Google my Exhibition?

This recent article in the NY TIMES has interesting implications for the exhibit business... from LIVING STORIES that allow you to track content in real time around a specific news topic ... to VISUAL SEARCH whose picture recognition offers so many possiblities to expand the resources available to a visitor at a museum or exhibition.  Simply submit the photo of a product to the web and get specs, read reviews and even shop for it.  Similarly a photo of an artifact or painting could result in an indepth collection of web based information to aid appreciation.

Check it out at:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/google-charts-the-future-of-search/

CAN WE RETHINK OUR BUSINESS MODEL?

Has the time come to rethink the creative business model? The new 'new economy' has begun to emerge with a leaner and more focused meetings and events paradigm. While this evolves there remains uncertainty and confusion in the marketplace. Of course this has had an impact on the projects our clients undertake, driving down budgets and significantly reducing the time we have to produce events as decisions are often put off while clients get a better sense of what kind of event they even need to have.

The bid process has been made even more frustrating by awarded projects being significantly downsized and in some cases being abandoned. Bids are ever more frequently being cancelled in middle of the RFP process. The negative impact on agencies and producers is huge as very tight funds are expended on fruitless efforts. The effects on our clients - though not always apparent to them - is that ultimately these costs must be recovered in the fewer projects that do actually go forward.

The effect on creativity is formidable as well. There is less willingness to spend the time (and money) to get close to the client and understand thier culture and objectives. Less time is allocated to the process of developing a proposal (this can be positive - more on that later) and often fewer risks are taken creatively - partly due to time, but also because researching and pricing creative options is also expensive. The result - get to an idea quickly, do something we have done before and can price predictably, and focus on winning the job with the lowest up front costs possible.

This is not to say that moving quickly and going on your gut instinct (think BLINK) cannot often result in truer 'high concept' ideas that can be provocative and compelling. It takes a very confident sales team - and a progressive client - to be excited by an idea on a high level, and take it on faith (to some degree) that the creative and production team can deliver.

WHAT ARE WE TO DO?

Well - reeducating the marketplace is never easy. However we do have the economy as an ALLY in many ways. We have found clients a bit more open minded about the level of execution in a proposal - ready to acknowledge that their vendors (and sometimes friends) are facing a tough economic reality. Perhaps this is the time for our marketing efforts to include a new way to do business?

We would all like clients to select a vendor on the basis of past work and capabilities presentations. Of course because, as they say "past performance is not an indication of future results" - this may also need to include a high level pass at client specific solutions. Here is a suggestion for a way forward.

TALK TO THE CLIENTS - CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE

BIDDING out a contract is not always the best way to get the results they are after. It is expensive to do and depending on the size of the project- even COST them real money - money they think they are saving through competition. It takes time for their team to prepare, solicit, brief, supervise and evaluate bidders AND bidders have to recover the cost of the bid somewhere, driving up prices.

That is not to say fostering competition is not a worthy by product of open contracting. My suggestion is we promote a three project or three year contract process (some may think me naive but this has worked) -

• YEAR ONE - Open competition - open to all comers - capabilities presentations, with a focus on big solutions related to the clients current challenge. Eliminate all but 3-4 bidders that compete for the project more completely.
• YEAR TWO - A performance review - which if satisfactory lets the vendor renew by presenting up to three ideas with a cost reduction in the budgets of at least 5% (net inflation) - which if accepted means a no bid renewal or award of the next project
• YEAR THREE - a non competitive pitch - new ideas, new budgets done early enough that if found unacceptable, still lets the client go to an open bid. This will motivate the vendor to be more inventive and cost effective to secure the business one more year.

After all of this a vendor may feel they have won and deserve the business in an ongoing basis, and they may. However the best way to prove that is in an open bid - and the process would repeat.

IS THIS A PIPE DREAM?

As I mentioned, this has worked successfully for the agencies and producers we work for on more than one account. The client has seen real benefit in continuity and even purchasing has seen the light as costs have been controlled and the money they all save from not doing an RFP is substantial. Management sees the vendor as still being held to account and the risk of losing the work at any stage via an agreed mechanism keeps us all on our toes!

Take the plunge - try this with your most open minded and trusted clients- blog about it- write about it - talk about it. This may not be THE answer- but it can be a catalyst for redefining our business in the new 'new economy'.

DESIGNING IN THE FUTURE - The new shape of meetings

Recently ONE+ Magazine ran an article called "DESIGN FOR THE FUTURE" in both it's North American and EMEA editions that begins to layout the shape of meetings in both of these markets. The range of perspectives the people contacted for the article brought to the discussion were truly fascinating. Of course the author Dalia Fahmy took a moment to talk with us about the future as well and we are quoted there. We believe the business purpose of meetings and their educational objectives are going to continue to grow as the measure of success of these events. Entertainment, excitement and motivation will continue to move from gratutious celebration to the natural outcome of solid learning and strategic planning experiences. In turn, business education has become more flexible, compelling and digestible in a faster paced environment that continues to bombard people with information - if not knowledge and understanding.

We are participating in this trend on many levels - we have been called on to create everything from more experiential face to face engagments to helping to create a stronger sense of place in virtual on line events.

Get in touch to get a preview of the future of meetings from us - Tony.Castrigno@DesignContact.com

VIRTUAL EXHIBITING

The interest in the virtual exhibit world has perked up quite a bit this year. The economy and the rapidly improving tools that enable it have converged to make this approach to connecting with customers a more viable tool. What is more, the flight to quality seems to be gaining momentum as the initial "cool factor" has been replaced with a desire for a meaningful and enriching experience.

Designing for the virtual world in many ways demands as much from the 3D design team as the real world. Information presented in layered, multi level 3D environmments requires a true command of the information architecture as well as the same design and communication principles we apply to the trade show floor. Multiple levels of messaging as well as access to graphics, media, and even virtual products and demonstrators are called for.

In effect, we must design the complete experience, and while liberated from the realities of 3D construction, the demands of information integration are far more sophisticated.

DESIGNCONTACT has long been dedicated to the integration of all components of the exhibition experience. We have been integrating technology, media and story telling into our designs as naturally as architecture, color and materials. We have begun bringing this expertise to the virtual world and have begun to develop new sensibilities about design that can advance the practice of design in the real 3D world as well.

"SELECTIVE REDUCTION"

Getting beyond the obvious challenges of the economy I am among the many who believe the Events and Live Marketing industries will emerge very much transformed from this recession.

• Cost cutting? Yes, for sure.
• Fewer events? Not so sure.
• More focused efforts? Absolutely.

The shape of and attendance at recent events points to more serious attendees with a mission - find a way to achieve their goals more effectively. This renewed focus on costs has often led management to make rash money based decisions, and the new job of the events professional is to guide the process to a sane and deliberate place.

We have started by recognizing that not every good idea is going to make it into an event. Rather than overdesigning and then doing a 'slash and burn' we have started designing the ability to refocus our solutions in real time while honing costs. By planning for this "selective reduction" we can avoid the worst of the "budget cutting" trauma and replace it with a sane discourse on the doing the best with what we have for the event at hand.

Still there are things that must be done in the near term to satisfy the demands of management and maintain some integrity in your events.

Linda Armstrong of Exhibitor Magazine recently put together a list of 54 new ways to look at costs in the trade show business, many of which have relevance accross the entire events space. While only a begining, Linda has put the best of the hundreds of ideas she recieved into a consise blue print for near term "selective reducion". We contributed several thougths which appear as items # 7 and # 35. Check it out here:

http://www.exhibitoronline.com/exhibitormagazine/apr09/nip-tuck-54-ways-to-cut-your-costs-exhibiting-staff.asp

Drop us a note to hear more about our philosophy of pre-planning for 'selective reduction'. I can be found at Tony.Castrigno@DesignContact.com.

A NEW DIMENSION IN INTELLIGENT SPACE

The need to be both innovative and economical in exhibits has become the order of the day. Wholesale redesigns, new installations and new media are having a hard time finding their way into many museum and corporate exhibition design projects.
Here is an idea for you - [i]cell system technology. Our subsidiary DC CONNECT will introduce this award-winning and low-overhead human-scale interactivity technology solution for exhibit environments in April at the annual American Association of Museum (AAM) and American Children’s Museum (ACM). It is the perfect way to bring new life to an installation, add interactivity to traditional media, and provide flexibility in content - fully managable by the end user. And if you thought you might defer a new interactive for your program - this solution is a great alternative to more complex touch screen interfaces or programming heavy kiosks.

The system is available in easy to install [i]kits for everything from a simple media controller to a fully engaged display wall - at suprisingly modest cost. And it is easy to update -even repurpose entirely - with little effort.

Learn more here and come see us at the shows in Philly.

http://www.exhibitorsdaily.com/index.php/features/0904/dc-connect-introduces-tech-solution-for-museums/

http://www.d-c-connect.com

EXHIBITOR 2009

We are back from the show and despite early concerns about the shape of the economy, we had one of the best events ever. Why? - the people who showed up were serious about their businesses.

• Industry service providers were serious about driving new opportunities.
• Event planners were intent on finding ways to get more out of there spend - not always lower prices- but better results.
• CTSM program attendees seeemed to participate at a higher level than in the past.
• Some of the splash and festivities were less prevelant, but replaced by a seriousness of purpose.

We would like to see the show grow as it has before and hope to see the trend to the serious participant continue to grow along with it.

One of the more successful aspects of the event were the round table discussions. These forums were great outlets for issues and ideas alike. DESIGNCONTACT lead three of these roundtables - and they were among the best experiences we had at the show.

The 3D BRAINSTORMING: Build a Better Booth Design seminar we conducted was also a highlight for us - and we believe for our guests. Look for an update on both of these events in our next posting!

FIVE QUESTIONS

We recently spent some time answering questions from LIVEDESIGN magazine about our work on the Aquatainia project in Dubai this past Fall. Under the banner of:

Five Questions For: Tony Castrigno, founding partner/CEO of DesignContact

The questions are below... and the full text can be found at:

http://livedesignonline.com/mag/five_questions_for_tony_castrigno_0109/

1. As founding partner and CEO of DesignContact in New York City, how would you define what you call “brand theatre,” and what is your role in these projects?
2. For the launch party of the Aquitania on the World development in Dubai, your company created oversized video projection that filled the three-story windows at the Buddha Bar. What were the challenges of this project?
3. Among your projects in live events, exhibits, tradeshows, and meetings, which do you find the most rewarding and why?
4. What is the best career advice you've ever been given?
5. And what's the worst?