Online Information 2006 – first view from Olympia

The first thing that strikes you about this year's Online Information Show at Olympia is just how big the brand new IMS Show is. Taking up over a quarter of the floor space in the main hall, this "sister" show has put down a solid marker and looks destined to grow rapidly in future years.

The biggest stands have been taken by some well-known names in content management, EDRMS and enterprise search. These include EMC, Immediacy, Vyre, Contensis, Goss, EIBS and Magpie. Click on the image at left to see a fullsize photo of the hall.

The OI Show's big hitters were all here again – Springer, Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer, Thomson and Proquest making among the strongest impressions. But there was little in the way of excitement on the stands – have the marketing departments in these firms really got no new ideas?

Both Blackwell Publishing and John Wiley were here, but on separate stands – maybe next year the fact that their impending merger will create a much more significant force in the market will be more visually evident.

The show – the biggest for information professionals outside the US - continues through Wednesday and Thursday this week.