The new format: On to the Criterion!

Christoph Kamber: "Today, everyone is talking about communities. We see that corresponding events appeal to the public because they create a different approach to the audience."

Is the Criterion Festival at Messe Zürich from March 28 - 31 the benchmark (= German translation of Criterion) for the future of live communication? Also for trade fairs?

Criterion is a meeting place for people who think differently and do things differently, for pioneers and smart minds. Christoph Kamber, Director Trade Fairs & Consumer Shows Zurich at the MCH Group, says of the new format: "What is new is the form of the event. It is much more differentiated because of the interaction with the visitor.

Transformation of the trade fair business

What's new is that there are a variety of new ways to become part of the format: As a partner of a case study, which illuminates a topic in depth, as a supporting program participant, as an enabler of small producers. Nevertheless, it will still be the case in the future that anyone who wants to exhibit in a classic form will pay a fee for the rented space. What is significantly new is that sponsors no longer primarily purchase communication services to convey their commitment, but rather engage in brand management rather than sales in the form of sponsoring exciting content. This is a decisive step towards the transformation of the trade fair business in Switzerland, which has been in decline up to now.

Criterion Festival: interaction instead of exposure (photos: Alan Maag).

New relevance for communities

According to Christoph Kamber, the Criterion Festival does not necessarily replace the aforementioned trade fair formats, even if the aforementioned trade fairs have outlived their usefulness. "But as organizers we are required to invent events that have a high relevance, correspond to the zeitgeist and generate an audience."

"In the past, trade fairs were produced with everything and for everyone. After that, theme-focused public trade fairs such as Swiss Moto or Giardina, for example, which are still very successful on the market. Today, everyone is talking about communities. We see that corresponding events like the Urban Bike Festival appeal to the public because they create a different approach to the audience."

Zeitgeist: Criterion creates relevance.

365 days: After the festival is before the festival

The Criterion relies on community building with social networks and has launched a content strategy via a network of freelance journalists, which reports throughout the year in its "Criterion Journal" about groundbreaking ideas and the minds behind them. The Criterion is already a 365-day event and accompanies the community throughout the year.

"But not everything that is touted for digitizing trade show formats provides a benefit. Right now, many organizers are on a quest to figure out where trade show digital leads and where it doesn't."

Is this the new format?

Are festival events like the Criterion replacing the classic trade fair format (exhibit, visit, buy)? Christoph Kamber says: "You can't generalize. Every event, whether it's a trade fair or a festival, has its own function, its exhibitors, partners and audience. We will have to deal with these nuances in the future and align the formats even more consistently with the needs." Whether the Criterion Festival has aligned itself correctly remains to be seen.

A detailed article will appear in the print edition of Expodata Live Kommunikation on April 11.