Tamar Manjavidze: "Exhibition Industry Marketing is Specific, Each Exhibition needs a Different Approach to Marketing Campaign Planning"
Interview with Tamar Manjavidze, Marketing Manager of Exhibition Center ExpoGeorgia
Tell us about how you got into the field of marketing, and what factors played an important role in choosing this profession?
I am a journalist by profession, and have worked in this field when I was a student. However, I soon realized that I wanted more creative work, one where I could better manage my knowledge and skills. So, I decided to change something in my life, pursued a Master's in public relations, started working in one of the marketing agencies, and studied the new profession extensively.
I haven't replaced one profession with another, but I have linked skills that I learned in journalism to help me with marketing - writing, communicating, and working in stressful situations.
Amidst technological changes, what challenges do you face?
Keeping up with technological changes is a must in our field. Today, social media is a major source of information for customers, and the environment is very competitive. The main challenge is to create content that stands out and attracts the attention of the user.
What has changed in the field in the last 5 years, and what changes are expected?
Technological changes affect marketing on a daily basis. For 5 years, the culture of information exchange between business and customers has changed. The experience of consumers has become much more interactive, and marketers have to keep up and stay up to date - exploring and using new channels and tools.
Obviously, digitalization will continue, and in my opinion, marketers will gradually shift to planning online campaigns most of the time.
What do you think are the most important qualities a marketing manager should have, and what is his or her role in the organization in general?
The marketing manager must understand the best interests and desires of the customer. She or he cares about the company’s image, and speaks on behalf of the company, which is a big responsibility. The marketing manager must be sociable, creative, organized and like a little bit of risk.
It is helpful for a marketer to be proficient in a related profession to communicate properly with his / her team members (designers, social media managers, developers, etc.)
What do you do to keep the organization from falling behind on the latest trends, and keep applying innovative approaches to marketing?
One of the main fields of ExpoGeorgia is industrial exhibitions.
Representatives of our company often visit large exhibitions in different countries, where they become acquainted with trends in the field and the new, innovative approaches that our team works on on a daily basis.
What's an organization's business model in marketing like? And how focused is it on the customer?
The exhibition industry marketing is specific and each exhibition needs a different marketing campaign planning.
The most important thing for us is to provide our customers with maximum comfort, help them grow their businesses, and be their reliable partners.
One word that describes your job.
Diverse - As we run more than 10 industry exhibitions a year, I might work on both construction and a wine exhibitions in a single day, which could be intense, but at the same time very exciting.
The most useful advice you’ve ever received in your life.
Listen to learn - I think it's very important to be able to hear what people say. In the modern world, feedback plays a crucial role in self-development. So I'm trying to take customers into consideration, in order to achieve better results.