When marketing managers, technology service providers, and social media activists alike jostle shoulder to shoulder for a seat on the shuttle bus at Cologne's Deutz exhibition center every autumn, it's time again for dmexco: Europe's largest trade fair for the digital industry. We were there this year and wanted to find out for you whether a visit or even a booth of your own is worthwhile for startups.
It was only in 2009 that Koelnmesse, under the auspices of the Federal Association of the Digital Economy (BVDW) e. V. and the Online Marketing Circle (OVK) The digital marketing exposition & conference (dmexco) was born. What began as a relatively manageable trade fair with approximately 14,200 visitors and 290 exhibitors over two days has since blossomed into a full-blown event for more than 40,000 visitors spread across four halls. Given such rapid growth, one might easily forgive the organizers for some organizational and technical problems, considering the distinguished list of 500 speakers and nearly 900 exhibitors.
The fact that the path from a newly founded company to an established competitor is often shorter than one might think is impressively demonstrated by the state of OnPage.org GmbH: While OnPage was still a small Munich-based startup for software development to optimize websites in 2012, it is already a 100sqm stand represented at dmexco.
At just six years old, dmexco can definitely still be described as young and dynamic. And this freshness and dynamism is reflected in the trade fair's visitors. Among the who's who of the marketing industry, consisting of large and medium-sized companies, there was also a surprising number of small business owners and industry enthusiasts, dressed in jeans and T-shirts instead of suits and ties.
Niko Putz and Adrian Oettl from POOM – Putz and Oettl Online Marketing have been active in the online marketing scene for a long time and can be found at dmexco every year. As early visitors, we asked them for their opinion on the trade fair's development. They take a somewhat more critical view: "The first thing we notice every year is the sharp increase in visitor numbers and the ever-increasing number of booths. As a dmexco visitor, you have to familiarize yourself with the trade fair in advance." Above all, they miss personal contact beyond business cards. While this is still possible, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find without an appointment.
The trade fair has thus entered the mainstream, so to speak, and the Startup Village has been positioned somewhere in between in Hall 6 for the second year in a row. With its collection of round tables, decorated with a handful of chairs, a nice sign with a logo, and a rather cozy Speakers' Corner, the startup area at first glance appears somewhat carelessly integrated into the overall concept. Upon closer inspection, however, one quickly realizes that this organized chaos is perfect for the startups represented and their visitors. For startup companies, this kind of prominent placement at such a successful trade fair offers not only opportunities for networking but also for establishing themselves.
Andreas Gölkel, co-founder of the Upper Bavarian startup, agrees pixx.io and an exhibitor at dmexco himself. We met him at his booth and asked him about his opinion on the Startup Village: "There are many great other companies here, some of which I even already know. But sometimes I just haven't had time to get to know the other companies because new customers are constantly coming to our booth."Above all, he described the speaker slot as "brilliant." The opportunity to present himself and his company on stage immediately attracted several potential customers to the startup's table.
Andreas Gölkel and his colleagues first learned about the trade fair through the BVDW (German Association of Industrial Engineers). Like all the other startup companies present, they applied to become members of the association and receive a discounted booth. This not only allowed them to avoid the expensive rental fees for such a trade fair, but also received exclusive promotion through the speaker slot and as part of the Startup Village.
For pixx.io As a company that develops hardware and software solutions for professional media management, the trade fair was a complete success because they were able to directly address and generate customer base at dmexco. However, Andreas Gölkel notes that while this was exactly the right decision for them, not every tech startup is suited for dmexco: “You have to choose the exact trade fair where the target group that will use the product and decide whether to buy it is present.” So presentation alone is not enough.
Even though many trade fairs are now embracing the startup wave and providing them with their own platforms within the event, it's still important to carefully evaluate whether the trade fair in question offers the desired contact points. If so, then a visit is definitely worthwhile, as long as—and this is the way it is in marketing—the target audience is right.
Photos and report: Thomas Eder – Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria
