Q & A
“ There ’ s a mind-blowing amount of options , which are so different to the UK ”
Q & A
David McAllister
F2f Events , owner
McAllister brings 15 years ’ experience as an organiser and association worker
Why Germany ? All around Germany there is an amazing amount of venues that are not Messe venues . Until you start digging you don ’ t realise they exist . Obviously it all depends on the size of your event , but if you are looking at a new launch , there are plenty of smaller venue options .
How extensively did you research the markets there ? We ’ ve found there ’ s a mind-blowing amount of options , which are so different to the UK . What I do not understand though is why this mass competition is not reflected in the price for tenancies . Germany is an expensive place to run a show .
How do you work with the venue ? Thus far , like all companies ,
a lot depends on who you are dealing with I suppose . I have been most impressed with Hanover and Munich so far and Essen is not far behind .
What , if any , are the cultural differences you ’ ve encountered ? One thing I would suggest is to tread cautiously and ensure intellectual property is respected .
What do you wish you ’ d known beforehand ? I ’ ll give you one story . We entered Germany in 2015 with our veggie show in Berlin in January at the time of entry there were two other shows in German run by one company . Within 12 months there are now 14 shows run by five different organisations – madness and no good for anyone . ■■■
“ There ’ s a mind-blowing amount of options , which are so different to the UK ”
12 Germany , The UK Organiser ’ s User Guide EW / EN 2016