Conference & Meetings World Issue 101 — July / August | Page 10

Event tech
Leaving the nest
EVENT TECH COMPANY CRYSTAL INTERACTIVE IS TAKING THE FIRST STEPS OUTSIDE OF ITS UK HOME.
AT THIS CRUCIAL STAGE, HOW DOES IT PLAN TO MANAGE ITS INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION?
“
rystal Interactive
announced the opening in
June of the first office
outside of its UK home, in
Düsseldorf, Germany.
The announcement comes two years
after the company acquired IML
Interactive UK, and became, in its own
words, “the largest full-service event
technology company in the UK.” It is
now at a crucial stage of its expansion, as
it takes the first steps towards becoming
an international business.
CMW spoke with Managing Director
Chris Elmitt, to find out how Crystal
Interactive is seizing the opportunities
and mitigating the risks that come with
doing business overseas.
We aim to continue
with our strategy of
forging strong alliances
with agencies, as well
as positioning ourselves
as the company of
choice for large German
multinationals.”
Crystal Interactive offers smart badges, which can connect
delegates digitally at the press of a button. Bottom right, Chris
Elmitt MD
What is your strategy for
international expansion?
During the last few years we had always
planned to expand our offering into
different territories, but following the
acquisition of IML Interactive UK
Limited in 2017, we concentrated on
consolidating our UK business.
The uncertainty around Brexit
brought forward our European
expansion plans, as we moved to mitigate
the risks to the business due to potential
changes in market conditions. Germany
is one of the world’s largest events
markets, so it made good sense to make it
our first base outside of the UK.
We will continue to look at further
expansion opportunities, and are
confident our products and services have
global appeal. Our intention is to expand
into new territories on an 18-24 month
cycle. Our experienced team will
continue to provide worldwide support to
our clients from our UK Head Office.
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CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD
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How does the German market differ
from the UK market, and how do you
plan to target it?
We have worked with German
companies and at German venues since
our inception so in that regard, we are
comfortable with our knowledge of the
market and have some very valuable
connections and business associates in
Germany.
Of course, there are cultural nuances
that we need to be aware of, but we hope
to smooth this process through the
hiring of locally-based, experienced and
skilled event professionals.
We aim to continue with our UK
strategy of forging strong alliances with
agencies, as well as positioning ourselves
as the company of choice for large
German multinationals. We believe the
large Messe market in Germany is a
perfect fit for our technology, and we will
focus our efforts here.
ISSUE 101
What is the most important piece of
advice you would give to growing
event tech companies?
The event technology business is a
crowded marketplace, with many
companies fighting for space. We believe
customer service and loyalty is crucial.
Taking the pressure off event organisers
and giving them complete peace of mind,
in what can be an intensely stressful
environment, adds great value and is key
to ensuring repeat business.
Too many companies offer the
technology but not enough support to go
with it, which can leave the event
organiser frustrated and stressed. For a
growing event
technology business,
nurturing your client
and understanding
their needs around
events is a sound piece
of advice!