Reed Exhibition Companies has launched two more marketing conferences to coincide with the International Direct Marketing Fair.
In 2001, Reed will debut Marketing IT — Technology for Marketers and Telecommerce Expo. These shows, as well as this year’s debut, New Media Marketing, will run side-by-side with the DM Fair March 13-15, 2001.
Next year will also mark the move of IDMF from the Wembley Conference Centre to the new ExCeL Centre in the Docklands area of London. Although ExCeL is not yet completed, Reed Marketing Group director Malcolm Whitmarsh had no worries about the facility not being ready for the 2001 event.
“They’re two months ahead of schedule,” he said, noting that the building will be weatherproof by next month. The first event scheduled at ExCeL is slated for November.
The four marketing shows will each have their own distinct identity and marketing campaigns and will operate as London Marketing Expo, part of the Reed Marketing Group portfolio.
Over 4,000 attendees registered for the inaugural New Media Marketing conference, which is running in a hall adjacent to IDMF at Wembley. About 65 companies are exhibiting this year at NMM, which, like IDMF, charges no fee to attend the exhibition. Attendees to each show can visit the other with the same badges, as they will next year for the four concurrent shows.
Whitmarsh isn’t worried about the new shows cannibalizing the DM Fair, noting that some companies like a broad approach like IDMF, while others prefer a targeted audience. This year, a few companies even took booths at both events to reach a wider audience.
September 12-14, Reed will launch another event in Birmingham, Total Marketing Solutions, which will encompass “all aspects of the marketing mix,” including public relations, research and telecommunications. Whitmarsh expects the new show will attract visitors who may be unable to travel to London for the March exhibition.
Reed also recently acquired the Incentive World Sales Promotion Expo, which is next slated for March 6-8, 2001 at Earls Court 2.
The International DM Fair concludes tomorrow.
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