Blog - A Global Phenomenon

Blog - A Global Phenomenon

It’s fair to say that the world really is getting smaller. As businesses across the globe expand their connection and nurture integration, the term globalisation has undoubtedly become a mainstay of business conversation.

So how does globalisation manifest itself in the event world? Well, there certainly seems to be a greater capacity for movement. More and more venues are welcoming events that have traditionally taken place in other countries or even continents. And fortunately, this is not always at the expense of their original home; what can sometimes be referred to as geo-cloning is becoming increasingly visible. This initiative, of taking a successful event format and reproducing it in another territory allows for consistency in a brand and the opportunity for huge growth built on a successful model. 

However, as events test the water in different locations, it’s important they have access to the required expertise and knowledge - not just about the brand - but also the local market and its requirements. Simply picking up an event and dropping it in a new location is far from the required approach and shows little respect for the local audience. This may be why the term geo-adaption is starting to replace geo-cloning in industry lexicon – proving a hot topic for discussion at the recent AEO conference too. It recognises that a standard cookie-cutter approach to events does little to meet the needs of local markets.

Many event businesses have identified the growing opportunities worldwide and opened dedicated offices in new geographical locations, which work best with a certain level of autonomy. This allows them to offer local insight using native talent. GES is a prime example, having recently opened our Middle East office with a view to serving our clients in the most appropriate and insightful way; the growth of our operation in the region underlines that there is appetite for this mixture of local and international.

So globalisation within our industry is not just about identifying opportunities and locations, it’s about meeting consumers, customers and stakeholders on their terms where they live, and understanding the most appropriate ways in which to engage and inspire them.

Essentially this is about promises and strategy, consistency and quality control and it’s this infrastructure, and the way it works, that gives event organisers the confidence to move into new territories.

As the concept of geo-adapting continues to evolve, so too have the attitudes of large conventions taking to the road as well. It’s for event specialist and support businesses to allow these new approaches, and modern strategies to succeed.

By embracing globalisation and geo-adaption, we’re seeing the expansion of some of the biggest event, experience, and specialist brands across the globe and the world doesn’t seem quite as big as it once did.

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