Tradeshows are struggling for some time: most manufacturers think that the money spent on a booth is better invested into direct advertising. After all, journalists can be reached significantly faster by just sending them a press release – and a free sample goes quite a long way, too.
Keeping an event successful thus requires not only smart management, but also an effective way to attract the media. Unfortunately, the folks at MiLiberty’s seem to have issues understanding this basic rule of thumb.
Their response to an accreditation request by the yours truly looked like this:
From: Sam Tring [string@miliberty.com]
Your message
To: press@mobileworldcongress.com
Cc: pressregistration@mobileworldcongress.com
Subject: Press accreditation
Sent: Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:38:50 -0000
was deleted without being read on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:18:19 -0000
Well, well – it’s a bit difficult to say much here. I should have no issue covering the event due to exhibitor passes from partners – but it nevertheless serves as an excellent example for how to kill events!
The folks at Nokia’s have already ditched the GSMA – I can understand them well. After all, the purpose of such an event is to get press exposure – and if you keep the press out, well, you get the idea…