After years of being a valued part of Childcare & Education Expo, Bob and Mary from Outside Classroom Boards are retiring. As one of our longest-standing exhibitors, they’ve been with us since 2011. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Bob at Childcare & Education Expo London to reflect on his journey, his experiences and what he’ll miss most about exhibiting with us.
Looking back at your time exhibiting with us, what have been some of your most memorable experiences?
Bob: Well, the most memorable experiences, of course, are the evenings where you give us free drinks! Other than that, we have to say that almost every show that we've done with you guys has been the best show of the year that we've done with any team in the UK. So for us, every show has its highlights.
And how has your business evolved over the years, and how has exhibiting at our show contributed to that?
Bob: Over the years, our business has expanded just simply by coming, meeting people and interacting with them and learning what they want. When we discuss products in front of them at the show, we learn what it is they need and then we can bring that next time, and that's helped us to expand our range sideways quite heavily. And we've just built a business on the back of your exhibitions, so good for us, good for you.
What will you miss most about being part of the event?
Bob: That's a difficult one because we're looking forward to a new life elsewhere. So, missing it is hard. But the camaraderie. I think of coming together with people that you only meet once or twice a year, either exhibitors or customers, and just getting feedback and enjoying time together and understanding each other's needs and wants and problems. Yeah, those are the things that just make the show really rock for us. And of course, if we put some money in the bank while we're doing it, well, that's great.
Any final thoughts or words of advice for future exhibitors?
Bob: You have to get involved. Your expectations don’t need to be too high - you need to feel your way through this business of exhibiting. There’s no doubt that Broadway Events has got a great team. I think it's the teamwork that makes the difference. We see other event organisers who don’t seem to have the same cohesive team. You guys just seem to be one team, not lots of individuals.
That makes a massive difference because you’re always there, facing the customers. No matter what problems we've got, you're not running away - you try to help us solve them. I know that's not always possible, but just being there really makes a difference. You're the only team we really see from the start of the exhibition to the time we all go home, and that's pretty rare. So yeah, just get involved. It’s worth it.
We can’t thank Bob and Mary enough for being such a fantastic part of the Childcare & Education Expo family. It won’t be the same without you! Wishing you all the best in this exciting new chapter.
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