The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) issued a new report, What Attendees Want from Trade Exhibitions. Results profiled in this report come from a new study that was originally conducted 10 years ago. It provides valuable up-to-date insights into what attendees are looking to achieve when they visit business-to-business exhibitions. Key findings include:
- Many attendees have dual agendas when they visit exhibitions, looking to serve both organizational and personal needs. Nearly the same percentages of attendees come to shop (69 percent) or learn (66 percent).
- The top-ranked important reasons for attending exhibitions is a blend of coming to see what is new and having a chance to interact with experts. The highest-importance scores are achieved for: see new technology, have the chance to talk to experts and gain industry insights.
- Exhibitions are doing well in meeting the needs of attendees, with more than a majority of attendees saying their top-ranked important needs are met. Additionally, there are areas of opportunity for exhibitors and organizers to further ramp up the value of exhibitions in meeting shopping needs as they relate to current problems and purchase decisions.
This study was conducted by Jeff Tanner, PhD, professor of marketing at Baylor University, and Nancy Drapeau, PRC, research director of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) using a panel of exhibition attendees provided by ResearchNow. “This study confirms the importance of exhibitions in organizational buying. While new channels of marketing communications seem to spring up every day, exhibitions continue to deliver value and meet the needs of today's business professional." The study was made possible by a grant from the CEIR Foundation and is available at www.ceir.org.