Marketing week live meets expectations

I am writing this on the run. I’m down at the Grand Hall at Olympia checking out the first day of Marketing Week Live, our event that reflects the integrated nature of modern marketing. (If you still don’t know what I’m talking about check out marketingweeklive.co.uk).

When I arrived on site at about 8am, colleagues from the Marketing Week events, exhibitions, marketing, conferences and commercial teams were already here. Exhibitors for the Insight Show, the In-Store Show, the Online Marketing Show and the Data Marketing Show were putting the last minute touches to their stands and some of our speakers had already been on the phone to confirm times of arrival.

“If the conversations I’ve had so far are anything to go by, it looks like we’ve got closer than ever to providing what marketers want from a live event”

There was a buzz around the place but also a sense of nervousness. The looks on the faces of some of those that have been instrumental in setting up this monster of a live event took me back to my younger years and those moments before anyone arrives at your well publicised house party. All that is on your mind at that point is that nobody is going to turn up. All that you’re going to be left with is the stomach-churning embarrassment of being the last to know that your party was the least appealing option on anyone’s list of Saturday night invitations.

It never turned out that way, of course, and when the doors opened at 9.30am marketers came flooding into this grand venue. Hours later they are still turning up in droves. At last count, 16,000 marketing professionals registered for the event so maybe there was never anything to worry about.

If the conversations I’ve had so far are anything to go by, it looks like we’ve got closer than ever to providing what marketers want from a live event. And, having heard presentations from the likes of Vodafone, Microsoft and Stardoll already, it’s clear that providing what your customer wants and fulfilling those needs that are currently unmet is more important than ever.

Wednesday’s programme includes Lastminute.com’s European managing director and former Honda marketing director Simon Thompson speaking about attracting and retaining consumers. Besides senior marketers from Virgin Atlantic, Unilever and Williams F1 we’ll also be hearing from Martin Glenn, formerly of PepsiCo and currently ceo of Birds Eye Iglo.

If you see this in time and fancy popping down for all or part of your day, I can guarantee it will be worth it.