As IAEE announces the location for Expo! Expo! 2017, our IT Director, Brian Hays reminisces on his first Expo! Expo! experience. Brian took a trip to Anaheim, CA along with some of the Messe Frankfurt North America team, last December for the annual trade show industry meeting and exhibition.

1. IT takes everyone on the team working together in constant communication to make a trade show successful – before, during and after the show!
I was really amazed at how well-organized the event was, from registration to the closing ceremony. From the promotion of the event to follow up emails after the event. Expo! Expo! hosted 262 exhibitors and more than 2,200 attendees. I’m really impressed with how they provided something for everyone — they also made it informative and fun. The exhibit hall and the Tech Swim Up Lab were my favorite parts of the trade show. With these developments and technology, I’m very excited for the future of IT in this industry.

2. IT is always evolving and the landscape is ever changing. Networking and education are the keys to keeping up-to-date in the trade industry.
Another thing I learned from the expo is how important it is to keep networking within the industry, as well as the constant development of technology. Srini Rao spoke about creativity in designing the show floor/space – to make it feel like attendees are not at just another trade show.

3. IT is all about action!
Attending an exhibition for the trade show industry is about giving it your best first impression and making it last. I met so many wonderful exhibitors and it’s truly a different experience to be on the visitor’s side of a trade show. Cybersecurity was top of mind and there are many advancements coming in this area to keep your personally identifiable information secure.

4. IT is informative
With 4 days of learning, networking, engaging with people and products there was always something to do and numerous opportunities to learn. One quote that stuck with me is “we should stop thinking about technology and start thinking about the customer experience – enable technology to do more.”

5. IT is fun!
It’s work hard, party hard as they say, and Expo! Expo! provided that unique experience. There were performances during the show at various times, by various groups. On Tuesday evening, Andy Grammer performed to energize the attendees and the street was also lined with fabulous food trucks for us to enjoy.

I had an amazing time and I can’t wait for this year’s Expo! Expo! in San Antonio, TX!