February 2008 How Does Your Show Rate EXPO Special Report: An analysis of shows by industry served By Danica Tormohlen
Ever wonder how shows in your industry compare to other industries? Ever wonder how your show compares within its own sector? What types of shows really do charge the most for exhibit space, and which shows are getting the most attendees?
To prepare this report on the major industries served by exhibitions, we culled the industry-specific responses from EXPO’s 2007 Salary Survey (see November/ December 2007 issue of EXPO). Respondents report that their largest shows: • Generate a median total gross revenue of $1 million. • Attract a median of 4,500 attendees. • Cover a median of 75,000 net paid square feet. • Charge a median of $17 per square foot.
Some of the report highlights include: • Shows that serve the communications and IT industries generated the highest total gross revenue, a median of $6.0 million, while shows that serve the government, public and nonprofit services industries generate the lowest total gross revenue, a median of $500,000. • Shows that serve the professional business services, medical and healthcare industries, attract the fewest attendees, a median of 2,500, while shows that serve the communications and IT industries attract the most attendees, with a median of 15,000. • Trade shows generate more revenue than consumer shows (a median of $1 million vs. $775,000), but consumer shows attract more attendees and feature more net paid exhibit space. • Independent shows generate more revenue than association shows (a median of $1.3 million vs. $800,000), but both charge a median of $17 per square foot.
Survey results are presented here as profiles of 11 industries (which match those profiled by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research Index), including median values and percentages on exhibit space costs, total gross revenue, number of attendees and net paid square feet. Use these results to see how your show stacks up against others in the same industry.
Danica Tormohlen is Editor of EXPO. She can be reached at 913-344-1303 or e-mail: dtormohlen@red7media.com. Methodology Questions were compiled by EXPO and Exhibit Surveys Inc. Questionnaires were mailed to 2,000 EXPO subscribers on July 19, 2007, with an explanatory letter on Exhibit Surveys letterhead and a postage-paid return envelope. A new $1 bill was enclosed as an incentive. A second mailing was sent to another 2,000 subscribers on August 8, 2007, to increase response. All respondents to the second mailing were entered into a drawing for $25 Starbucks gift cards (eight winners were selected). Responses were returned directly to Exhibit Surveys in Red Bank, NJ, for tabulation.
Exhibit Surveys received 420 questionnaires by the cutoff date for a net return of 11 percent. The margin of error due to sample size is plus or minus 5 percentage points. Exhibit Surveys reports a 95 percent confidence level in the results (if the survey were done 100 times, the results would fall within these same error ranges 95 times).
The report uses the median, instead of the arithmetic mean, because it is the more conservative figure. (The median is the middle value, above and below which sits an equal number of values.) Some tables may not add up to 100 percent because the “no response” group has been eliminated.
List of show types that make up each industry Professional business services: Accounting, advertising and marketing, architecture, audiovisual, banking, business, engineering, financial and legal, insurance, plant engineering and operations, printing, safety, security
Consumer goods and retail trade: Apparel, gifts, hardware, housewares, jewelry, laundry and dry cleaning, leather goods and luggage, lighting, office equipment and supplies, photography
Sports, travel, entertainment, art and consumer services: Amusement, art, beauty and health care, boats, fishing, funeral industry, hotels and resorts, real estate, recreational vehicles, religious, rental and leasing, sporting goods and recreation, toys and hobbies, travel industry
Food: Food and beverage, food processing and distribution, restaurants and food service
Government, public and nonprofit services: Associations, education, fire and fire protection, government, libraries, military, police
Building, construction, home and repair: Building and construction, home economics, home furnishings and interior design, housing, landscape and garden supplies, stores and store fittings, woodworking
Industrial/heavy machinery and finished business inputs: Air conditioning, heating and refrigeration, manufacturing, metal working and coatings technology, packaging, robotics, sanitation and waste management, welding
Communications and IT: Communications, computers and computer applications, electrical and electronics, publishing, radio, TV, cable, telecommunications, telephone
Raw materials and science: Agriculture and farming, ceramics and glass, chemical, energy, floriculture and horticulture, forest products, mining, ocean science and equipment, paint, paper, petroleum, oil and gas, plastics, pollution, science, textiles, water, wire
Medical and health care: Dental, industrial, medical and health care, nursing, pharmaceuticals, veterinary
Transportation: Aerospace and aviation, automotive and trucking, physical distribution, railroads, transportation
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