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)
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
