■DX transformation will enrich value of exhibitions.
ーThe pandemic has drastically advanced society’s DX. How will exhibitions change?
Takeshi Tanaka
Until now, the results of exhibitions have been vague and difficult to see, and in some cases, exhibiting itself has become an objective. However, as society’s DX progresses, companies are increasingly visualizing their business activities, and a so-called Western-style wave is sweeping over Japan, in which budgets are not granted if past results and goals are not clearly defined. When viewing the exhibition from a sales and marketing perspective, it is important to know how many business meetings were concluded, how many leads were acquired, as well as the level of public interest. Organizers need to have a system in place that can provide real-time data, such as the visitors route and most popular booths. By utilizing digital technology to create an exhibition that enables exhibitors to achieve better business results than ever before, the value of the exhibition itself can be increased, and the fee per booth can be raised as well. In order to create such a cycle, we will first need to make a number of investments.
ーWhat are your thoughts on the development of human resources?
Takeshi Tanaka
We are strongly promoting DX as one of the pillars of our mid-term management plan [RX 2030]. This cannot be achieved simply by installing the latest software alone. Since it is equally important to hire and train DX personnel, we started reskilling all of our employees in July. In addition to freely accessing online courses and other resources useful for skill improvement, the company has created a new system in which the cost of acquiring related qualifications is covered by the company, and those who acquire qualifications receive a raise in salary. We will review our hiring and training systems and make major changes to the company over the next two years or so. The company name has been changed from Reed Exhibitions Japan to RX Japan, and in April next year, the head office will be relocated from its longtime home in Shinjuku to Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, near the Yaesu exit of Tokyo Station. I believe that the public’s image and awareness of the exhibition industry is not yet high enough. Young people will not come to an industry that they don’t find interesting enough, so we feel it is our duty as a leading exhibition company to dispel the muddy image and replace it with a sophisticated look through the company name change and relocation.
Taro Komiya
While KGI (management goal achievement index) and KPI (key performance indicators) are changing, I believe that exhibitions have a constant value. The real appeal of exhibitions is that you can meet all the right people in one place and create a platform for business innovations. We also believe that an exhibition is a place where both exhibitors and visitors alike, can create mutually beneficial partnerships. Since RX Japan organizes many such exhibitions, it would be ideal if we can learn from each other and engage in friendly competition. I also very much agree with what Mr. Tanaka said about wanting to increase the amount per booth. Investments are needed to raise the exhibition industry’s bottom line, and these costs must be earned through exhibitions. Display companies and other companies that support the exhibition industry need to grow, and to do so, it is important to sell at the right price.
ーToday, the exhibition fee is said to be 400,000-500,000 yen per booth.
Takeshi Tanaka
We are aware that our company is slightly higher than other companies in our industry. However, we would like to actively break the market in a positive sense in the future, because if people understand that the return on their investment is many times greater than the cost of exhibiting, they will be convinced. In fact, we have an idea for an exhibition with a cost of 1 million yen per booth. As with cars, watches, etc., it is only logical that different values offered will have different prices, and the exhibition itself will be more interesting and challenging if there is a wide variety of products and services. We would like to take the initiative in challenging areas first. It would be wonderful if the exhibition industry could be revitalized as a result. Our goal is to create a more exciting industry.
ーAiming to improve the status of the industry What are your goals and dreams for the future?
Taro Komiya
We want to improve the image of the exhibition industry and the people who work in it. In other words, we want to be in an industry that ranks high among the students. When recruiting new graduates, JMA explains to students that JMA is like a general trading company, an advertising agency, and a consulting firm added together and divided by an economic organization. Yet a very few students have any aspirations for the exhibition industry. It would be nice to see people who graduated from top universities working for exhibition organizers like RX Japan, rather than for advertising agencies or trading companies.
Takeshi Tanaka
Exhibition work is a job that can make people happy. We will make sure to communicate its appeal. I would like the government to pay attention to it as an indispensable industry. If we create more great exhibitions with leading players who is representing industry overseas, the field of exhibitions will naturally become better recognized. An image strategy for the exhibitions is also necessary. The reason that trading company employees, advertising agencies, doctors, lawyers, etc. are considered desirable professions is because of the image created in the past. For example, thanks to TV dramas and media. The exhibition industry could also change its image dramatically depending on how it is featured. We would like to start this movement by keeping up with and responding to the current trends.