IFSEC is one of the UBM’s oldest shows, focused on the global physical security market. IFSEC had matured with the market, however, due to fundamental market changes, was expected to experience a steady decline year-on year unless it could adapt. In order to change, UBM asked Comotion to build a sustainable growth strategy that could be implemented over 3 – 5 years in order to reinvigorate and reimagine the current format.

The initial stage of work was to help IFSEC understand the changing market dynamics, highlighting key opportunities and threats. We then focus on understanding the exhibition’s various customer types, validate their different needs and look at the changes in the security market through the lenses of the customers to help IFSEC understand it place within the market.

These outputs were used to build an overall strategic direction, driven by a manifesto for IFSEC which established that security is the most critical challenge in the world and IFSEC has the opportunity to become the place where the stakeholders forge the global agenda. We finished the program by building an overall roadmap for transformation, along with milestones, metrics and a detailed business case.

The process helped the IFSEC team realise what the customers truly needed, which in turn was integral to developing the specifics of the new strategy. A key outcome was the realisation that IFSEC’s ambition was not only to produce a profitable show but to become innovative, informative and transformational partner for the security industry. IFSEC moved from being an advertiser to being an educator. The team now sees the show, and the brand purpose, in a different light.