PARIS — Some new wrinkles in trade show admission policy will be evident at the upcoming Premiere Vision fabric fair here this fall.
As reported, the show announced in April that it was instituting admission fees, and furthermore, buyers who buy a lot would be so identified as Very Important Buyers right on their name tags.
Now, some more changes have been made. Buyers turning up at the next edition — which will be held Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at the Parc des Expositions, Paris-Nord — will still have to pay to get into Premiere Vision, but their status won’t be immediately visible as they walk around the fair. The VIB designation won’t be printed on their name tags, but it will be included on a bar code on the badges.
The bar codes contain a lot of other information as well about the wearer. For example, it will state what kind of business the buyer is in and company title.
Premiere Vision has previously used this information for its own general statistics gathering. But as an additional service to exhibitors, each stand will be equipped with a bar code reader to enable them to identify the persons entering their booth. At the end of the show, the exhibitors will be provided with complete printout of all those entering their booths and their backgrounds.
As the revised policy now stands, preregistered buyers will prepay an admission fee of 150 francs — or about $27. To preregister as buyers, they will have to show invoices for at least 50,000 francs — or about $8,900 worth of goods — purchased from Premiere Vision exhibitors during the past year.
Within the preregistered buyers will be those designated as VIBs. The roster of VIBs will be compiled from information submitted by exhibitors, listing their top 15 clients. They will enjoy special privileges, such as entry to a VIB Club room, although this room is not expected to be ready by this fall.
Other general buyers and visitors — registering at the door — will pay an admission fee of 200 francs — or about $36. Students and press will be admitted free. Cyril Xuereb, press manager for Premiere Vision, said the visible VIB designation has been dropped from the badges because of objections from exhibitors who didn’t want to advertise their best customers to the world at large.
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As for the entry fees, though, Xuereb noted that the organizers and its representatives abroad have had little, if any, resistance.
“I, myself, have only received one phone call objecting to them,” he said.
Last March, some 45,000 people attended Premiere Vision. This fall, organizers are hoping to have at least the same number, said Xuereb.