London to play host to two tech trade shows in 2010

IT trade show and conference event RetailVision will arrive in London next year, a week after Channel Expo relocates to Kensington’s Olympia venue on May 12th and 13th.

PCR discovered the venue and date of RetailVision 2010 (May 17th – 19th at the London Radisson Edwardian Hotel), just days after Incisive Media revealed it would no longer be hosting its event at the Birmingham NEC.

However despite the close proximity of the shows, Channel Expo organiser Incisive Media welcomed RetailVision’s presence as a sign of the trade show format’s strength, and said London will provide its own event with new opportunities for growth.

"It is great news that a longstanding and established event like RetailVision is coming to London," said channel publisher Mark Burton. "It proves that there is a high demand for these type of events and that, like Channel Expo, they provide a worthwhile networking and educational opportunity for all levels of people working in the IT channel.

"Kensington Olympia will provide Channel Expo with better facilities, easier access, and opportunity for future growth. Above all, it gives us the ability to offer our exhibitors and visitors a more productive, easy and enjoyable Channel Expo experience."

Key figures from the industry echoed Burton’s sentiments, claiming the two shows are sufficiently distinct so as not to clash, and will both be of benefit to the industry (see below).

Bob Snyder, distribution channel editor-in-chief at RetailVision organiser UBM, told PCR: "The unique nature of RetailVision Europe is its ability to create the only pan- European format for retailers in our industry, and this won’t change when we bring it to London. Our emphasis, as usual, will be on bringing in the best speakers about the European retail scene and the best retail products from around the world that reflect current trends."

The industry responds

"There are differences between the two events and visitors should still see value in attending their chosen show, so I don’t feel this will have a negative impact on the channel."
Neil Handa, Marketing Manager, Gem

"I attend RetailVision each year – it is a totally different event to Channel Expo. The distributors pick up the tab for the customer to stay, but the meetings are focused, with genuine big guns within our sector."
Richard Marsden, Sales Director, Realtime Distribution

"There’s no real conflict – I flew back this year from RetailVision Berlin and then went to Channel Expo for the last day of the show at the NEC."
Derek Jones, MD, Synaxon UK

"You might think that there would be a clash to get funds from the vendors, but this year the two events took place at the same time, one in Birmingham and one in Berlin, and Channel Expo didn’t suffer notably from that. My view? There’s plenty of room for the two events to take place in London."
Keith Warburton, CEO, PCA

"They’re two different shows, so they’re just not going to affect each other, as RetailVision is by invite only. It’s not going to harm what Channel Expo is trying to achieve. There’s room for both."
Jon Atherton, Commercial Group Vice President, Enta