The Society of Independent Show Organizers or SISO will be having an executive summit of for-profit show producers and organizers who will be meeting in Kiawah Island, South Carolina from April 8-11, 2013. The convention will include representatives from a number of companies which manage, organize and produce large-scale shows, expos, conferences and conventions.
The SISO was started in 1990 by a dozen independent show organizers who wanted to get together to discuss changes in the industry and the differences between for-profit and not-for-profit production of expos. SISO now has a membership of over 150 members who produce nearly 3,000 major shows. The organization increasingly has more global members as well.
Exhibit design companies are among the members of the SISO who benefit from the professional networking, seminars, conferences and more that the SISO organizes. The executive summit which will be getting underway in about a week will feature a number of presentations that are focused on branding, promotion, content marketing, increased interactivity in exhibit design.
Many people have lauded the SISO and its conferences and summits for providing a good high-level overview of the trends happening the industry. The expos and shows that are produced by SISO members take advantage of all of this strategy and innovation to build the best expos. Exhibit design firms that want to know more about the trade show industry as a whole may be able to benefit from membership in SISO, or at least following some of the information coming out of the organization.
Keeping abreast of industry trends and changes is important for companies that are intimately involved in the industry, as any exhibit design firm should be. Knowing where the industry is going and keeping track of new innovations can help a design company to be more innovative in its own practices and design. Giving more attention to the larger industry trends also allows a design firm to more accurately network with other companies and organizations in the trade show industry. This means that design companies can provide better referrals and more well-rounded service that comes from a broader and more inclusive understanding of the industry.