RSVP and the Australian Events Expo

So now the Staging Connections owned ETF is in turn the proud owner of both RSVP (Sydney and Melbourne) and the Australian Events Expo.

RSVP Sydney and AEE will be run separately this year (AEE in May and RSVP in July) but what of the future? There is some industry speculation that one or the other may be dropped or that they may be merged.

But a further option is emerging – that is to run the two concurrently. RSVP would focus on the party and supplier side while AEE caters for destinations and venues. With the inclusion this year of New Zealand in AEE the latter option is looking more attractive. Indeed there is surprisingly little crossover in the attendance to the two events (around 20%) which just shows that each event has already found its own market.

So now that AIME has become a truly international event maybe AEE will become the Australasian version.

Seems a long way now from the original Sydney Destination One staged in the cargo bay of the OPT at Circular Quay, from which Sydney on Sale grew.

ETF also own the bi-annual trade show for the technology side of our industry, ENTECH. Now just imagine if that show was to also run concurrently, it would make for quite a big industry bash.

By the way, when Julius Grafton owned ENTECH he tried it for one year at Sydney Showground – nearly killed the show, so not much hope of any of these events following the O’Neill suggestion and moving west.