DIVERSIFIED EXHIBITIONS - ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES A WINNER
3 December 2008
Diversified Exhibitions Australia have cemented their position as the nation’s most dynamic exhibition organisation after winning three awards at the Exhibition and Event Association of Australia (EEAA) Awards for Excellence on Tuesday night.
Reflecting the very ‘diversity’ of their expertise, Diversified was recognised in both the trade and consumer arenas and across two competitive industries - food and beverage and health and wellness.
Australia’s leading exhibition in the fitness industry, the Australian Fitness Expo, took home two awards including Best Trade Show over 10,000 square metres and Best Australian Show. The Good Food and Wine Show , having established itself as Australia’s largest consumer food and wine exhibition, celebrated by winning the award for Best Consumer Show over 10,000 square metres.
In 2008 the Australian Fitness Expo increased total trade visitor attendance by 10 per cent - a notable figure as buyer numbers in the industry appear to have declined following the increased introduction of gym chains and personal training solutions.
“Following the 2007 event it came to light that buyer numbers in the industry were declining and with our high exhibitor retention rate, we knew we had to think outside the square for a solution,” said Ashley Robertson, Exhibition Manager, Australian Fitness Expo.
“We conducted extensive meetings in 07-08 with our 10 major exhibitors as well as all our sponsors and partners in order to ensure we continued to target current and new, hard to reach buyers,” he said.
Post show exhibitor research revealed a satisfaction rating of 93.44 per cent in terms of increasing brand or product awareness whilst visitor surveys revealed that 94 per cent of trade visitors said they would re-visit in 2009.
For the Good Food and Wine Show, 2008 was the year that broke all records and set a new benchmark for the show and the wider food and wine industry.
“Attendance to the 2008 Good Food and Wine Show in Sydney more than doubled on numbers in 2007. Over three days, 53,135 visitors poured through the doors of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition centre - it was ground breaking,” said James Laing, Exhibition Director, Good Food and Wine Show.
What initially looked like a risky move for the show proved to be a master stroke - UK based superstar chef, Gordon Ramsay headlined the event and prompted the redesign of the Celebrity Theatre to seat 2,500 people.
“Gordon proved a huge success with the crowd and complimented a range of other initiatives which we implemented for the 2008 event. After Dark, Lindeman’s Early Harvest Restaurant and the Gourmet Garden Cooking School all contributed to a hugely successful event,” James said.
The Good Food and Wine Show also worked with SCEC to run a green event and recycled 89 per cent of the waste produced during the three day event and diverted 66.88 tonnes of waste from landfill.
“97 per cent of our exhibitors were either happy or very happy with the amount of visitors to the show while 90 per cent of visitors were satisfied to very satisfied with the event - this ability to provide satisfaction to both exhibitor and visitor is paramount to our success,” James said.
The EEAA Awards recognise outstanding achievement within the Australasian exhibition and events industry. Each year, the awards pay tribute to industry members who have achieved outstanding excellence and leadership, showcasing members’ innovation, performance and success throughout the year.
Held at Central Pier’s Atlantic in Dockland, Melbourne, the awards acknowledged excellence across all sectors of the Australian and New Zealand exhibition and event industry.
ABOUT DIVERSIFIED EXHIBITIONS
Diversified Exhibitions is one of Australia’s largest exhibition organising companies with a portfolio of 21 trade and consumer exhibitions, operating in key industry sectors such as Food, Security, Building, Oil & Gas, Fitness and Retail. Diversified runs exhibitions throughout Australia at premier venues. The company has 65 staff and is head-officed in Melbourne, Vic.
Further information: www.divexhibitions.com.au
