July/August 2007
Marketwatch: International attendance
Despite heightened travel restrictions and stricter visa regulations, more than a third of shows expect international attendance to grow in 2007
By Danica Tormohlen
Despite heightened travel restrictions and stricter visa regulations, 39 percent of show organizers expect international attendance to increase from 2006 to 2007, according to the 107 show organizers who responded to an online survey conducted by EXPO Magazine and Exhibit Surveys Inc. in June 2007; 57 percent expect international attendance to be flat, and only 4 percent expect a decline.
Shows generate 6 percent of their revenues from international attendance. Most show organizers (85 percent) expect international attendance revenues to be flat from 2006 to 2007, while 11 percent expect an increase, and 4 percent expect a decline. From 2007 to 2008, 28 percent of show organizers expect international attendance revenues to increase, while 71 percent expect them to be flat, and only 1 percent expect a decline.
But there’s plenty of room for growth when it comes to attracting international attendees. Most shows (43 percent) report international attendance makes up
5 percent or less of total attendance, while 30 percent of shows report international attendance makes up 6 to 10 percent, and 27 percent of shows say it makes up 11 percent or more.
More U.S. shows attract attendees from Europe (69 percent) than from any other continent. Sixty-four percent of shows attract attendees from North America (outside the United States), 55 percent draw from Asia, 43 percent draw from South America, 22 percent draw from Australia and 13 percent draw from Africa.
Danica Tormohlen is Editor of EXPO. She can be reached at 913-344-1303 or e-mail: dtormohlen@ascendmedia.com.
Sidebar: More on expoweb.com
Find additional exclusive Web-only content from this survey, including:
• Verbatim responses from respondents on their biggest challenge with international attendance
Visa regulations from non-MFN (most favored nations) countries especially India and China.
Visa applications from non-MFN residents from with MFN countries, i.e. a Pakistani student applying for a visa from France.
Good news is the weak dollar makes attending in the US a great deal.
Advertising & promotion
Bandwidth and money to pursue them aggressively.
Communication; visa invitations; shipping
Competition from other shows
Consistent exhibit, good connections & revenues.
Coordinating marketing activities to reach them
Cost of travel
Cost-effective ways to promote to them.
Costs
Dollar exchange rate
Find the target potential database to do marketing
Finding targeted buyers internationally, cost to attend, visa
Finding the right contacts
finding them
Getting a visa to come into the United States
Getting visas approved
Having products that they can get excited about.
High costs
Lists
Marketing costs
Money issues
Overall cost to attend (airfare and hotel in addition to conference fees)and justification to their management for the additional time needed to attend an international event.
political affairs
Producing promtional materials in other-than-English
Promotion of event
Promotional budgets
Security challenges in obtaining visas, price of traveling
Shipping Costs
Translation issues in regards to the onsite training and presentations, cost of travel (flights) and number of connections
Travel Costs, Visa Approval
Travel visa issues
US visa challenges
Valuable reasons to attend that justify the cost
Visa application & approval
• Profile of survey responses
Organization Type
Trade association/society/not-for-profit -- 55%
Independent/For-profit convention/trade show/meeting owner/producer/planner -- 38%
Corporate event management -- 7%
Event Type Produced
Trade only -- 79%
Consumer show -- 0%
Trade and consumer show -- 21%
Required Exhibit Space (Sq. Ft.)
Less than 25,000 -- 5%
25,001 to 50,000 -- 15%
50,001 to 100,000 -- 13%
100,001 to 250,000 -- 26%
250,001 to 500,000 -- 21%
More than 500,000 -- 20%
Total Gross Revenue
$500,000 or less -- 15%
$500,001 - $1,000,000 -- 18%
$1,000,001 - $2,000,000 -- 8%
$2,000,001 - $3,000,000 -- 14%
$3,000,001 - $5,000,000 -- 11%
More than $5,000,000 -- 35%
Number of Attendees
Average: 13,150
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