”

Traditionally, trade events have a pre-scheduled appointment or hosted buyer program which requires a large investment of time. Event Pitch works to alleviate time pressures by asking vistoris to supply basic event details in the months prior to the show. Once supplied, the visitor will then be asked to select the services which they require for their specific events. For example, a venue, a technology provider, a destination, visitors are free to select the services they want a pitch from.

These details are then sent to exhibitors to prepare a 2-4 minute pitch. At the show, exhibitors will make their pitch during an afternoon session held on both the Thursday and Friday of the show. Based on this pitch, visitors and exhibitors can follow up during or after the show to work out how they can do business.

Hosted buyer programs and traditional pre-scheduled appointments force visitors to attend a minimum number of meetings. Event Pitch is solely based on visitor requirements and actual events.

Other initiatives that will make an appearance at The Event Show 2016 are:
1. Small Business Hub – A showcase of new industry start-up businesses
2. Meet Your Mentor Program – 50 industry icons making themselves available to our visitors
3. The Seminar Program – Which will combine several keynote speakers, practical sessions and workshops
4. A speaker and entertainment spectacular on each of the two nights of the show.