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June 2006
Marketwatch: Trade show attendee benchmarks
Annual report reveals traffic density is up slightly; attendee buying influence remains strong
By Danica Tormohlen
The average traffic density score (which measures the number of attendees per 100 square feet of exhibit space) increased from 2.2 in 2004 to 2.3 in 2005, according to a report by Red Bank, NJ-based Exhibit Surveys Inc. Attendees spent an average of 7.8 hours on the show floor in 2005, compared with 8.6 hours in 2004. In addition, attendees spent an average of 2.4 days visiting exhibits in 2005, the same as they did in 2004.
“An upward trend in density is always positive for both exhibitors and show organizers,” says Ian Sequeira, Vice President of Exhibit Surveys. “The average hours spent visiting exhibits hit a five-year low of 7.8 hours. In years when budgets are tight, the average hours goes up because there may only be one person covering a show. But most companies are probably sending 2-3 employees now, so they don’t need to spend as much time on the show floor.”
Among the other survey highlights:
• Buying influence drops slightly. The number of attendees at trade shows with the ability to influence buying decisions (recommend, specify or purchase) decreased slightly in 2005 to 82 percent, compared with 84 percent in 2004. “If companies are sending more employees, they probably don’t all have a role in the purchasing, which may be reason for the slight drop last year,” says Sequeira.
• More than half of attendees will buy this year. The number of attendees planning to make a purchase in the next 12 months decreased slightly from 55 percent in 2004 to 53 percent in 2005.
• Exhibitors meet more new prospects at shows. In 2005, 86 percent of attendees who visited an exhibit had no contact with that company within the previous 12 months, compared with 84 percent in 2004.
Danica Tormohlen is Editor of EXPO. She can be reached at 913-344-1303 or e-mail: dtormohlen@ascendmedia.com.
EXPO Magazine has partnered with Exhibit Surveys Inc. to conduct the Marketwatch surveys and report the results. For more information about Exhibit Surveys, visit www.exhibitsurveys.com or call 800-224-3170.
More on www.expoweb.com
Find exclusive Web-only content, including:
• Top 10 lists of the shows with the highest traffic density, shows with the highest net buying influence, and shows with the highest total buying plans
Top 10 Highest Traffic Density
1. Linux World SF -- 4.5
2. Linux World Boston -- 4.2
3. E3 -- 4.1
4. NetWorld+Interop -- 3.7
5. NAHB -- 3.4
6. NAB -- 3.3 (tie)
6 Kitchen & Bath -- 3.3 (tie)
6. ISA -- 3.3 (tie)
9. Embedded Systems -- 3.2
10. WOCN -- 3.1 (tie)
10. CTIA Wireless IT&E -- 3.1 (tie)
Top 10 Highest Net Buying Influence
1. NACS Retailer -- 98%
2. NAB -- 97%
3. Sapphire Boston -- 97%
4. InfoComm -- 96%
5. American Dental -- 96%
6. Exhibitor Show -- 92% (tie)
6. Special Libraries Assoc. -- 92% (tie)
6. WOCN -- 92% (tie)
9. Worldwide Food Expo -- 91%
10. CLEO/QELS -- 90% (tie)
10. APCO Attendee -- 90% (tie)
Top 10 Highest Total Buying Plans
1. NACS Retailer -- 82%
2. CES -- 81%
3. American Dental -- 77%
4. InfoComm -- 74% (tie)
4. APMA -- 74% (tie)
6. ACFAS -- 73%
7. NAB 72%
8. SAWC 71%
9. WOCN -- 68% (tie)
9. RSNA -- 68% (tie)
• Formula to calculate traffic density
| Traffic Density (TD)= |
N x tv x 100
A x ts |
| Where: |
N = Net Attendance = _____ (excludes exhibitors, press, and staff)
A = Total exhibit space = _____ net sq. ft.
tv = Average time attendees spent at the exhibits = ___ hours
ts = Total hours the exhibits were open = ___ hours |
• A complete list of shows surveyed
AAOS
3G World Congress
3GSM World Congress
AAGL
ACC
ACFAS
ACG (Gastroenterology)
ACOG
ACR
American College of Surgeons
American Dental
American Library Assoc
AORN
APCO Attendee
APMA
ASN-Renal Week
ASRM
ASTRO
AUA Attendee
AWWA-ACE
BEA World
Better Management Live
CeBIT
CES
CLEO/QELS
CMM Int'l Attendee
CONEXPO-CON/Agg
CTIA
CTIA Wireless IT&E
DAC
Digestive Disease Week
Digital Life
E3
Embedded Systems
Exhibitor Show
FMI
FOSE
HIMSS
IFT Meeting + Food Expo
InfoComm
ISA
Kitchen & Bath
Linux World Boston
Linux World SF
Metalform (PMA)
NAB
Nacha for CheckFree
NACS Retailer
NAHB
NASS
National Restaurant Assoc.
NBAA
NetWorld+Interop
OFC/NFOEC
Phast
PMA Fresh Summit
POWERGEN Europe
ProMat
PT Wireless
RSNA
Sapphire Boston
Sapphire Copenhagen
SAWC
Society of Nuclear Med
Society of Thoracic Sur
Special Libraries Assoc.
SUPERCOMM
Supercomputing
TCT
WEFTEC
Wild West Veterinary Conf
WOCN
Worldwide Food Expo
• Trade show attendee benchmark articles/reports (2000-2005)
2005 -- http://www.expoweb.com/2005May/May2005425200545751PM.htm
2004 -- http://www.expoweb.com/Benchmarks_Research/June_2004_2003_Trade_Show_Attendee_Benchmarks.htm
2003 -- http://expoweb2.pubdyn.com/Benchmarks_Research/2003attendeebenchmarks10720.pdf
2002 -- http://expoweb2.pubdyn.com/Benchmarks_Research/2002tradeshowattendeebenchmarks30642.pdf
2001 -- http://expoweb2.pubdyn.com/Benchmarks_Research/feature234.htm
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