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Ocean Media

28 Sep 2011

Event Production Show experiences exhibitor frenzy ahead of 2012

Leading live event production platform set for biggest show yet at Olympia

The Event Production Show, Europe’s pre-eminent showcase for the live event sector, has experienced a surge in interest from suppliers set to take advantage of an industry boom in 2012.

Taking place at London Olympia’s Grand Hall (Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd February), the Event Production Show will exhibit the new products, innovations and concepts that will characterise the live event sector through an Olympic year which also includes the Diamond Jubilee.

With less than six months to go until the Event Production Show, exhibitor bookings are up 15% year-on-year and a visitor increase of 25% has been forecasted by organisers. The increase has been attributed to a boost in buying power ahead of the UK’s next ‘Decade of Events’, which also includes the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2015 Rugby World Cup and numerous thriving national outdoor festivals.

Confirmed debut exhibitors at the 2012 show include HSL Group and Big TV. Organisers have tracked a particularly high level of interest from bookers involved in festivals and product launches.

Exhibitors rebooking represent the wide scope of specialists behind Britain’s live event boom, including stage solutions provider Steeldeck Rentals, AA Signs, Production AV and event branding experts Sunbaba.

A new sister exhibition, the inaugural UK Venue Show, will be held alongside the 2012 Event Production Show in Olympia’s West Hall, making the most of the global spotlight on London and the clamour for unique venues that accompanies it.

The Access Sessions, an unrivalled thought leadership programme, will feature Chris Vaughan, who led the production team on Take That’s mammoth Progress Live Tour and Stuart Cornish, head of the Metropolitan Police Olympic and Paralympic Venues Planning Team. Last year’s sessions presented leading lights such as Wayne Hemingway, founder the Red or Dead fashion label and Glorious Goodwood Festival, legendary promoter Harvey Goldsmith and Jamie Oliver’s Fabulous Feasts.

Dedicated entertainment area, Live at the Grand, will return in a more intimate format, starring the UK’s finest live artists available for hire at corporate and public events.

Sarah Brownlee, Event Manager of the Event Production Show said: “As we stand on the cusp of the most significant year in recent memory, the 2012 show comes at a terrifically exciting time for the UK’s live event industry. We estimated that last year’s visitors possessed a buying power of over half a billion pounds and all the evidence suggests this figure will rise in 2012 meaning ample business opportunities for our exhibitors. Attendees can expect an unparalleled level of interaction through our seminars and forums, as well as a preview of the emerging technologies which will shape the sector over the coming decade.”

This year’s show will also be the backdrop for the inaugural Event Production Awards. The new awards programme will recognise event industry suppliers and individuals who have excelled in their field. Twenty categories are presented including; Supplier of the Year, Special Effects Company of the Year, AV Equipment Supplier of the Year, Seating Supplier of the year, Employee of the Year and Event Innovation of the Year.

Registration to attend the Event Production Show goes live in October.