What makes the IFES network so special?

South African-based exhibition and events company, Scan Display, recently outsourced the building of an exhibition stand for its client, African financial services provider, ABSA Corporate and Investment Bank, to a fellow IFES member. The stand was built by CVS Creative Visual Solutions for Sibos 2023 at Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC).

Scan Display’s Managing Director, Justin Hawes, says that the client was very happy with the stand: “It was a pleasure to work with CVS and we felt confident, knowing that the stand would be beautifully built and completed on time for our client. When we partner with our IFES colleagues on projects abroad, we know that they are reliable and will do a good job.”

I had the opportunity to work with IFES member Swift Corporation for a 130sqm custom made booth at the Delhi Book Fair in February 2023. It was a very nice experience; I had a qualitative contact with Sanjay and his team for the building of the booth. The challenge was to choose a local partner to support the short circuit and local jobs.  Thanks a lot for your work and assistance I would love to come back again !

I had a last minute stand request from a client for IAA Transportation Expo in Hanover, which included supply of carpet, build of back wall with storage and hanging sign, which I needed assistance with. Less than a minute after putting my request out to the IFES global network, my colleague Philippe Beille offered support and a few hours and phone calls later, we had a solution.

Less than two weeks later, when IAA opened its doors to the press, our client had a shiny new stand to work at. Thank you so much to Philippe and your team.

“It was our pleasure to assist and happy to hear that your client is happy with what was delivered. The more we collaborate, the stronger we are. Viva IFES!”
Philippe Beille, Duo Display, France

For Holtmann+ IFES is by far more than just another business and knowledge platform. IFES is the only networking organisation which is completely committed to the business associated with exhibit designers and providers of tradeshow services. IFES knows about the corresponding needs of our industry and is guaranteed to look out for its specific needs and interests..

IFES offers an international playground and brings together like-minded entrepreneurs, businesses and individuals. It generates the basis for honest, open and holistic partnerships and collaborations around the world. Being a part of the IFES family enables Holtmann+ to easily find a reliable partner in every continent, giving us the opportunity to serve every client we want with what they want, far beyond borders.

Scan Display was the first African company to become a member of IFES when we joined the association in 2007. We have benefited from IFES’ international network, as we regularly assist fellow IFES members with their projects on the African continent and contract IFES members to assist with our overseas projects.

The sharing of knowledge and the collaboration that IFES membership provides is invaluable.

We are so glad that the World Summit 22 was able to take place again so that we could meet again personally. Because in IFES it’s all about the trust and confidence we have in each other. You have to know each other before you pass on a project to a partner in an overseas market. And partnering is a crucial task if we want to be more sustainable in our industry. And sustainability needs collaboration, exchange of ideas and experience – that is global networking – that is IFES!

We have had many excellent experiences of collaboration, with our company in Germany giving work to colleagues in the US, Canada, Japan and Singapore.

For me, IFES really is a second family of like-minded individuals. There is always someone you can go to for advice, help or just to talk to.

The other benefit our company has always had, are the many business relationships we have gained through IFES and the resultant business we have acquired since joining.

During my first IFES event in Amsterdam, I can only say that it is a true family who gave me an extremely warm welcome. The network opportunities are unique and unprecedented. Moreover, we collected insight into various topics we can apply directly to our organization.

I am happy to say that I am a proud IFES member.

Especially after the last couple of years, the value of IFES virtually and physically meeting has been incalculable. In our disconnected realities, it was important to remain engaged. IFES does a great job with communications.

IFES is also unique in that it really feels like a collaborative, supportive community, without tribalism. The sharing of ideas and sense of community definitely makes it worth the cost.

I have been to all of the IFES meetings since roughly 2005. Each had its unique personality based on the local influence of the region. Education was my primary focus, followed by networking, but looking back I have also created lifelong friendships and adopted a family along the way!

The rewards dwarf the annual investment. The members are serious business planners with a diverse build mentality based on their regional norms. “Sharing is caring!” could be our new motto, just as we teach our children, except that we swap information rather than toys.

We like to get new partners and friends in B2B and B2C. Thanks to IFES we are now looking forward to being part of the “world-family”.

The passion for events motivates all our teams daily and this on its own is a good reason to be a part of IFES.

If you deal with challenges on your own, most likely you are only dealing with the problem.

Joining IFES will most likely mean that you become part of the solution, rather than the problem.

As a new member, I came to the IFES World Summit 22 with no expectations.

I am leaving with a large smile, new friends and so many new ideas.

Meeting colleagues from the industry face to face helps me gain the trust I need to contract local work with them in their regions.

This is something I specifically enjoy because it can help me and my clients to work more cost-efficiently and sustainably.

IFES is an international network of contacts between exhibition providers which you can rely on to supportyou with your projects wherever you are in the world. Through the IFES network, I connected witha partner in India who assisted me in the manufacture of an exhibition stand. I was also able to share contacts with a Spanish member during his build-up in France.

This is a network ofhigh-quality members who share a common desire to come together to improve our industry by building on our shared knowledge. We value the importance of exchanges, of shared experience, of collective intelligence and solidarity which we use to develop the exhibition industry more responsibly and with respect for each other.

After almost two decades of being part of the IFES family, I still firmly believe that amongst the most important moves I ever made was joining this association.

Friendships have evolved alongside my passion for working and growing awareness of our brand name all over the world, but most importantly, the business opportunities which have been provided both ways are unique. It is this uniqueness that makes IFES so beneficial for our members as we strive each time to make things easier to work amongst each other. Thanks to everyone involved for making all these years worth every euro spent.

I wish IFES everything of the best in the years to come.