Confex, Exhibiting Show, the Event Show, Event UK. The UK has four shows catering for the meetings, conference and events industry already, yet at Earl’s Court on 25-26 June, londonlaunch LIVE 2008 will try to convince us that there is room for another.

EVENTS:review asked Helen Woodbridge, head of UK marketing at the exhibition's organiser easyFairs, what makes londonlaunch LIVE so different?

“It’s all about low cost and low hassle for exhibitors,” she answered. “The companies that are exhibiting all get the same shell scheme package. This can cost as little as £1,750 or £1,500 for londonlaunch members.”

This creates a highly cost effective level playing field that Woodbridge claims will attract companies that can’t afford to exhibit at the other events industry shows. And the reason she’s so convinced it will work is because easyFairs has been successfully rolling out this format for several years at 130 exhibitions in Europe and South America.

The show is designed to be a live version of the events industry online database londonlaunch, which contains key contacts for meetings planners and events organisers, covering London-based venues, catering, entertainment, staffing and displays. So another differentiating factor for londonlaunch LIVE is the fact that all exhibitors will be located within the M25. This means that it’s expressly aimed at those who wish to hold events in the UK capital. Essentially, if you want to hold an event in London, then, according to easyFairs, londonlaunch LIVE is the place to make direct contact with the people who have the expertise to help you do just that.

But there’s more to attract visitors than simply the exhibitors. There will be one-to-one clinics for advice on making events more eco-friendly and sustainable. “This was a key issue, along with cost, that came out of our focus group research when planning the show,” explained Woodbridge.

Visitors can also attend seminars on organising the perfect event – from designing nutritional menus, to saving money on hospitality programmes. What’s more, there’ll be Celebrity Chef LIVE – an interactive demonstration area with appearances from guaranteed big names in the culinary world.

However, perhaps the key move of organisers easyFairs was to co-locate londonlaunch LIVE with Exhibiting Show, already a proven draw for the events industry, now in its second year at Earl’s Court.

Although it may seem like a long shot to many, easyFairs is convinced its variation on an events industry exhibition theme will be a success, especially with the buzz surrounding the London 2012 Olympics, which will only become more intense as the Games approach.

For more information, visit www.easyfairs.com/londonlaunchlive