The International Boatbuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) experienced a major jump in participation for its 2014 show, held September 29 – October 2 in Tampa, Florida.
Attendance was up 47%, exhibits increased 15%, education had 500 more participants, and the international presence increased 35%. How did IBEX achieve such an overwhelming, across-the-board success this year? They changed the show’s formula.
The show’s organizers didn’t completely overhaul IBEX. They just mixed in a few subtle changes to refresh the show’s content, which quickly caught the interest of the industry professionals IBEX wanted to participate.
Shift in Location
IBEX moved its 2014 show to the Tampa Convention Center in Florida. A significant portion of IBEX’s industry is located in Florida, and this move put the show right in their backyard.
Waterfront Dock Exhibits
The Tampa Convention Center has just what the recreational boating industry needs – dock space. For the first time ever, exhibitors were able to showcase their products on a boat in the water, and they could take key customers out for a spin to try the products in action.
Interactive Demonstrations Everywhere
The show organizers worked very hard to make IBEX 2014 more interactive for attendees, and they added numerous demonstrations around the show to get attendees to forward think about how they are developing marine products.
Carefully Detailed Marketing Plan
IBEX and CSG outlined mini-campaigns within the overall marketing plan to ensure specific activities were thoroughly promoted and all show goals were being addressed. One example was education. We didn’t just want to check a box that simply said the education series received a certain number of marketing hits. We approached the marketing tactics from fresh angles to reintroduce the series.
CSG wants to congratulate IBEX for all its hard work this year. You guys did an amazing job, and the efforts returned dividends on your goals.
