These are some of the milestones in our progression as Ithaca Business Media. You can find more details of the individual stories in our Media Centre and of the events in our Products section – but here’s a round-up of the main stories so far...
October 2006
Field service – new business thinking brings increased investment.
Field service is firmly established as the vital face to face contact with customers across the industry spectrum. This was seen at this year’s Service Management Europe (SME) which experienced its biggest audience for years and broadest attendance ever.
SME is the only event dedicated to the managers of field-based workers. Now in its 23rd year, it most recently took place at the NEC, Birmingham on 18-19 October. Nearly 1800 senior managers attended the show and seminar programme.
For more details click here.
For the show’s Factfile click here.
September 2006
Leisure Industry Week reflects buoyant industry and sets tone for growth in 2007
International Leisure Industry Week (LIW) is a barometer for its industry and a reflection of its marketplace – so LIW 2006 saw both a 28% audience growth and an increasing stature that reflects the new challenges and issues for its industry.
For more details click here.
For the show’s Factfile click here.
Licensed trade hails impressive debut of National Licensed Business Show
The impressive debut of the National Licensed Business Show (NLBS) received a resounding ‘thumbs up’ from both licensees and suppliers to the on-trade who attended the three-day event at the NEC in Birmingham. (September 27-29th).
More than 2,192* publicans and multiple retail management, independent pubs and bars and late night venues - joined senior management of some 3,300 other licensed entertainment, sports, social and leisure venues for the three day event which was co-located with Leisure Industry Week (LIW) [link to LIW page]. In total more than 5,500 licensees attended NLBS.
For more details click here
For the show’s factfile click here.
Exhibitors and visitors celebrate success of IOG SALTEX
IOG SALTEX reaffirmed its status as one of the UK’s biggest trade events when, over three days, some 13,000 visited the show at Windsor Racecourse in September.
Europe’s leading annual event for open space management once again this year presented an unrivalled range of products, techniques, technologies and strategies to enable grounds professionals to be more effective and efficient in their day-to-day roles. The visitors took time out from their busy schedules to survey the comprehensive range of products being shown (including more than 100 new products) by the 455 exhibitors – a new record for the show.
For more details click here.
For the show’s Factfile click here.
August 2006
Internet World research reveals significant increase in online budgets
Internet World announced one of the most successful shows in its 14-year history. An ABC audit states 8,580 * people attended Internet World 2006.
Not only were visitor numbers up, but there was a significant increase in the budgets that were controlled by the delegates. In 2005 the total value of budgets controlled by delegates at Internet World was £1.5bn. In 2006 this leapt to £3.38bn. Taking into consideration the increase in visitor numbers, this still reflects an average budget increase of around 50%. Delegates were also asked to indicate how much of their budgets they expected to spend with exhibitors, which revealed a staggering increase from £288m in 2005 to £677m, an increase of approximately 135%. (The independent visitor research was undertaken by Vivid Interface, conducted to Market Research Society standards and is approved by the Association of Exhibition Organisers.)
For more details click here.
For the show’s Factfile click here.
July 2006
Sports Development Week comes to LIW
This year’s Leisure Industry Week will see the launch of Sports Development Week. Running alongside LIW, it is aimed at all sectors of the sports industry looking to source the latest sports equipment, upgrade existing sports facilities or build new ones, seek out the latest training and coaching techniques, and features a line-up of governing bodies, infrastructure and funding specialists, free seminars, briefings and demonstrations.
Demonstrations from all the major Sports National Governing Bodies will take place in a dedicated Sports Arena with grandstand seating. Delegates will have the opportunity to watch, and participate in, a range of sports including gymnastics, rugby, judo, badminton, netball, triathlon, cricket, and squash, as well as gain advice on how to deliver sport.
For more details click here.
June 2006
Over 3,000 international delegates over two days for the music industry’s hottest new event
June 29th and 30th 2006 saw London play host to the cream of the new music economy as London Calling hit town to become a new, permanent addition to the international music industry calendar. London Calling 2006 featured a new format creating a dynamic international event which attracted more than 3,000 artists, managers, labels, music publishers, service providers and brands.
With its theme of The Future of Music Business, the London Calling seminars boasted more than 1,000 paid-for delegates, with many panels attracting numbers in excess of 200. Some 40 world-class speakers from a dozen countries discussed themes key to the industry's future in the digital age.
For more details click here.
For the show’s Factfile click here.
April 2006
Ithaca strengthens its position in the food sector and takes control of World Food Market Paris
Ithaca Business Media, which successfully launched the World Food Market (WFM) exhibition at London’s ExCeL last November, announced that it had acquired control of the Paris-based, World Food Market event, which runs from 14–15 June at Porte de Versailles.
The deal saw Ithaca set up a new subsidiary, Ithaca France, to run WFM Paris as well as a range of other activities in the fast-growth Ethnic Food sector, including 1-to-1 business meetings and the online portal, The World Food Club. Antoine Bonnel, who launched and ran the WFM Paris event for four years through his Algodoal & Cie company, became a minority shareholder in Ithaca France and continues to run the Paris event.
For more details click here.
March 2006
The National Licensed Business Show makes its debut at Birmingham NEC
In March 2006 Ithaca announced the launch of the new National Licensed Business Show (NLBS) which is to run at the NEC, Birmingham on September 26–28 alongside Leisure Industry Week (LIW), the UK’s largest and longest running trade show and convention for the out-of-home leisure and entertainment market, also owned by Ithaca.
The launch came as a response to profound changes in the pub and bar market, stimulated by new legislation and an increasingly competitive landscape. Jonny Sullens, the show director, said: ‘With the liberalisation of licensing laws and the ongoing competition for consumers’ scarce time and disposable income, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between pubs and bars on the one hand and leisure and entertainment venues on the other. For pubs and bars, this creates new opportunities as well as new competition.’ The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers and its members have thrown their support behind the show.
For more details click here.
For the show’s Factfile click here.
November 2005
Industry hails success of debut World Food Market
November 2005 saw the UK debut of the World Food Market (WFM) at the ExCeL London from 23–24 November. Attracting an audience of around 2,500 foodservice, cost sector and retail buyers and specifiers, the inaugural event featured three distinct areas: the Ethnic & Speciality Food Exhibition, the Kosher Exhibition, and the Halal Exhibition, involving more than 100 exhibitors. It followed a successful sister event in Paris.
The show is designed to meet a growing demand for ethic food, according to UK WFM Show Director Katharine Mann: ‘The UK ethnic food market has grown 44 per cent in the last six years and is worth an estimated £1.07bn. After the success of the WFM in Paris, bringing the show to the UK was a natural step.’
For more details click here.
June 2005
Ithaca secures renewal of IOG SALTEX contract
Ithaca Business Media announced that it retained the management contract for the UK’s fifth largest trade show – the IOG SALTEX open space management exhibition – for a further three years. IOG SALTEX (Sports, Amenities and Landscaping Trades Exhibition) is the leading B2B event for the open space management industry. The renewal of the contract between Ithaca and the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) – which was won in a competitive pitch – was a testament to the successful partnership between the two organisations that has seen the event sold out for the last two years. IOG SALTEX features over 440 exhibiting companies, and generates annual attendances of around 16,000 business visitors.
For more details click here.
For the show’s Factfile click here.
April 2005
Penton Media Europe completes management buyout
Integrated business-to-business media company, Penton Media Europe (PME), announced the successful completion of its management buyout from US parent company, Penton Media Inc.
PME is a leading integrated business-to-business media and exhibition company specialising in the IT, internet and leisure sectors. Initially focused purely on exhibitions, the company’s range now includes magazines, online events and roadshows, as well as niche business trade shows and conferences. Following the management buyout – backed by Northern Venture Managers (NVM) – the management team said it planned to take advantage of improving cycles in the IT, internet and leisure sectors to further strengthen their existing range of products and also expand into complementary sectors and new markets.
For more details click here.
* including 7,260 visitor attendance (registered) and 1,320 Other Attendance.
