Tom HallAmplify started out as a pure-play B2C agency, but as the lines blur between B2C and B2B our culture-first approach has moved us into the more traditionally corporate world of conferences, exhibitions and expos. And it’s something that our ECD, Jeavon Smith, has been mulling over after trawling the floors of massive events like Mobile World Congress.
In a world of innovation, the core skill of crafting a product explanation is stagnating. Why? Because too often we use novelties, like robotic arms and kinetic screens, to create publishable moments at the expense of product stories.
So let’s remember the power of simplicity. Let’s put audiences at the heart and craft narratives that can be explored and shared on their own terms. At MWC, the show floor was saturated with messages and gimmicks, but the experience that resonated the most (a 60-second Sony product demo) had a simple idea: convey product capabilities in a real-world context that’s simply explained, easy to explore and has a clear reason to believe.
And let’s make conversation great again. Expos are driven by the conversations and deals often struck behind closed doors. But is a meeting room – however much Scandi furniture it features – enough to catalyse great conversation? Could it be more? We should aim for less meeting room, more restaurant. Brilliant expo conversations will be reinstated only when we place the same level of care around the experience design of stands as we do with the UX of products.