Power Brokers | Master of ceremonies

Harvey Stockbridge is an addict. But rather than something more sinister, he says it's the rush of achievement from a well-executed event that “hooks you”.

As managing director of Australian Exhibitions & Conferences (AEC) – organiser of trade fairs Fashion Exposed, The Australian Shoe Fair, The Bags & Accessories Fair and high-end showcase Premiere, among others –  Stockbridge is no stranger to this sensation, but it's been a long love affair.

His event experience includes having previously worked at a magazine publishing company, before transferring to a large global exhibitions firm within the telecoms industry, followed by a stint at a mining resources events business.

Before taking on the full managing director position at AEC, Stockbridge also worked as joint managing director for AEC in 2010, along with the company's  founder Marie Kinsella, about the same time when publicly-owned conference company, Informa, first acquired an interest in AEC and its event portfolio.

He recalls registering an especially strong interest in AEC's premium fashion trade show Fashion Exposed at the time.

“Fashion Exposed stood at the pinnacle of AEC’s 14-strong event portfolio when I initially approached the owners about the possibility of acquiring the business [AEC]. It [Fashion Exposed] has all the successful elements we look for in a trade show – including strong industry support and unique ideas to bring buyers and sellers together,” he said.

Having originally relocated to Sydney, Australia in 2005 from London, Stockbridge was again required to move from Sydney to Melbourne in 2010 in order to take up to the role at AEC, once the takeover was completed 100 per cent late last year.

However, despite having to uproot to a new city, Stockbridge says the move and the management role at AEC have provided ample rewards.

“I’ve inherited an incredible team at AEC who have a wealth of experience and talent. My role is to ensure that all the 'road blocks' are removed to guarantee that we achieve excellence through this talent. In addition, I insist that we have clarity around our objectives and strategies to ensure that everyone understands what we’re working towards in the next three to five years and succeeds,” he says.

“But every time we close the doors on another successful event feels like the greatest achievement. That’s the addictive element of working in trade shows and exhibitions. It hooks you.”

In particular, Stockbridge believes AEC stalwart event Fashion Exposed has progressively evolved into a “more efficient and content-rich event for retailers” since inception.

This, in part is due to Stockbridge's dedication to learning the ropes of the fashion industry from the get-go.

“I always ensure I have an accurate barometer for each industry sector I operate in to enable my business to shape and adapt to where the industry is going. My first action relating to Fashion Exposed was to immerse myself into the business of fashion; to understand as many underlying trends as possible, listen to industry experts, and consult with industry bodies to ensure Fashion Exposed mirrored those trends and embraced changes. And I think many aspects of the initial vision for the fashion portfolio are already implemented on the show floor,” he says.

The evolution includes the rapid growth of the business seminar program for Fashion Exposed, due to market demand. In fact, Stockbridge says it has been “such a great success” of late that the August instalment this year will see the introduction of a seminar specifically designed for the footwear industry.

As part of this, guest speaker Sue Ellen Mackintosh-Dickson, CEO of popular fashion footwear brand Peep Toe will share her insights into the future of the industry.

AEC will also add a seminar series to the Premiere offering for the first time in Melbourne this month, following a successful trial event in Sydney earlier this year with a comprehensive line up of topics and speakers set for the August show.

However, despite these positive steps, Stockbridge admits that the fashion retail sector is struggling amid the current tough trading environment, and as a result he is being forced to 'reinvent the wheel' and overcome fresh challenges facing the fairs.

“At Fashion Exposed and Premiere, just like with all retailers and wholesalers right now in a changing market, we’re constantly trying to evolve our proposition to ensure that it’s relevant, cost-effective and delivers business outcomes. In simple terms, gone are the days where we measure Fashion Exposed or Premiere’s success based on total number of exhibitors or total metre-squared sales. To be the best show you don’t need to be the 'biggest ever' anymore,” he says.

Indeed, the rocky economy and the ensuing decline in retailer sentiment towards industry events, has recently led to the cancellation of AEC's 'Streetlab' fair – a new youth-culture concept which was set to debut in August.

Citing a “lack of industry support”,  Stockbridge was forced to cancel the event last month, despite having already secured a number of high-profile speakers for its first seminar line-up, including Leanne Follett from trend forecasting firm Scout and Ebay’s head of fashion Jo-Ann Hicks.

Another challenge currently preoccupying Sydney's event organisers, including AEC, is the impending closure of the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre (SCEC), which will shut down from 2013 to 2016, as the precinct undergoes a $1 billion makeover.

As recently reported in Ragtrader [July 2012], while the spring/summer component of Fashion Exposed has traditionally taken place at the SCEC, Stockbridge is currently in discussions with  Infrastructure NSW to secure a new location.

While sister event, Premiere, will remain at its present location at Moore Park, Hall of Industries,  Fashion Exposed will be forced to move to a new location – with sites in Moore Park, Homebush, Barangaroo, Rozelle Bay, and Glebe Island all under consideration.

“Right now the Australian exhibition industry is juggling incredible challenges with venue availability following the announcement of SCEC’s closure at the end of 2013. The biggest challenge is to ensure business continuity between now and 2017 while faced with this reduced venue availability – ensuring once again, all my events come out on top,” he says.

Yet, despite these hurdles looming ahead, Stockbridge is confident AEC's fashion event portfolio has a bright future ahead – as long as he manages to keep them relevant in today's turbulent landscape.

“I was taught a valuable lesson in the very early years of my publishing career that I apply to everything I do. You can’t assume the successful recipe you have today will be right for tomorrow’s business..

“The role of trade shows hasn’t changed, they are as vital a part of the buying cycle as ever, what has changed is how you deliver that trade show and the content you add to make it a 'must attend',  evolving year after year.”