RefTech's Big Move: Margaret Reeves on Expanding in the US

As RefTech moves forward with its expansion into the US, Exhibition World caught up with Managing Director Margaret Reeves to talk about their plans and new partnership with Realise.

Exhibition World (EW): Margaret, RefTech has been a leader in event registration and scanning solutions for quite some time. What made you decide that now is the right time to expand further into the US market?

Margaret Reeves (MR): We've been supporting events in the US for about ten years, but this expansion is about making our services more widely available and easier to access. Over the years, we've seen growing demand from both US-based organisers and organisers in the UK who are holding events in the US, so we decided it was time to scale up. We are now storing equipment in the USA for ease of use, and the partnership with Realise allows us to offer more competitive pricing and seamless onsite project management. All of this makes things much easier for our clients.

EW: What role does your partnership with Realise play in this expansion?

MR: Realise is absolutely key to making this work. When you're running large events, you need trusted onsite support to make sure everything runs smoothly. Our UK on-site team is fantastic at this, but in the USA the Realise team will handle the onsite logistics, essentially becoming part of the organiser's team. This frees up event organisers to focus on the event itself, knowing the registration side is in safe hands.

EW: How will this partnership help make RefTech's services more accessible and affordable for US organisers?

MR: By having Realise on the ground in the US, we can avoid the need to fly on-site teams in from the UK which can drive up costs. We also have equipment stored in the East Coast and ready to easily transport across the US, this brings the cost down, avoids shipping delays and transport breakages and makes it easier for organisers. Organisers will benefit from the same level of quality and security that we're known for in the UK.

EW: RefTech is known for its innovative technology. What specific systems will you be offering to the US market?

MR: Our core offerings won't change—we'll continue to provide registration, badging, and scanning systems, alongside appointment-setting software and real-time reporting tools. Our commitment to innovation has won us several industry awards, in fact we have just won the EN Supplier of the Year award for Registration and Ticketing for the third year running.

EW: What benefits do you think US organisers will see from using RefTech's solutions?

MR: US organisers will get a system that's secure, easy to use, and backed by strong onsite support. Ultimately, we want to make the registration process as simple and stress-free as possible so organisers can focus on delivering a great event.

EW: Looking ahead, what are your goals for this US expansion?

MR: Our aim is to become the go-to provider for event registration technology across the country. With Realise as our partner, we're confident we can achieve that. We'll continue focusing on innovation and delivering secure, user-friendly solutions that make life easier for event organisers.

EW: Thanks, Margaret, and best of luck with the expansion.

MR: Thank you, we're excited for what's ahead!