Thunderbird 1 Takes Off for London
Each year when I return home from the International Direct Marketing Fair (IDMF) in London, I’m happy to bring back news of the goings-on across the pond. I’m talking about important, heady stuff — like the then upcoming invasion of the Teletubbies, or fascinating facts about the Spice Girls. This year, I’m just thankful I didn’t bring back foot-and-mouth disease.
The sad epidemic (more than 700 cases as of this writing) was the top story throughout the United Kingdom. But at the IDMF, the issues at hand were more familiar to American DMers. Customer relationship management was the buzz du jour, and everyone was wondering how the dot-com world will shake out.
One big difference this year was the fair’s move from Wembley to the newly built ExCel center in London’s Docklands area. My first impression was that the venue seemed more American than Wembley, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint why. It’s large and airy, with white clean walls — a stark contrast to the dark and gray winding hallways of Wembley, which felt to this Yankee more English, like the ruins of a castle that had stood the test of time.
I soon realized what the change was: The air wasn’t as thick. ExCel, according to posted signs, was a no-smoking facility. Of course, soon after I observed this I saw people lighting up, but it was nice while it lasted. My dream of not sitting in a cloud of smoke while I’m eating my tuna sandwich at the fair continues.
Getting to ExCel, while simple in theory, proved difficult for many. The site is accessible by Docklands Light Rail, which connects to the London Underground. Congestion on the Jubilee Underground line delayed a number of attendees — myself included — on the second day of the show, traditionally the busiest. (A quick kudo to the London Transit System here: The announcements updating riders on the delay were actually understandable, a phenomenon I’ve never run into on any of the several U.S. transit systems I’ve been stuck on.)
Final combined attendance for the fair and its three concurrent sister shows — Marketing IT, New Media Marketing and TelecommercExpo — topped 12,000, according to Reed Exhibitions, the show’s organizers. This was the debut year for the IT and telecommerce events, and exhibitor reaction was mixed. Many expressed dismay at the light foot traffic in the new shows’ aisles, while others said the quality of the leads they generated well made up for the lack of passersby.
Last year, the expo attracted a record 14,000 visitors due to New Media Marketing’s rollout, capitalizing on the dot-com craze. This year, one could say the show’s attendance — like that of our own Direct Marketing Association’s net.marketing conference — had a bit more traditional English reserve.
Speaking of our DMA, this is a good place to note that it hosted its first European trade mission to coincide with the IDMF. Six companies participated in the trip, which will become an annual event, according to Charles A. Prescott, DMA vice president for international business development and government affairs.
Touring the exhibit hall floor was naturally part of the trade mission’s agenda. As usual, there were a number of eye-catching booths. One firm had a gaggle of Pink Ladies from “Grease,” while another offered the opportunity to be photographed with cardboard superhero stand-ups. Thanks more to jet lag than a belief in things mystical, I stood mystified by a magician at another firm’s booth (how did that coin appear in my hand?). At yet another stand, possessed by my inner 5-year-old, I got talked into posing for a photo wearing a “Thunderbirds” costume.
(“Thunderbirds” is a 1960s British children’s show about an elite military squad, produced in what I believe was called “Supermarionation.” Other than that, it defies explanation. If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean. I thought I had hallucinated it as a child until as an adult I finally met someone else who had seen the show. I felt such a bond over this I married that man.)
Perhaps many in the United Kingdom wish the “Thunderbirds” squad really did exist, so they could fight foot-and-mouth (how’s that for a transition?). In the thank-goodness-for-small-favors department, it looks like the epidemic won’t have any impact on our industry.
Prescott noted he thought the only direct marketers whose business might be affected would be those based near areas where there had been an outbreak.
Showing a bit of black humor, he added that for U.S. DMers, the outbreak could have been an opportunity if regulations were different: “It’s a pity Omaha Steaks couldn’t market beef in the U.K.”
BETH NEGUS VIVEIROS (Beth [email protected]) is executive editor of DIRECT. She walked over several disinfectant mats before writing this column, so feel free to let your livestock read this magazine.
