BETT 2021

[Dos_Box]

I've had more than a few calls over the past few weeks where the topic turns onto the subject of BETT in Jan 2021. Mainly this comes down to:

 

a. Will it happen? (so far planning from the organsiers seem to be going ahead as normal)

b. Would you feel safe going?

c. What do I think attendance will be like?

 

So far, apart from 'a' I have no answers, and given the current situation will be going on for a few more months to come as we await spikes which will happen lord knows when.

I've created a poll here just to get an idea of what peoples current thoughts are about this. I can understand that if there is a second, or third spike this would affect things, but even if the infection rates stay low this may put off those at risk and not wanting to spend a day or so crammed in London public transport etc.

So please let me know what you think as I'm sure many of you will be wanting to speak to vendors about areas that need to be addressed following the lockdown and schools suddenly finding themselves having to invest in more cloudy technologies or hardware for remote working.

Edited July 16, 2020 by Dos_Box

[Dos_Box]

Just realised I should have included an 'Other' option.

If you have another answer, please feel free to post it below.

[FishCustard]

All depends on the virus. We must follow doctors' orders.

[Dos_Box]

We've already seen some shows that were due to be held this summer cancelled with some re-scheduled for later in in the year, but even then I can't see them happening and if they do they run the risk of a very poor attendance.

We know BETT is stratigically held so that those working on their budgets for the new financial year can get to see the latest and greatest in plenty of time to make their decisions, which makes BETT a hard one to shift, but, after speaking to others, we think it being pushed back to the beginning of March may be a much safer bet for it given that many have to book transport and accomodation in plenty of time.

[Sibrows]

Unless there has been a significant change I would be surprised to see it going ahead and if it does I would expect numbers to be down significantly it would be interesting to see a number of the sessions going online though.

 

Personally I'm avoiding public transport for the foreseeable future. Just my 2p worth

[bald_pig]

We've already seen some shows that were due to be held this summer cancelled with some re-scheduled for later in in the year, but even then I can't see them happening and if they do they run the risk of a very poor attendance.

We know BETT is stratigically held so that those working on their budgets for the new financial year can get to see the latest and greatest in plenty of time to make their decisions, which makes BETT a hard one to shift, but, after speaking to others, we think it being pushed back to the beginning of March may be a much safer bet for it given that many have to book transport and accomodation in plenty of time.

 

I think they can't afford to cancel, if there's no BETT in 2021 then 2020 was the last one imo.

[Chrisbf1]

I think they can't afford to cancel, if there's no BETT in 2021 then 2020 was the last one imo.

 

EXEL is still a field hospital. And likely to be on standby I imagine

[Norphy]

Even assuming that the Nightingale Hospital is going to be cleared away by then, it will depend on what the situation is like closer to the time. That said, I think that right now the safe answer I can give is "No, as I don't think it will be safe to do so". There are cities worldwide that are experiencing secondary lockdowns, in countries that have handled the situation far better than this country have and where the general populace has taken it a lot more seriously. The way that people in London are behaving at the moment makes me think that a second wave is very likely and I don't especially want to be stuffed into that conference hall with tens of thousands of other people.

[CAM]

I am currently assuming every event for 2021 will be cancelled. Tradeshows, holidays, conventions, everything.

[Zammo]

With great regret I think this may be the first one I miss in many years. Regardless of Govt. guidelines I can see vastly reduced numbers of visitors and probably suppliers too, and it might be a shadow of its usual size and scope.

[ICTDirect_Dave]

We've had a few chats with the organisers.

They're proceeding currently under the assumption that the event will go ahead. It is understandably subject to change.

We've tentatively begun to plan for the show as if it is going ahead. So far we're in the early stages and will address how to do everything in a secure way when we know more about the situation come september.

 

Nightingale is being reconfigured currently. It will take up the eastern end of Excel including some of the north and south halls (they have moveable walls) and the two cubes currently being used as temporary morgues for covid fatalities.

The field hospital will no longer treat covid patients and will take a lot of day to day duties on so that london hospitals can concentrate on covid care.

 

The issue with moving the event is one of schedule. You can only move the event if there's a gap in the programme.

Also, if you consider a move then it's possible you'll lose your January spot to another event. Excel run bookings year on year and give priority to the event that held those dates the previous year.

Moving Bett to March could well see the end of a January Bett Show as another event will have preference during the January window.

 

What could make things relatively easy is the deployment of the Oxford Vaccine. Current news as of today is that it looks to be effective and they're producing some two billion doses.

The articles talk about a september deployment for it but it will likely be later. Still, if that gets global deployment before Christmas then I suspect things will be a lot less stressful as we'd be able to go about life relatively unhindered.

[paulkerton]

I doubt that it'll happen at all. Last I looked the venue is still a hospital and is being kept as such in preparation for a potential next spike.

So they'd have to move it to another exhibition centre, and the only ones that would have the size capacity to host BETT are all hospitals that are being kept as such in preparation for a potential next spike. (Excel, NEC, MCCC)

 

Even if that wasn't the case, there isn't anything I'm currently that interested in as a customer that I couldn't get a demonstration of in other capacities. Also, the amount of time it takes to get there from anywhere that isn't either Central London or East of it makes it an absolute ball ache to go to at the best of times. It takes me as long to get from Birmingham to Euston as it does from Euston to Excel. Its just a pain to do every year.

 

I also don't want to go to a place thats also operating as an overflow hospital, even if they rejig the halls. Incredibly morbid.

I'll leave it till 2022 if it happens again at all.

Edited July 16, 2020 by paulkerton

[mavhc]

No vaccine, so nothing will have changed. Plus everyone's used to doing things online now. Start creating a streaming studio to advertise your products today.

[Dos_Box]

No vaccine, so nothing will have changed. Plus everyone's used to doing things online now. Start creating a streaming studio to advertise your products today.

 

The problem with that is you don't get the 'look what I've found!' factor that you do at shows where you come across a product or company you never knew existed which does something you've been looking for but didn't know it.

Many companies traditionally get a resonable amount of footfall and business from this kind of stand traffic, although this years show was a bit lacking in this due to the event being split over the two halls and many not looking over both, which was a bit annoying.

[mavhc]

Bett could run an online conference though, 5 min presentation, pre record it, play a 3 day stream

[paulkerton]

Many companies traditionally get a resonable amount of footfall and business from this kind of stand traffic, although this years show was a bit lacking in this due to the event being split over the two halls and many not looking over both, which was a bit annoying.

 

I quite liked the two hall format. I don't think it was quite right in it's setup, but it definitely felt like there was more room to breathe and it felt easier to get to see people this year. Probably helped that a few companies decided to setup satellite shows outside of the main BETT area too, like Acer.

 

I'd like to see more things like Microsoft had set up in the Platinum Suites. More breakout spaces and professional development offerings as well as the traditional trade show side of things.

 

Big impressive stands are all well and good, but I think that side of the show needs to evolve. Microsoft are big and brutish enough to be able to set the Platinum Suites up themselves, but it would be good to see BETT offer a way for smaller companies to have breakout areas and training spaces too.

Edited July 16, 2020 by paulkerton

[Zammo]

Bett could run an online conference though, 5 min presentation, pre record it, play a 3 day stream

 

Sounds like a day of absolute hell, listening to hour after hour of pitches

[paulkerton]

Sounds like a day of absolute hell, listening to hour after hour of pitches

Getting Major Toht when the Ark of the Covenant is opened in Raiders of the Lost Ark feelings from that idea, I have to admit

[Dos_Box]

I quite liked the two hall format. I don't think it was quite right in it's setup, but it definitely felt like there was more room to breathe and it felt easier to get to see people this year. Probably helped that a few companies decided to setup satellite shows outside of the main BETT area too, like Acer.

 

I'd like to see more things like Microsoft had set up in the Platinum Suites. More breakout spaces and professional development offerings as well as the traditional trade show side of things.

 

Big impressive stands are all well and good, but I think that side of the show needs to evolve. Microsoft are big and brutish enough to be able to set the Platinum Suites up themselves, but it would be good to see BETT offer a way for smaller companies to have breakout areas and training spaces too.

 

The problem with the two hall format is that many companies often straddle the product areas that the halls had divided up. So if you had a hardware company that also does software, then it may have found itself in the wrong hall with only getting interest in one area of it's products.

It did make the crowds a bit easier to navigate, but we also noticed that the north hall seemed to have a lot more footfall than the south hall, possibly due to visitors instinctively going into the traditional north hall first then staying there. We know of one company who is not going next year as they were put in the wrong hall and did hardly any business at all.

If they mixed things up a bit once more that would work better I feel.

Edited July 17, 2020 by Dos_Box

[mavhc]

Sounds like a day of absolute hell, listening to hour after hour of pitches

 

Still better than travelling by train, standing up and walking all day in a room that's constantly noisy, and having to carry everything on your back.

[paulkerton]

Still better than travelling by train, standing up and walking all day in a room that's constantly noisy, and having to carry everything on your back.

Fair point, well made.

Though we're IT guys, we're used to carrying most organisations we've worked for aren't we?

[Arthur]

Bett could run an online conference though, 5 min presentation, pre record it, play a 3 day stream

... or upload all of the pre-recorded presentations and product demos as separate videos organized by category to the BETT YouTube channel. Then you can pick and choose what you want to watch. Problem solved!

[Syman_a]

On the news this morning that the nightingale hospitals will be kept until "the end of the financial year"

 

So BETT2021 would appear to a no go.

[elsiegee40]

Given that it’s impossible for stand staff to come away without a respiratory infection in the best of years, I would need to give it serious thought. Edited July 17, 2020 by elsiegee40

[mavhc]

... or upload all of the pre-recorded presentations and product demos as separate videos organized by category to the BETT YouTube channel. Then you can pick and choose what you want to watch. Problem solved!

 

Or just put them on their website. The point of the stream would be similar to walking around, you see stuff without searching for it.