Our industry still has a trade show happening in 2020

Why am I breaking my own unofficial rule here? Well, because I’m excited about it, and I think you should be too.

The Overhead Crane and Hoist Innovation Conference is happening on October 8th. It’s an online event, so you can tune in wherever you are in the world. It’s also an all-day event, so wherever you are geographically, you’ll be able to tune in.

We start at 10am, with the chance to talk to our exhibitors about their latest products and services, just as at a ‘real life’ trade show. This carries on throughout the day, and at 12pm we’ll kick off our conference agenda, which will run alongside the exhibition.

It’s all hosted using a pretty neat platform called VFairs, which provides a graphic interface through which delegates can explore the event—either entering the exhibition hall, the auditorium for the conference, or setting up private chats with other delegates in the reception area.

There are a number of advantages over traditional trade shows. Firstly, it’s much easier to connect with the right people—delegates and exhibitors can contact each other directly, which removes the element of chance and hoping to ‘bump into the right person’ as with conventional shows.

Secondly, it’s more efficient—conference presentations can be viewed at the click of a button, and exhibitors can be contacted directly for more information. As a veteran of trade shows myself, I know how much time is taken up walking round exhibitions to the next appointment—not to mention the time and expense taken travelling to the event.

Thirdly, a full list of attendees is provided to our exhibitors, enabling them to contact all these potential customers after the event. Sort of like working through a stack of business cards after an event, but knowing that you haven’t missed a single opportunity.

The conference is shaping up to be a great event too: I’ve been speaking with leading companies in our industry and we’re very close to finalising the schedule.

I’m pleased to say we will have some cutting-edge technology being discussed, from automated crane set-ups with accompanying warehouse management systems; the latest anti-sway and crane control technology and all the efficiency and safety benefits it brings; remote data collection and analysis, that allows crane manufacturers to troubleshoot problems straight away, without the need for a service engineer and the delays that come with that approach; and plenty more. You can register as a delegate for free at https:// hoistinnovation.vfairs.com/ — and for more information on how to exhibit, you can contact myself or our sales manager Joe Woolerton; our contact details are on page 5.

Looking forward to seeing you there.