Face-to-Face Report : July 2011
 

Associations Band Together to Announce First All-exhibition Industry Summit

Most recently, the heads of four trade show industry associations announced an unprecedented All-exhibition Industry Summit meeting for the purpose of creating a set of guiding principles that will define industry best practices. 

John H. Graham IV, president and CEO of the American Society of Association Executives; Chuck Grouzard, chairman of the Exhibit Services and Contractors Association; Vinnie Polito, chairman of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, and Sean Guerre, chairman of the Society of Independent Show Organizers, said they will be inviting two elected leaders from each of the associations that are active in the exhibitions and events industry in the United States to attend the summit, according to the report that was published in Trade Show News Network (TSNN).

“There have been many piecemeal attempts throughout the years to define those practices that are essential to the efficient and fair conduct of business in the exhibition industry,” Grouzard said. “While we applaud all of those past attempts, the fact remains there are too many troublesome issues that demand a common and agreed to set of understandings.”

Graham added, “A joint initiative across our sector is imperative to the future of the industry we represent. Now, more than ever, we need to put our brains together to come up with guidelines to streamline our operations and ease the many processes that guide the work of our industry as we work together on today’s challenges and prepare for future opportunities."

The organizations that will be invited to participate in the summit meeting are the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR); the Corporate Event Marketers Association (CEMA); the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI); the Exhibitor Appointed Contractors Association (EACA); the Exhibit Designers and Producers Association (EDPA); the Healthcare Exhibitors Association (HCEA); the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM); the International Center for Exhibitor and Event Marketing (ICEEM); the International Exhibition Logistics Associates (IELA); the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA); and the Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA).

"The pressures to do our business efficiently have never been greater,” Guerre said. “There has never been a more appropriate time to do this than now."

A firm date has not been set for the All-exhibition Industry Summit meeting, but association heads said it likely will occur at an agreed-upon location for a day and a half in October.

IAEE: Virtual Events Tied to Physical Ones

Virtual event organizers say they intend to increasingly support their online events, such as webinars or virtual trade shows, with complementary physical events, according to the International Association of Exhibitions and Events that was reported on by BtoB Magazine.

Among virtual event organizers, 59% said they already have tied their online happenings to live events, and 65% indicated they'll do so in the future, according to IAEE's “Virtual Event Study,” conducted along with the Center for Exhibit Industry Research.

CEIR Research Director Nancy Drapeau said in a statement: “The reason for launching a virtual event is consistent ... virtual event organizers are striving to reach a larger audience.”

Asia at the Forefront of Trade Show Rebound in 2010

The trade show industry in Asia has bounced back from the recession at a quicker pace than the U.S. exhibition industry, according to a new report that reveals the Asian trade show market grew 4.3% in 2010. In comparison, the U.S. exhibition industry declined 2.4% in 2010, according to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research Index Report (CEIR).

According to Trade Show Executive, the latest edition of the annual report on Asia’s trade show market by UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, concluded that exhibit space sold had reached 15.5 million net square meters (166.84 million net square feet). That’s nearly double the 8.1 million net square meters (87.18 million net square feet) reported in the first UFI analysis published in 2004.

“Since 2004, net square meters sold have nearly doubled and venue capacity has more than doubled,” said Paul Woodward, managing director of UFI. “We expect this trend to continue through 2012 and beyond.”

In 2011, UFI predicts the strong regional economy and the solid supply of modern venues in Asia will push exhibit space past 16 million net square meters (172.22 million net square feet). China is expected to account for nearly 9 million net square meters (96.87 million net square feet).

The growth in Asia led an overall upturn in the global exhibition industry. The latest "Global Barometer Survey" released this month reported that a majority of the 194 organizers surveyed were back in the black in terms of anticipated profits for 2011.

Asia barely broke its stride as the recession settled in. Asian companies reported profitable performances in late 2009, followed by the Americas and Europe last year. By the time the Barometer was completed in June, 65% of organizers in Asia considered the recession to be behind them compared with about 50% in North America and Europe.

“While some concern remains about potential economic fragility, the continuing growth in turnover in all regions is definitely good news,” Woodward said. 

Healthcare Event Industry Trends at HCEA

Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association (HCEA) recently wrapped up its Annual Meeting and Exhibition that took place in Las Vegas June 25-28. From programming to interactive floor map, here are some things that caught the attention of Anna Huddleston, tradeshow and convention writer for The International Center for Exhibitor and Event Marketing.

• Compliance frustration. Many attendees are under tremendous pressure to comply with ambiguous and changing domestic and international legislation for their medical and pharmaceutical events. International legislation such as the UK Bribery Act that took effect July 11, 2011 and the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry code are also adding to the complexity. Thomas Sullivan of Rockpointe Corp., who held a session on navigating international laws, noted that medical meeting planners need to start thinking more about local meetings and strategies for making them effective. He maintains a mailing list for updates in legislation as it affects medical events.
• Explosion of visual technology. 3D presentations made a serious splash. Several attendees noted that while the advances in tech are amazing, it’s really needs to serve the purpose that aligns with the brand’s goals at a show. They also get the fact that the most impact requires a significant investment and not just a little dabbling with something that looks cool, and they are OK with that, at least theoretically.
• iPads gone wild. They can be a great tool or a weapon of mass destruction. If an iPad is used for a quiz, the questions need to be short and fun, designed for people who are overwhelmed with everything going on around them on the floor and are en route to the coffee station. Otherwise, the nifty iPads achieve the opposite effect – attendees get frustrated with the pressure (every question you got wrong, a charity of choice didn’t get a dollar…) and can’t wait to get away.

The next HCEA Annual Meeting will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando June 21-24, 2012.

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