Mobile Commerce World 2003 was a great success on all fronts. Exhibitor, conference and delegate numbers were up. A sure sign that confidence is returning to the market, and that the concept and positioning of the event is in line with industry needs.

The conference, which was split into 4 separate tracks to provide delegates with greater choice, flexibility and specialised knowledge, has received the overwhelming endorsement of those that attended. Delegates remarked that the quality of the content and speakers on the whole, matched or exceeded their expectations. Speakers echoed these sentiments, commenting on the consistently high quality of the presentations, and the willingness of the audience to interact and ask questions. All of the conference tracks were well attended by a senior level audience.

It is the quality and interactive nature of the Mobile Commerce World conference, coupled with the seniority of delegates that sets it apart from the competition.

The exhibition, true to form attracted a diverse range of industries and executive levels. The structure of the event and the corresponding marketing campaign delivered high level buyers involved in the mobile content and payments space, ie mobile operators, media and content owners and technology enablers, as well as enterprise end users sourcing wireless solutions. This was in-line with expectations, and benefited exhibitors wanting to engage directly with decision makers.

The free on-floor educational seminars were a big hit, with the rooms packed out for the duration of the event. This was an important added value item for all sponsors and exhibitors wanting to promote their expertise and solutions to a pre-qualified audience.

Our global marketing campaign utilised a number of delivery channels. This included a massive direct mail strategy, advertisements and inserts in industry publications, email shots and year round promotion on our industry leading portal MobileCommerceWorld.com. This ensured the highest possible profile for the show, the sponsors and exhibitors. The supporting PR campaign also delivered the goods, with a large number of European press in attendance. This resulted in numerous interviews for sponsor and exhibitor representatives, which in turn will lead to column inches in various publications.

The World's Smallest Film Festival (WSFF) also proved a big draw card to the exhibition. The awards coupled with interactive demonstrations as mobile content creation and delivery drew a lot of interest from big corporate brand names, media agencies, post production companies and the like. The WSFF will be a regular feature at Mobile Commerce World and is expected to be a bigger and slicker event in 2004.

In summary, Mobile Commerce World 2003 was a great success. It continued the trend set by the 2002 edition, delivering a high quality platform for knowledge sharing and customer acquisition. The conference, exhibition and marketing campaign all worked effectively, ensuring sponsors and exhibitors achieved maximum value from their involvement.