Face-to-Face Report : June 2010

B-to-B Media Shows Improvement in First Quarter of 2010
Tradeshow revenue declined 8.4% vs. a 19.7% decline in Q1 2009

During the first quarter of 2010, tradeshow revenue was down 8.4% while print revenue was down 6.4%. In comparison to Q1 2009, the rate of decline of both tradeshow and print revenue has improved significantly (see chart below). After declining last year, digital revenue is up approximately 7.5%.

A parallel lagging indicator of recovery - net square feet - is still showing a decline. Although net square feet of exhibit space sold showed a decline of 6.2%, it is slowing from the 14.8% decline vs. year ago at the same time.

The CEIR Index reported that one of the leading indicators to look for in a recovery of the exhibition industry is professional attendees. First quarter data indicates a decrease of 0.2% over 2009, which is much less than the 1.5% decrease over the same period last year, as well as the year-end overall decrease of 4.1%. It is anticipated that improvement will continue through 2010.

Q1 REVENUE (in billions)

RATE OF DECLINE VS. YEAR AGO (Q1 2009 vs. Q1 2010)

About CEIR (Tradeshows):
For 30 years, CEIR has been highlighting the importance of exhibitions in today's business environment. Its goal is to promote the image, value and growth of exhibitions. This is accomplished through producing primary research studies that prove the effectiveness and efficiency of exhibitions as a marketing medium.

About Inquiry Management Systems (IMS) (Print):
With offices in Toronto, New York and London, IMS has served magazine publishing professionals since 1979. Over 1,400 magazine titles utilize its array of products that help sell additional pages of advertising, increase lead results for advertisers, and produce creative Web solutions.

Digital revenue sources are: ABM members, PricewaterhouseCoopers / IAB, eMarketer, and Outsell Inc.

Why Exhibitions Must Deliver More Value to Exhibitors in the Post-Recession World

Exhibit Surveys, Inc. President & CEO Jonathan Cox recently published a new white paper focusing on how show organizers can help educate exhibitors about the unique value components that exhibitions offer during an economic recovery.

“Last year we discussed interim strategies as we looked ahead to when the recession would bottom out and begin its ascent into recovery,” Cox writes. “That time is now here … While this is encouraging news, the negative effects of the past recession also revealed industry vulnerabilities remaining to be addressed. Going forward, the new reality for our industry is that the post recession world of exhibitions will probably evolve to be quite a bit different in scale and scope from the business-as-usual world of the past, presenting us with new challenges to solve, as well as the need to prove, new and more relevant levels of value to our exhibiting constituency.”

In his white paper, Cox explores four questions that show organizers should be asking themselves in a recovering economy and the new challenges it brings. Click here to download.

ChirpE Offers Mobile Access at Events

Spotty or no wireless Internet service is an all-too-common challenge for media professionals attending conferences and tradeshows, rendering a laptop little more than an overpriced word processor when what is needed is access to information via the Internet.

Mobile phones often serve as diminutive stand-ins in these cases, but there is still a long way to go before Web sites are universally mobile-friendly. This can lead to a frustrating search experience for event attendees when time between sessions is scarce. To expedite the information retrieval process, ChirpE is an award-winning mobile application tailored for the event space that “automatically ports event Web site content and a searchable exhibit floor plan to any mobile device,” as well as to Facebook. Even better, event producers can use the service to update schedule changes or other information to Facebook and the event's site, keeping attendees up-to-date in real time.

The company is quick to point out that its service is compatible with all major smartphones – not just with iPhones. This is the kind of one-two punch that event managers should strive to deliver: easily accessible mobile content about the event, and a structured social media presence for attendees to utilize. 

Virtual Events: Lead Gen Goldmine

During ABM’s Annual Conference last month, there was a lot of focus on lead generation – how to attract the right kind, and what that's worth. In fact, 68 percent of respondents to a recent Unisfair survey reported that lead gen was their number one marketing priority. Likewise, it seems that lead gen is a top-of-mind opportunity in the virtual event space – in the same survey, 40 percent of respondents reported that they expected virtual events to help them pull the data they need to curate a robust list of leads.

Unlike face-to-face events, virtual tradeshows and conferences offer a never ending array of data-gathering opportunities. Registration information, survey questions, social media access and more can be gathered at the point of entry, for each session, in exchange for downloads, in order to connect with other attendees, or in exchange for any other product or service producers can dream up.

That is not to say that attendees should be continuously harassed for their information throughout a virtual event experience. Rather, with effort, holes in each attendee's profile should be artfully filled as appropriate opportunities arise. For example, want access to attendees on LinkedIn or Facebook? Offer access to a virtual networking lounge in exchange for attendees logging in with their social media profiles. Or have them join the event's Facebook fan page or LinkedIn event group in order to network with fellow attendees.

But be sure to remain abreast of changes in privacy legislation, as it may affect your data collection practices. Click here for an executive summary of proposed privacy legislation, which ABM is actively working to shape. (Click here for ABM’s comments, which were submitted during a meeting with Congressional offices this week.) 

FEATURED RESOURCE
Free Industry Insights and Information at Your Fingertips
Members: Take advantage of ABM’s partnership with CEIR

Did you know?

• The most prevalent, important objectives for exhibiting at b-to-b events are: meeting with existing customers (96%), uncovering new leads (94%), conducting general company/brand promotions (93%), new product launches (86%) and the perceived importance of one’s presence at given events (83%).
• Among young professionals who have attended exhibitions in the past three years, nine in 10 say they are very or somewhat likely to attend an exhibition in the next two years, given the opportunity.
• 51% of exhibition producers report always integrating digital marketing tactics into the promotion of events; 37% of corporate brand marketers characterize their use of digital marketing as frequent.

These are just a few of countless significant findings from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), with whom ABM has partnered to provide members with important, timely information on the world of face-to-face – all at no cost.

ABM members from around the globe continue to take advantage of this exclusive opportunity … Have you?

Top-requested reports include CEIR’s 2010 Index report, an analysis of the 2009 exhibition industry and future outlook; The Power of Exhibitions in the 21st Century, which offers a wealth of insight into how new generations of attendees want to connect, learn and network at events; Effective Methods for Visitor Promotion, which analyzes the most and least effective tools for attracting visitors and reveals the average spending on pre- and post-exhibition promotion; and Digital + Exhibiting Marketing Insights 2009, a comprehensive analysis of the influence of digital media on the exhibition industry.

Contact Kate Patton with your request(s), and the research will be e-mailed to you directly.

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