1 00:00:03,790 --> 00:00:06,250 Sean Aylmer: Welcome to the Fear and Greed Daily Interview. I'm Sean 2 00:00:06,250 --> 00:00:09,740 Sean Aylmer: Aylmer. Many of us have enjoyed attending business expos from 3 00:00:09,740 --> 00:00:12,440 Sean Aylmer: time to time. You get to see special guests, experts, 4 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:16,010 Sean Aylmer: and speakers sharing information. You get to experience and examine 5 00:00:16,010 --> 00:00:19,210 Sean Aylmer: the products and professions that most interest you. And perhaps 6 00:00:19,210 --> 00:00:22,009 Sean Aylmer: even more importantly, you meet people that can help you 7 00:00:22,010 --> 00:00:24,790 Sean Aylmer: do your job better. Of course, behind all of that 8 00:00:24,790 --> 00:00:27,790 Sean Aylmer: expo experience is a business. And for those who do 9 00:00:27,790 --> 00:00:31,680 Sean Aylmer: it well, sometimes a very large business. In 2022 as 10 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:35,229 Sean Aylmer: the world progressively pushes the restrictions of COVID away, I 11 00:00:35,229 --> 00:00:38,159 Sean Aylmer: wanted to hear more about the business model of exhibitions 12 00:00:38,250 --> 00:00:41,360 Sean Aylmer: or expos, how they fared during COVID and how they're 13 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,510 Sean Aylmer: positioned for the future? Craig Macfarlane is the managing director 14 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,600 Sean Aylmer: of Terrapinn Australia, which is putting on the Accounting Business 15 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:51,290 Sean Aylmer: Expo in Sydney, starting tomorrow. Fear and Greed is a 16 00:00:51,290 --> 00:00:54,640 Sean Aylmer: partner of the expo. Craig, welcome to Fear and Greed. 17 00:00:55,260 --> 00:00:55,390 Craig Macfarlane: Thank you. 18 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:00,070 Sean Aylmer: So in short, how did you manage COVID? 19 00:01:01,050 --> 00:01:04,240 Craig Macfarlane: Hmm. That's a difficult one. Well, for a business like 20 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,840 Craig Macfarlane: ours, I mean, we were really badly impacted. We run 21 00:01:08,090 --> 00:01:10,700 Craig Macfarlane: lots of different shows and for some of our shows, 22 00:01:10,700 --> 00:01:14,060 Craig Macfarlane: it was more difficult than others because we were about 23 00:01:14,060 --> 00:01:17,459 Craig Macfarlane: to run those shows when COVID hit. So a couple 24 00:01:17,459 --> 00:01:20,729 Craig Macfarlane: of shows where we were closed down, it wasn't us, 25 00:01:20,730 --> 00:01:24,360 Craig Macfarlane: it was the venue was basically closed down just one 26 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:26,050 Craig Macfarlane: week before the show was due to run. So you 27 00:01:26,050 --> 00:01:29,450 Craig Macfarlane: can imagine we've already done all the marketing. It takes 28 00:01:29,450 --> 00:01:31,819 Craig Macfarlane: us a year to organize an event. So we've got 29 00:01:31,819 --> 00:01:34,550 Craig Macfarlane: our staff organizing everything, making all the sales, all the 30 00:01:34,550 --> 00:01:38,479 Craig Macfarlane: marketing for the whole year. The venue's been paid, the 31 00:01:38,810 --> 00:01:42,860 Craig Macfarlane: audiovisuals has been paid, everything's been ordered and then suddenly 32 00:01:42,860 --> 00:01:44,899 Craig Macfarlane: just can't use the venue and everybody has to go 33 00:01:44,900 --> 00:01:47,680 Craig Macfarlane: home. So it was a disaster. We didn't really know 34 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,240 Craig Macfarlane: how long COVID would last. So our initial reaction was 35 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:53,480 Craig Macfarlane: just to put everything on ice for about three months 36 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,370 Craig Macfarlane: and then ask everybody to be patient and hang on 37 00:01:56,370 --> 00:01:58,770 Craig Macfarlane: till we decided what to do. So the beginning, the 38 00:01:58,770 --> 00:02:01,500 Craig Macfarlane: first three months was actually fine. Because everybody said, they'd 39 00:02:01,500 --> 00:02:04,470 Craig Macfarlane: wait those three months. But after three months, we then 40 00:02:04,470 --> 00:02:06,550 Craig Macfarlane: didn't know how long it would take. And we sort of 41 00:02:06,980 --> 00:02:10,160 Craig Macfarlane: postponed everything by about another six months or so. But 42 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:14,180 Craig Macfarlane: eventually, we had to run our events. Everything's been organized, 43 00:02:14,180 --> 00:02:16,100 Craig Macfarlane: as I said, we've got all these speakers, all these 44 00:02:16,100 --> 00:02:20,740 Craig Macfarlane: exhibitors, thousands of attendees. So our next step was to 45 00:02:20,740 --> 00:02:24,420 Craig Macfarlane: try and run all of our events as virtual events. We spent 46 00:02:24,450 --> 00:02:27,240 Craig Macfarlane: months and months and a lot of money and investigation to 47 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,329 Craig Macfarlane: try to find some good software. And we found a 48 00:02:30,330 --> 00:02:34,450 Craig Macfarlane: platform called Swapcard. I think it worked really, really well 49 00:02:34,450 --> 00:02:37,910 Craig Macfarlane: for online events. This enabled us to have the conference 50 00:02:37,980 --> 00:02:42,670 Craig Macfarlane: and the trade show alongside. Mixed reviews, to be honest, 51 00:02:42,690 --> 00:02:46,580 Craig Macfarlane: our delegate numbers went up. Some of our events were 52 00:02:46,580 --> 00:02:51,019 Craig Macfarlane: having about 10,000 attendees. These events went up to 15 or 16, 53 00:02:51,020 --> 00:02:56,619 Craig Macfarlane: 000 attendees, so massive increases in numbers. But the exhibitors 54 00:02:56,620 --> 00:02:59,850 Craig Macfarlane: didn't get that same feeling. So on the conference side, 55 00:03:00,230 --> 00:03:03,780 Craig Macfarlane: the speakers could speak and attendees could learn and they 56 00:03:03,780 --> 00:03:06,630 Craig Macfarlane: enjoyed it. The numbers went up, but, on the exhibition 57 00:03:06,630 --> 00:03:10,570 Craig Macfarlane: side, it was more difficult. Most exhibitors, just it didn't 58 00:03:10,570 --> 00:03:12,770 Craig Macfarlane: get the same interaction you can imagine, they don't get 59 00:03:12,770 --> 00:03:16,139 Craig Macfarlane: that face- to- face interaction. So for those companies, we 60 00:03:16,139 --> 00:03:18,220 Craig Macfarlane: had to come up with a plan and we had 61 00:03:18,220 --> 00:03:21,480 Craig Macfarlane: a mixture of plans. Some of them, they got involved 62 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,680 Craig Macfarlane: in the virtual, others rolled over their investment to the 63 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,460 Craig Macfarlane: following year. And there was a couple of companies that we 64 00:03:27,460 --> 00:03:30,280 Craig Macfarlane: just couldn't do anything for and we ended up having 65 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:31,790 Craig Macfarlane: to settle in some way. 66 00:03:31,790 --> 00:03:35,910 Sean Aylmer: So where are you up to now in terms of, 67 00:03:36,630 --> 00:03:40,220 Sean Aylmer: are most of those expos back on, or are people 68 00:03:40,220 --> 00:03:43,700 Sean Aylmer: still sticking to the virtual conferences? 69 00:03:44,100 --> 00:03:46,870 Craig Macfarlane: Oh, good question. We're about to run our first expo 70 00:03:47,210 --> 00:03:50,060 Craig Macfarlane: this week. So the last time we ran an event 71 00:03:50,060 --> 00:03:53,440 Craig Macfarlane: was November 2019. 72 00:03:53,530 --> 00:03:53,920 Sean Aylmer: Wow. 73 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,730 Craig Macfarlane: So very excited and nervous because our first event is 74 00:03:56,730 --> 00:03:57,610 Craig Macfarlane: running this week. 75 00:03:57,900 --> 00:03:59,700 Sean Aylmer: This is the Accounting Business Expo? 76 00:03:59,960 --> 00:04:03,600 Craig Macfarlane: Yes, the Accounting Business Expo, starting on Thursday. The numbers look great, 77 00:04:03,650 --> 00:04:06,230 Craig Macfarlane: people are excited to meet each other for the first 78 00:04:06,230 --> 00:04:08,260 Craig Macfarlane: time face- to- face again. But to be honest, from 79 00:04:08,260 --> 00:04:11,840 Craig Macfarlane: our side I obviously am nervous. We don't know how 80 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,470 Craig Macfarlane: many people will arrive on the day. It's a free 81 00:04:14,470 --> 00:04:18,130 Craig Macfarlane: event. And I'm hoping that everybody that's registered does put 82 00:04:18,130 --> 00:04:19,930 Craig Macfarlane: in the effort to arrive on the day. It should 83 00:04:19,930 --> 00:04:21,680 Craig Macfarlane: be great. I mean, people are going to the pubs. 84 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,300 Craig Macfarlane: People are going to the movies. People are back at 85 00:04:24,510 --> 00:04:28,390 Craig Macfarlane: other events. So I'm hoping they come back to business events. 86 00:04:28,700 --> 00:04:31,270 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. I mean, I'm sure they will. The thing about expos, I 87 00:04:31,270 --> 00:04:32,940 Sean Aylmer: suppose I didn't go to them for many years. And 88 00:04:32,940 --> 00:04:35,120 Sean Aylmer: then when I started going, I realized, one of the 89 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,420 Sean Aylmer: great benefits of expos is it takes you out of 90 00:04:38,420 --> 00:04:41,419 Sean Aylmer: your day- to- day job and you get to immerse 91 00:04:41,420 --> 00:04:45,070 Sean Aylmer: yourself in the subject that the expo is about. And 92 00:04:45,070 --> 00:04:49,260 Sean Aylmer: you're listening to people who are very smart about those 93 00:04:49,260 --> 00:04:53,900 Sean Aylmer: subjects. It kind of gives you great thinking time. I 94 00:04:53,900 --> 00:04:56,420 Sean Aylmer: think about expos, not that you do it every week, 95 00:04:56,420 --> 00:04:59,310 Sean Aylmer: but when you do go, you walk away just with 96 00:04:59,310 --> 00:05:04,099 Sean Aylmer: different views on the subject matter that you're thinking about. 97 00:05:04,100 --> 00:05:06,540 Sean Aylmer: And I often think it's the thinking time it gives 98 00:05:06,540 --> 00:05:07,580 Sean Aylmer: you more than anything else. 99 00:05:08,250 --> 00:05:11,779 Craig Macfarlane: Oh, definitely. I mean, I guess people sometimes don't even 100 00:05:11,779 --> 00:05:12,710 Craig Macfarlane: know what they don't know. 101 00:05:12,779 --> 00:05:13,020 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. 102 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:15,960 Craig Macfarlane: But you walk around an event like this, where there's 103 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:20,479 Craig Macfarlane: hundreds of solution providers, and you network with your customers 104 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,210 Craig Macfarlane: and your industry colleagues and friends. And it gives you 105 00:05:23,210 --> 00:05:25,920 Craig Macfarlane: time out, as you say, to think. And by the 106 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,060 Craig Macfarlane: end of it, well, I know for myself and people I've 107 00:05:29,060 --> 00:05:32,880 Craig Macfarlane: spoken to, you feel motivated, you found ideas and at 108 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:34,719 Craig Macfarlane: the beginning of the event, you don't even know what 109 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:38,790 Craig Macfarlane: you're looking for. But you walk away feeling inspired, I guess. 110 00:05:39,190 --> 00:05:41,150 Sean Aylmer: Stay with me, Craig. We'll be back in a minute. 111 00:05:47,420 --> 00:05:50,940 Sean Aylmer: My guest this morning is Craig Macfarlane, managing director of Terrapinn 112 00:05:51,070 --> 00:05:53,820 Sean Aylmer: Australia. I mean, you've been in this industry for 20 113 00:05:53,820 --> 00:05:58,370 Sean Aylmer: years or so. And let's talk about expos because you got one 114 00:05:58,370 --> 00:06:02,750 Sean Aylmer: on this week, starting tomorrow. What makes a great expo? 115 00:06:03,230 --> 00:06:06,310 Craig Macfarlane: I guess it's about matching the audience. We do a 116 00:06:06,310 --> 00:06:09,600 Craig Macfarlane: lot of marketing to target the right types of people. 117 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,599 Craig Macfarlane: And if you get enough of the same- minded people 118 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,380 Craig Macfarlane: in one place, it creates energy. So if you have 119 00:06:15,380 --> 00:06:19,990 Craig Macfarlane: a big audience, but also the right audience and people 120 00:06:19,990 --> 00:06:23,450 Craig Macfarlane: who are selling stuff and wanting to meet new customers 121 00:06:23,690 --> 00:06:26,820 Craig Macfarlane: meets the right people. And those people are looking for 122 00:06:26,820 --> 00:06:30,099 Craig Macfarlane: information, there's a lot of synergies and I think that's 123 00:06:30,100 --> 00:06:32,540 Craig Macfarlane: what makes it exciting. There's a certain amount of fun 124 00:06:32,540 --> 00:06:33,219 Craig Macfarlane: in it as well. 125 00:06:33,260 --> 00:06:33,870 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. Yeah. 126 00:06:34,370 --> 00:06:37,070 Craig Macfarlane: We have a drinks reception and there's a lot of 127 00:06:37,070 --> 00:06:41,539 Craig Macfarlane: networking and coffee drinking and excitement on site. And if you think 128 00:06:41,830 --> 00:06:45,110 Craig Macfarlane: about it, especially now after COVID, but even before COVID, 129 00:06:45,110 --> 00:06:47,860 Craig Macfarlane: there's not many times in the year where the whole 130 00:06:47,860 --> 00:06:50,810 Craig Macfarlane: industry gets together at one time under one roof and 131 00:06:51,260 --> 00:06:53,220 Craig Macfarlane: I think that's what makes it exciting. 132 00:06:53,529 --> 00:06:56,700 Sean Aylmer: Yeah. I mean, the best ones to me, you have obviously the 133 00:06:56,700 --> 00:06:59,050 Sean Aylmer: audience, but then you got so sponsors and exhibitors and 134 00:06:59,050 --> 00:07:02,330 Sean Aylmer: speakers and when they're all got some sort of simpatico 135 00:07:02,330 --> 00:07:06,100 Sean Aylmer: with each other, it's quite invigorating, I suppose, is the word. 136 00:07:06,410 --> 00:07:10,330 Craig Macfarlane: Yeah. It certainly is. Our type of events also, we're 137 00:07:10,330 --> 00:07:15,600 Craig Macfarlane: not aligned to any particular peak body or publication, or 138 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:20,270 Craig Macfarlane: we're not selling a particular message. Our events are neutral. 139 00:07:20,500 --> 00:07:24,330 Craig Macfarlane: And so, therefore, everybody's invited. I mean, one of the 140 00:07:24,330 --> 00:07:27,640 Craig Macfarlane: best expos I've been to is actually overseas the Consumer 141 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:32,450 Craig Macfarlane: Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which runs for, I don't 142 00:07:32,450 --> 00:07:35,150 Craig Macfarlane: know, a full week or something. You see it on 143 00:07:35,150 --> 00:07:39,100 Craig Macfarlane: the news every January. People travel from all over the world and it gets 144 00:07:39,260 --> 00:07:42,210 Craig Macfarlane: literally hundreds of thousands of people. And it's so big 145 00:07:42,210 --> 00:07:45,440 Craig Macfarlane: people have to drive in cars from hotel to hotel 146 00:07:45,650 --> 00:07:49,280 Craig Macfarlane: to visit everything. It's amazingly big and you see all 147 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,270 Craig Macfarlane: the new stuff that's coming out for the year. We don't 148 00:07:52,270 --> 00:07:55,570 Craig Macfarlane: have events that large in Australia, but the same sort 149 00:07:55,570 --> 00:07:58,740 Craig Macfarlane: of buzz, you do get in Australia. We've got some 150 00:07:58,740 --> 00:08:01,160 Craig Macfarlane: fantastic events in Australia. I'd like to think that we 151 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:02,690 Craig Macfarlane: organize some of those events. 152 00:08:02,910 --> 00:08:07,570 Sean Aylmer: Well, tell me about the event starting tomorrow, Thursday. So that's the Accounting 153 00:08:07,570 --> 00:08:10,360 Sean Aylmer: Business Expo the first one in two and a half 154 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:11,739 Sean Aylmer: years or so, you're saying. 155 00:08:12,090 --> 00:08:15,500 Craig Macfarlane: Yeah, I mean, this is the largest events of its 156 00:08:15,500 --> 00:08:19,230 Craig Macfarlane: type in Australia, and it's all about the fast- changing 157 00:08:19,230 --> 00:08:23,020 Craig Macfarlane: world of accounting and business and finance and money. The 158 00:08:23,020 --> 00:08:26,500 Craig Macfarlane: accounting sector, just like any other sector is undergoing change. 159 00:08:26,500 --> 00:08:31,230 Craig Macfarlane: Everything's moving to the cloud and digitization of everything. And 160 00:08:31,230 --> 00:08:35,320 Craig Macfarlane: accountants, either accountants that are working in businesses or accountants 161 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,400 Craig Macfarlane: that are working at accounting practices are looking for ways 162 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:42,140 Craig Macfarlane: to perform their jobs faster and more accurately. And I 163 00:08:42,140 --> 00:08:46,170 Craig Macfarlane: suppose more easily meet regulatory requirements, et cetera. And so 164 00:08:46,170 --> 00:08:48,609 Craig Macfarlane: this is the event to go to, to meet all 165 00:08:48,610 --> 00:08:51,390 Craig Macfarlane: the movers and shakers in this industry. But it's more 166 00:08:51,390 --> 00:08:54,250 Craig Macfarlane: than just accountants as well. It's also finance people and 167 00:08:54,250 --> 00:08:56,839 Craig Macfarlane: just business people in general, if you're a small business 168 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:01,120 Craig Macfarlane: owner or even a large business manager looking for ways 169 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,540 Craig Macfarlane: to improve your business, this is the place to go. 170 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,420 Craig Macfarlane: There's also this year, there's a lot of new information. 171 00:09:06,690 --> 00:09:08,500 Craig Macfarlane: When we put an event together, we do a lot 172 00:09:08,500 --> 00:09:10,990 Craig Macfarlane: of research on what the audience might want to hear. And 173 00:09:11,260 --> 00:09:15,600 Craig Macfarlane: this year there's a lot of information on cryptocurrencies and e- 174 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:19,140 Craig Macfarlane: invoicing. The ATO will be there for example, explaining the 175 00:09:19,140 --> 00:09:22,450 Craig Macfarlane: new rules around e- invoicing. And these are changes that 176 00:09:22,450 --> 00:09:24,980 Craig Macfarlane: all businesses need to know. And how would you find out 177 00:09:24,980 --> 00:09:26,900 Craig Macfarlane: the sort of information if you didn't go to an 178 00:09:26,900 --> 00:09:29,960 Craig Macfarlane: event like this, where you can ask experts questions and 179 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:31,610 Craig Macfarlane: get answers on the spot. 180 00:09:32,220 --> 00:09:35,020 Sean Aylmer: Oh. Well, good luck with the Accounting Business Expo. It's 181 00:09:35,020 --> 00:09:37,410 Sean Aylmer: in Sydney. Is that right? Starting tomorrow? 182 00:09:37,620 --> 00:09:41,670 Craig Macfarlane: Yes. Starts in Sydney with a nine o'clock start, I believe 183 00:09:41,670 --> 00:09:44,679 Craig Macfarlane: on Thursday. And runs all Thursday and Friday. 184 00:09:44,980 --> 00:09:46,990 Sean Aylmer: Fantastic. Well, good luck with it. And thank you, Craig, 185 00:09:46,990 --> 00:09:48,390 Sean Aylmer: for talking to Fear and Greed. 186 00:09:48,710 --> 00:09:49,050 Craig Macfarlane: Thank you. 187 00:09:49,050 --> 00:09:53,400 Sean Aylmer: That was Craig Macfarlane, managing director of Terrapinn Australia. This 188 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,440 Sean Aylmer: is the Fear and Greed Daily Interview. Join us every 189 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:58,110 Sean Aylmer: morning for the full episode of Fear and Greed, Australia's 190 00:09:58,110 --> 00:10:02,010 Sean Aylmer: most popular business podcast. I'm Sean Aylmer. Enjoy your day.