The fourth fact sheet released in the new study series reveals that attendance quality of an exhibition is the most prevalent factor driving the decision to exhibit (84 percent).
Study findings also uncover that favorable ROI (54 percent) and positive past performance (50 percent) are the next most common factors considered when deciding whether to participate in an event.
“Results to this study indicate that an exhibition’s reputation for delivering quality attendance is the most influential factor in persuading a company to exhibit,” said Nancy Drapeau, CEIR research director. “In a business climate where resources are scarce, exhibition organizers are wise to allocate some of these resources to audience acquisition and retention efforts. Bringing the right audience to exhibitors and the right content to attendees that keeps them coming back positions an event for stability and growth.”
On November 10, 2011, The Center for Exhibitions Industry Research (CEIR) announced the release of results from The 2011 Changing Environment of Exhibitions Study, which explores how the exhibition industry is evolving and provides key market insights on opportunities and threats.
Findings document the current and planned use of the full array of available marketing, communications and sales tactics; positioning of business-to-business exhibitions in this mix; current high priority marketing and sales objectives and perceived value of using business-to-business exhibitions to achieve them; as well as the factors that drive the decision to exhibit or pull out of an exhibition.
This document, Factors that Drive the Decision to Exhibit, is the fourth of 10 separate fact sheets that will be released with actionable suggestions on how organizers and exhibitors can use the results to enhance their business objectives.
CEIR’s online research library, available at www.ceir.org, offers industry professionals an array of tools to assist in the planning and marketing of exhibitions for organizers, exhibitors and suppliers. Industry trend data is also a trusted source for press, consultants and the financial community.
This initiative is funded by grants from the Exhibition Industry Research and the MPI Foundation, CEIR.
The data for this study was obtained from an online survey of marketing executives across industry sectors who are involved in marketing and promotions decisions, including deciding whether to exhibit at exhibitions. Target companies included those that exhibited in at least one business-to-business exhibition in the past two years. A total of 298 executives participated from a sample of 14,636, for a response rate of 2.1 percent.
