For me, the four days of the PLASA Show generally flash past, leaving a hundred encounters and conversations fighting for space in my memory banks. This year's show was like that, only more so. One conversation was memorable for the gloomy picture the person portrayed of the show's future: it was never going to attract a strong international audience, because it was so difficult and expensive for people to visit the UK, they said, and for that reason, the PLASA Show would never compete with Frankfurt's ProLight&Sound.
Thankfully, by way of balance, I spent the next three days listening to other exhibitors, from all over the world, praising the excellent international attendance, the quality of the buyers they were meeting, and the surpassingly good nature of the show in general. There were one or two isolated negatives (some found the Sunday quiet, but being the warmest September day in London since 1940-something, many people probably found better things to do - to their credit), but in general, the responses were some of the most enthusiastic I have ever heard at a trade show.
"We have seen more international visitors than at any exhibition in the past two years," said one well-seasoned European exhibitor. "The best show we've done in yonks," said a UK stalwart. "We've got distribution leads for the entire world!" said another, rather pleased, UK-based exhibitor. "Brilliant. Everyone who comes on the stand is a new customer," said a representative of a pan-European company. And so on, and so on. There was a real buzz about the show; by the end, visitor numbers were up on 2005 (by around 3.5%, subject to audit), and the international presence was up too, at 28%. So much for gloom.
There was some talk, naturally, about the planned floorplan redraw for 2007. This will see the opening up of a section of Earls Court 2, which sits at the back of EC1. After 11 years of trying to make a success of the upstairs level - Top Deck, Level Two, call it what you like - it still hasn't taken off in the way that the show really needs it to. True, many of the exhibitors who have been upstairs for a number of years like it - it's cool and quiet, and seems to act as a tyre-kicker filter - but it has never appealed as an option to those wanting to expand their presence downstairs. With the ground floor level hemmed in on all sides, opening up into EC2 seems the only sensible option. At the same time, the 'wings' of the EC1 triangle will be 'clipped', which will hopefully lessen the hall's disorienting effect.
One problem that must be addressed for next year is noise. After we were critical of noise levels at PALME Dubai earlier this year (see L&SI June 2006), it was disappointing to hear complaints about noise at PLASA. It's unacceptable in this day and age to have a trade show environment where exhibitors can't hear themselves speak - they've all invested heavily in doing business in that environment - yet there were spots on the floor where this was the case at times, and more attention needs to be paid to this in 2007. Perhaps the redraw will allow for greater segregation, but whatever the layout, noise levels need to be policed effectively - it's simply not a cost that should be cut.
So, overall, an extremely positive show, with a strong attendance. Our review of who was doing what begins here - put your feet up, take a deep breath, and begin . . .Lee Baldock
