Last week I attended the trio of shows at London’s Excel – IP EXPO, Data Centre EXPO and the new section, Cyber Security EXPO. As a first time attendee of the show I was pleasantly surprised. The venue was fantastic – all be it quite far away – and there was a great buzz in all three halls.
There was a fantastic selection of keynotes and seminars, with some really big names on the agenda including Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Mikko Hypponen and Bruce Schneier. As I passed some of the many theatres, most were standing room only.
Speaking to organisations exhibiting at the shows, the general consensus was that it was a great event. The first day, as tends to often be the case, was much busier with around 9,000 visitors through the doors. The second day was notably quieter but all the exhibitors I spoke to were still very impressed with the quality of visitor to the show.
After Infosecurity Europe back in April, I had heard many companies say that, although there was a lot of people through the door, the quality was low. Some vendors received as many as 800 leads, but said that of those a very small percentage were of a high quality. The reverse was said at IP EXPO. All of the vendors I spoke to said that, despite the footfall being lower, the quality of leads was much higher with the visitors being of real interest rather than just a large amount of students and those looking for the coolest freebies.
IP EXPO had a lot to prove this year, especially with the added Cyber Security EXPO hall, but from my experience, and listening to those to whom it really matters, they certainly have secured their place as being a worthwhile show to attend in the UK.
By Lara Lackie
