Make an exhibition of yourself

This year's Channel Expo packages and opportunities are designed to help exhibitors show their wares to best advantage

Homing in: Last year's Channel Expo was at Birmingham, but this year the more central location is expected to prove closer for many

The hunt is on for more exhibitors to participate in this year’s Channel Expo on 12-13 May at Kensington Olympia in London.

Some 43 separate organisations have so far been confirmed as exhibitors for this year’s Expo at the time of going to press. Distribution powerhouse Ingram Micro has signed up for three stands – but there is still time to enter.

So why exhibit? According to companies that exhibited in 2009, Channel Expo is not just a chance to expand your brand but, done right, can and does result in real sales.

“The show was very successful for us. We signed two contracts and had about 80 quality resellers express real interest in working with us. We were busy both days and actually could not have coped with a higher footfall,” says Christine Hawkins, managing director of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) vendor Zigor.

It also gives you an unparalleled opportunity to meet prospects and, if you wish, demonstrate products large as life to real potential customers, gaining an edge over those who might stick to pitching over the phone or internet.

Roger Anscombe, managing director of multi-user PC client software vendor MiniFrame, was similarly enthusiastic about the 2009 show. “It has been absolutely excellent. I was talking non-stop. We had been targeting resellers for 12 months. When we phone them up they don't believe what it can do, but they were able to see SoftXpand in action here,” Anscombe says.

Choice of packages
Packages vary, with a choice to suit every budget in these tougher times, starting with space-only for £325 per square metre. This does however also include stand details and company name inclusion in Channel Expo marketing collateral and a personalisable promotional email template. Exhibitors also get 30 words of text in the show guide and on the website, including company description and contact details.

A £370-per-square-metre white shell scheme stand includes all of the above as well as carpet, ceiling grid, name board, power and lighting, a table with four chairs and a rubbish bin. The premium stand offer is priced at £425 per square metre, incorporating all the above and adding 3.5m walls, raised fascia and a reception counter with your logo.
Exhibitors already signed
Other exhibitors already signed up include US-based CSI Leasing, which also showcased its offering last year. CSI Leasing – which does around 38 per cent of its business outside the US – aims to go beyond the price quote and lease rate factor to help companies dispose of their IT in the best, most cost-effective way and structure their leasing programme to future-proof their organisation.

Another is Fujitsu Europe, which supplies a range of printers, scanners and biometric devices to EMEA users through the channel. It recently delivered a three-year shared-services ERP system across the Home Office’s finance, procurement and human resources divisions on time and on budget. The £13m project is expected to save the Home Office a total £40m-£50m.

IT support company and business continuity provider Connect Personal Computing has also taken a stand. The London-based firm offers a range of support offerings, including around email continuity, networking, disaster recovery, and application development, as well as PC assistance.

Kensington Olympia offers certain advantages for visitors over the Birmingham NEC, where Channel Expo was held in former years. Its centrally located transport connections and road links, coupled with better parking facilities, should ease travel to and from the event on a work day. According to organisers, setting up stands and packing them away should be easier at Olympia too.

Last year saw official registration figures hit 3,135, up eight per cent on 2008 – and at Olympia, we expect to exceed that number.

As part of Earls Court and Olympia Venues, it promises excellent all-round catering and on-site services for any number of guests or staff, at a range of prices, including private hospitality rooms overlooking the show itself. Stands should prove easy to walk through and around, and there are more seats and rest areas for visitors and exhibitors alike.

Olympia also has a wider range of accommodation on-site and a vast selection of accommodation, shopping and entertainment nearby, such as in the adjoining suburbs of Kensington and Earls Court.

And of course, exhibitors will be able to take advantage of the opportunities for media coverage, with CRN’s roving reporters on the look-out for news or offerings to promote to readers who may not be able to attend Channel Expo in person.

VARs, system builders or systems OEMs, IT suppliers, computer retailers, converged retailers and resellers, IT consultants, network resellers, e-business resellers, systems integrators and solutions providers, audio visual resellers, and voice resellers are all especially urged to attend.

More information:
Jane Lewis
Marketing manager
+44 (0)20 7316 9532
[email protected]

To exhibit:
Colin Logan
Major client manager
+44 (0)20 7316 9484
[email protected]