Good to have you back blogging again. Interesting write up about event co-location. I was actually part of an events team which basically created many of the ideas that are still be used or just now being used in the events industry – two of note were segmentation and co-location. Segmentation is nothing more than grouping companies in their specific industry niche within an event. At COMDEX back in the late 90′s when the show complaints about being too big were becoming too common we split the show floor into different technology segments and we were back then the first to do this. We were strategic about the technology segments or(or themes we would call them) that we choose and went with what was hot in the IT marketplace for that show cycle. I remember when IT security started to get real hot (like it still is) and shows like RSA Security were just a company and not the leading security event we had the entire North Hall of the LVCC labeled under the security and it worked out great. Seperate exhibit areas, seperate conference program – a basically a targeted and focuses approach within a huge general IT event.

You mention co-location which in my opinion is segmentation for the event managment companies but usually has no benefit for the attendee – it is same concept being strected to the point of event management companies just looking to run two events with the operational costs of 1 or 1 1/2 events but in many instances it does not make sense further than that.

As you know many of those decisions have been made to help struggling events or declining events generate more profit by reducing costs and co-locating with other events (usually owned by the same company)in the same venue.

That is for now as again I go into a long winded response.