“Do you know there are now only 99 days till Christmas?” said one of the first Brits I met while in Paris last week … my heart sank at the thought. This was shortly after it had nearly stopped altogether when I got an exchange rate of 0.93 Euros to £1 just before I flew out…more fool me for using an airport-based exchange bureau, I rightly hear your say!
I was in desperate need of some cheer…thankfully the UK companies exhibiting at the IAAPA Europe Expo were on hand to provide just that. I was delighted to see such a strong presence from our first-class suppliers – a clear message that the UK continues to be open and ready for business, not just in Europe but also globally. Speaking to many of them, it was gratifying to hear about how busy they continue to be and of their on-going innovations in this exciting sector.
It was especially good to see so many Experience UK members exhibiting at the show, not least the ones who joined the EUK stand itself. Flagship UK companies such as Engineered Arts, Electrosonic and Katapult, amongst others, came together to showcase their amazing technology to a constant stream of visitors. The EUK stand was buzzing throughout the time I was there … and not just from all the cables and other equipment the participants had to manoeuvre around! (When Alan Lowry, ESF, told me about his latest product – a solar-powered defibrillator – it was all I could do but to wish he’d brought one with him, just in case …!) Thankfully the buzz was of the kind we are always pleased to see, with all the companies reporting extremely encouraging leads, and some even securing real sales – a testament to the value of this event.
Next year’s show will be in London and DIT’s experience economy team is looking forward to working with Experience UK to ensure we use our home-ground advantage to showcase the best of UK capability, with hopefully the largest UK presence yet at IAAPA Europe. A heart-warming, rather than heart-stopping, thought indeed…
Rozmin Blatt, Manager – Experience Economy Team
