News

Upper Street Events

10 May 2011

The Gadget Show Live 2011 – an outstanding success

The Gadget Show Live proved a phenomenal success and further established its role as the UK’s leading consumer technology event. Taking place at The NEC Birmingham from 12 to 17 April, the show attracted a record attendance figure of 104,759 in total (50% increase on 2010), with around 20,000 consumers visiting each day. A further 4,735 trade attended the launch of The Gadget Show Live Professional – the new dedicated trade and press day (www.gadgetshowlive.net/professional).

With tickets selling out in a record breaking 12 weeks, an additional consumer day was added, along with a 25% extension to the floor plan, including an entire hall dedicated to gaming. The new HUB Theatre proved extremely popular with daily queues to see the free to attend presentations and reviews of the best tech in the show from Radio 1’s Aled Haydn Jones, Stuff TV’s Lucy Hedges and the team at T3.

Based on the popular Five television programme, The Gadget Show Live is a collaboration between North One, Five and Upper Street Events and provides visitors with the chance to see, try and buy the very latest in technology and gaming.

Chris Hartley, Business Development Director, The NEC said: “The halls were literally buzzing! The show started with us in 2009 and in two short years has already quadrupled in size.

“The Gadget Show’s commitment to us increased by 6000msq of additional hall space this year where over 200 exhibitors showcased thousands of products. It’s great to see a show go from strength-to-strength so quickly and we can’t wait to see what’s new for next year”.

The Gadget Show Live has rapidly become a ‘must attend’ show for tech companies in the UK and Europe, with exhibitors including Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, JVC, LG, Packard Bell, Warner Bros, NVidia, Pioneer, Superfi, Black & Decker, Dyson, Husqvana, PC World, Game, O2 and HP.

Exhibitors were positioned alongside a host of features where visitors trialled exciting gadgetry and had the chance to interact with the latest in 3D, gaming, tech transport and the latest tablets. Those attending the show also experienced technology of the future in the Future Tech Zone, with everything from eye and mind control gaming through to augmented reality and truly wireless technology for the home on display.

Super Theatre
More than 67,500 people attended this year’s Super Theatre, which accommodated just under 4,500 visitors three times daily. Presenters from the TV show, Jason Bradbury, Suzi Perry, Jon Bentley, Ortis Deley and Pollyanna Woodward gave a high-energy performance packed with highlights from the TV show, including a pop star and driving challenge, audience competitions using flash voting and special guest stars.

The latest in wearable technology from CuteCircuit was also showcased with a specially designed electronic dress made exclusively for Pollyanna, who was accompanied on stage by two singing Titan robots.

Record breakers, finals and world firsts
Several World Records were smashed at this year’s show, including the world’s lightest touch-screen mobile phone, awarded to sWaP and the largest mobile phone gaming party organised by Kick Energy in the Game Zone at The Gadget Show Live.

Warner Bros also hosted the final of their European Mortal Kombat tour, which was won by Ryan Neal, 18, from Bury St. Edmunds.

Key launches and previews
The Gadget Show Live hosted the first UK viewing of DiRT3 from Codemasters (released 24 May), the new Duke Nukem game from 2K games and EA’s Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed. The first street-legal electric bicycle, the Grace E Bike was also launched in the UK at the show, Personal Projector showed their new pico range and Wacom had an exclusive preview of their new Stylus Bamboo range for the iPad.

Gadget Show Live 2012
Commenting on the success of this year’s show Matt Hodgins, Head of Event at Upper Street Events, said: “The Gadget Show Live 2011 has proved to be an incredible event, with visitor numbers exceeding even our own expectations. The addition of GSL Professional has been an overwhelming success providing the ideal environment for the UK trade to get together for a day of networking and business.

“Plans are already well underway for 2012, with a further extension planned for the Game Zone and an increase in capacity for the Super Theatre, as tickets were completely sold out within just a few weeks. We are also looking at the addition of further zones to support specific genres of tech, making navigation easier for visitors.”

Exhibitors have been delighted with both brand building and ROI at the show - retailer GAME demonstrated their success at The Gadget Show Live 2011, with Neil Ashurst, head of UK PR at GAME, saying: “The Gadget Show Live was a great success for us and was our top performing store of the week, which is a fantastic result."

Caroline Williams, Brand and Events Manager, Sony UK added: “Every year at The Gadget Show Live, Upper Street Events makes the event bigger and better. The new features and content this year have been very well received and footfall figures for the show are incredible!

“Gadget Show Live has provided a great space for Sony to engage with its customers and talk about the latest 3D products as consumers browse and experiment with the best technology on the market which is all on show across the show floor. Again, our sponsorship of the Super Theatre has helped us reach a large group of tech fans and supported our brand outreach,” added Williams.

Clare Coughlan, Brand, PR and Social Media, PSG UK&I Hewlett-Packard Company added: “Gadget Show Live 2011 was a massive success for HP. It was the perfect platform for us to show our brand new PC line up to both the press and the tech conscious consumer market. We were able to capture first hand customer approval on some of our most important product launches for 2011 including the much coveted HP TouchPad.”

Commenting on their attendance at the event, Nick Perkins, Exhibitions Manager at JVC stated: “In my 15 years of experience with JVC, this was the best consumer show I have done personally. Fantastic organisation, we had a constant flow of enthusiastic visitors to our stand and JVC has already signed up for The Gadget Show Live 2012.”

Finally, John Cameron, Chief Operating Officer at OrbitSound said: “We were overwhelmed by the response, selling ten times the volume we achieved just two years ago. We are thrilled by the feedback and sales achieved over the six days at the show. Gadget Show Live Professional was also really productive and we’re delighted to have made new Retail contacts both in the UK and across Europe. We’re really looking forward to next year’s event, so much so that we have already booked our place at The Gadget Show LIVE 2012.”

The Gadget Show Live 2012 will take place from 10 to 15 April, with The GSL Professional trade day on 9 April 2012. For further details about The Gadget Show Live 2012 and to book your stand visit www.gadgetshowlive.net or call Spencer Hidge on 020 7288 6046.