The first thing you notice is the clever devices used to draw you in. Westpac has an aboriginal artist painting canvases at the entrance to its booth. Deutsche Bank has round-the-clock masseuses giving head and shoulder rubs, while Sterling Commerce has a mind-reader extracting personal information from unsuspecting passers-by. Then your eye is drawn to some of the more obscure design concepts, like the fish tank in the Murex stand, the grass growing under the floor at China Systems, and the white-fringe apron framing the American Express booth like the tassels on a Cotton Club dancerÆs dress.
The over-riding theme this year is entertainment and relaxation with most exhibitors choosing a lounge-style atmosphere for their booths. And the refreshments have stepped up a notch with DST International offering ice cream in a cup and Sberbank serving champagne and pretzels at 11am.
But the standard booth inclusion this year seems to be an espresso machine turning out coffees to order. By day two of the conference, delegates have worked out who is serving the best brew and we got at least two votes for the coffee at UniCredito.
SmartStream Technologies has taken the cafT theme to the extreme with natural timber walls, cloth-covered lampshades and bistro-style wire chairs. ôWith 100 pre-booked meetings scheduled to take place at the booth, we wanted it to be an inviting environment where people could relax,ö says the companyÆs marketing director, Alastair McGill, explaining the philosophy behind his creation. ôWhen you are coming up with the design, itÆs tempting to keep adding things, kind of like you would when you are building or renovating your own home. But we have a budget and we have to stick to it.ö
A lot of thought and time goes into perfecting a booth. Preeti Saini, regional marketing manager for Misys Banking Systems, says she forms a steering committee about eight months out from the Sibos event. The committee consists of at least four company executives who decide on the companyÆs overall Sibos strategy including the layout of the booth. ôWe talk about the mood we want to create and what message we want to get across and then we get some designers to produce a few concepts,ö Saini says. She picks the best of the concepts and gets the steering committee to sign off on it. ôItÆs been really satisfying seeing the booth come together. You have to make a lot of tough decisions along the way, and many of them blindly, so itÆs nice to see it in action.ö
For many exhibitors, the success of a booth depends on how many people are drawn to it. ôThrough traffic is very important so we like to be in the centre of things,ö says Thomas DuCharme, regional head of cash and trade for corporates in Asia for Deutsche Bank, which gets full marks this year for sticking to the corporate colours. ôItÆs all about real estate and location,ö he says, drawing another home ownerÆs analogy. The bank is guaranteeing the through-put of delegates with its giant spinning logo which acts like a revolving door and sweeps delegates out when theyÆve been in the booth too long.
ItÆs interesting to see how the real estate is laid out at this yearÆs Sibos. The big global banks seem to be huddled together in the middle of the hall, with the technology vendors congregating in the side aisles and the smaller banks scattered about. SWIFTÆs acre-size booth sits at the head of the table like the father of the bride.
So what is it that attracts a delegate to a booth? Is it the modern furniture, the sleek designs, the clever giveaways, or the free refreshments. No, not according to the delegates we spoke to. ôThe most important thing is a welcoming open plan that beckons you in,ö says Daniel Krebs of Swiss Post. ôSome of the booths have step-up platforms and closed walls that arenÆt very approachable.ö
His sentiments are echoed by Jan Peterson of SimCorp who is visiting Sibos to look for technology partners. ôItÆs surprising, but you can often stand in front of a booth for several minutes before you are approached by someone. The people arenÆt always forthcoming.ö
Krebs is also more admiring of exhibitors that show restraint in the flashy features of their booths. ôThe booths should be modern and well presented but they shouldnÆt be excessive. No client likes to see a bank spending their money in the wrong way.ö
Krebs might be interested to know what happens to these enormous structures at the end of the week. In most cases, the rented furniture is returned and the lighter items like giveaways and banners are packed up and sent home, but the rest is usually dumped. ôWe try to hang on to expensive items like the toughened glass that forms the walls of our meeting rooms, but unfortunately it is too expensive to ship the rest of it, so I am afraid to say it gets thrown out,ö says one exhibitor.
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