Three days of face-to-face engagement and accelerated sales cycles during a record-setting EXHIBITOR2013 show bodes well for the tradeshow industry this year.
EXHIBITOR has been ranked the top tradeshow in the United States for net-buying influence among attendees, according to research conducted by Exhibit Surveys. About 98 percent of those who attended the EXHIBITOR show last had the power to specify, recommend or make final purchasing decisions within their organizations, according to Exhibit Surveys. And some 61 percent indicated they would make a purchase within 12 months of the 2012 show.
“These percentages are well ahead of the averages for all tradeshows,” said Lee Knight, CEO, EXHIBITOR Media Group. “Over the last 10 years, the profile of EXHIBITOR attendees has consistently ranked us among the top shows who have qualified decision-makers with buying power.”
More than 275 exhibitors occupied about 65,000 square feet of exhibit space at the
Mandalay bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, making the 2013 show the event’s largest during its 25-year history. Some 219 exhibitors took up more than 52,000 square feet of exhibit space last year. And educational programs topped 200 this year, making EXHIBITOR as critical for career success as it is sales success.
“It’s a great show to be in. I’m impressed by the amount of people who have stopped by and shown interest,” said Brandon Watson, owner and president, Streamline Show Services. “We hope to be back next year.”
Watson’s company is new to the tradeshow industry and was nominated for the new product showcase for its unique “Show, Stack, Ship” display system that doubles as a crate system for product transportation. The system eliminates the need to store crates and other moving materials while a tradeshow is in progress and enables quicker exit times after a show ends, saving on labor and drayage costs.
Although not new to EXHIBITOR, Reality Engineering made its return several years after going on a tradeshow hiatus at the start of the recent economic meltdown that crippled many industries. But with economic conditions improved at least slightly, a return to the tradeshow floor was in order to promote its new products for lead retrieval, business card capture technology and other services.
“We have so many new products to offer our industry,” said Shayna Metzner, account executive, Reality Engineering. “People more than ever need to measure their events – especially tradeshows. You need to qualify the leads you are getting.”
Participating in EXHIBITOR was the best way for Reality Engineering to introduce its new products and accelerate the sales cycle.
“It’s an excellent show and a really good turnout. We are seeing a lot of traffic, even on the last day,” said Metzner. “We got a booth right up front next year.”
Among other returning exhibitors was Expand International, which has been at EXHIBITOR for more than a decade and found the business pace to be brisk this year.
“The quality of leads seems to be better this year. There are fewer tire-kickers,” said Ed Fedorowich, marketing manager, Expand International. “We are seeing way more qualified leads, and the people coming to our booth know who we are. We’re going to be here again next year in the same spot.”
Another returning exhibitor was New York-based ExpoLinc, which was participating in its eighth EXHIBITOR event and was featuring its new panel base and magnet frame for banners and signage.
“This has been an exciting show for us. We’re seeing a lot of new people this year,” said Jan Firszt, national sales manager, ExpoLinc.
Exhibitors from all 50 states as well as Canada participated, but the international presence reflected the increasingly global nature of the tradeshow industry with exhibitors and attendess coming from 40 nations.
“We are especially pleased with the international contingent,” said Carol Fojtik, senior vice president, Hall-Erickson, the event’s management company. “The international exhibitors are telling us they are coming to connect with U.S. exhibitors both to find outlets in America and to help U.S. companies expand their overseas business.”
EXHIBITOR2013 ran from March 17 through March 21 and is slated to return to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center again next year. Its apparent success bodes well for the tradeshow industry, which generally matches the pace and tone of the EXHIBITOR show throughout the year. And that means lots of qualified business leads and shortened sales cycles likely are in store for exhibitors.
