James Morgan, marketing director at Crewsaders; affiliate chair, International Special Events Society, EMEA
How well did your business perform in 2013? What was the most successful event you worked on?
"Crewsaders has definitely seen growth. Up to October we have seen at 5.4% increase when compared to 2011. We had record months in Q1 and Q3. Of course 2012 was much busier due to the Olympics and Cultural Olympiad so using 2011 as a comparison made more sense."
What do you think we can expect from the industry next year?
"Our industry is in a unique win/win position. The force and popularity of social media and the demands by generations X, Y and Z to document their personas online at specific moments in time has pushed the event industry to the fore as the new major player in the reconstruction of brand politics.
"This is in terms of the industry having the creativity, technological innovation and unique production expertise that will increasingly be relied upon by brand owners and their advertising and marketing agencies. These end-user stakeholders will continue, to a greater extent, to rely on our industry to provide the live content they need to engage their audiences in two-way conversations. Our industry is the bridge that is needed to operationalise brand messaging and conversations that will create brand loyalty and sales. This reliance will result in business expansions, new start-ups and provide greater job opportunities and security in our industry, and see salaries in our sector catching up with those in the advertising and marketing sectors."
Kevin Jackson, vice president of sales and marketing, George P Johnson
What has the last 12 months meant to the event industry?
I think the event industry has had a great 2013, even coming after the high points of 2012. I think last year was when we all showed exactly what we could do, and that gave us a newfound confidence for the year that followed. It also means great things for 2014, since that kind of momentum is irrepressible.
How well did your business perform in 2013? What was the most successful event you worked on?
"2013 was a great year for us, with new client growth which has grown out of the creation of some amazing brand activations. We stepped into the public event space with , as well as delivering a number of consumer activations that really broke new ground for us with BMW, MINI and Samsung. In terms of creativity and delivery excellence, we continue on the never-ending quest for perfection with long-standing clients like IBM, Cisco, Gartner and Salesforce."
What do you think we can expect from the industry next year?
"As we move back to a more optimistic economic outlook and some robust growth, events and experiences are the obvious choice for marketers. Brands are now looking for relationships built on something more than just the transactional."
Jasper Hope, chief operating officer at the Royal Albert Hall
What has the last 12 months meant to the event industry?
"2013 in London was always likely to be tough for some in the wake of the spend on Olympics and Diamond Jubilee celebrations but for those of us who’ve hosted and promoted some of the most high profile non-sports events throughout both years, the positives of 2012 have certainly brought benefits which have flowed into this year."
How well did your business perform in 2013? What was the most successful event you worked on?
"We alone have hosted 390 events in the main auditorium in 2013 welcoming some 1.7 million people to an incredible range of quality events. Our business at the Hall has seen steady growth over the past few years and I very much expect 2013 to have shown a continuation of that trend for us when all the numbers are in. That growth come from all revenue areas, more or less equally, which means we’ve got a very solid foundation from which to build as we start to think about plans for our 150th anniversary."
What do you think we can expect from the industry next year?
"With any luck, plenty of creativity so none of us stand still and the industry continues to grow in terms of both diversity and quality."
What are your thoughts on the event industry in 2013/14? Share your thoughts and your own highlights with us by commenting below.
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