There’s good reason for optimism among show managers — cautious optimism that is. On the plus side, median salaries and bonuses are up. On the down side, fewer show managers are receiving bonuses, and there have been some decreases in retirement and insurance benefits.

The 2009 median base salary for show managers is $67,000, a 3.1 percent increase over 2007. By contrast, salaries rose 8.3 percent from 2005 to 2007.

According to EXPO’s 2009 Salary Survey, 56.7 percent of show managers think they are adequately compensated given their duties and levels of responsibility, and nearly half expect to receive a raise in 2010. The median anticipated raise is $3,000, a 4.5 percent increase.

Overall, 44.6 percent of respondents received a bonus in 2008 (median $6,000), which is down from the 59 percent who received a bonus in 2006 (median $5,000).
Survey respondents are optimistic about their careers. Two-thirds report feeling “extremely satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their jobs. And nearly two-thirds feel “extremely secure” or “very secure” with their organizations.

The 2009 Salary Survey is the eighth such biennial study sponsored by EXPO. Show managers’ responses to questions about salaries, bonuses, benefits, job security and job satisfaction highlight trends in total annual compensation.

Among the key trends:

• Independent show managers earn 15.4 percent more than association show managers and 13.6 percent more than corporate show managers. The $75,000 median salary for independent show managers decreased 6.3 percent since 2007; the $65,000 median for association show managers increased 6.6 percent; and the $66,000 median for corporate show managers increased 10 percent.

• Managers who produce public shows earned a median salary of $70,000, which is 6.1 percent more than the $66,000 median salary for those who produce only trade shows, and just 1.4 percent higher than the $69,000 median for those who produce both trade and public shows.

• Retirement benefits have decreased. Fewer organizations offered a 401(k) plan with a company match (55.2 percent in 2009, compared with 67.1 percent in 2007). But more offered a 401(k) with no company match (23.3 percent in 2009, compared with 13.0 percent in 2007). And the number of organizations offering a pension plan declined from 21.2 percent in 2007 to 18.6 percent in 2009.

• Health insurance is somewhat less available. Fewer show managers report receiving medical insurance (82.2 percent in 2009, compared with 87.2 percent in 2007), dental insurance (65.6 percent in 2009, compared with 70.9 percent in 2007), and vision insurance (45.0 percent in 2009, compared with 48.0 percent in 2007).

• Executive managers earn a median salary of $90,000, which is 42.9 percent more than the $63,000 median salary for exhibition managers. (In 2007, the difference was 64.4 percent.)

• The gender salary differential remains high. In general, men earn 40 percent more than women. (The 2007 salary gap was 37.9 percent.) But more experience and more employees supervised may be the reasons. The typical female show manager is 44 years old, has 11.5 years of show experience, supervises one person, has a bachelor’s degree, and earns a $60,000 salary and a $5,000 bonus. The typical male show manager is 51 years old, has 15 years of show experience, supervises two people, has a bachelor’s degree, and earns an $84,000 salary and a $20,000 bonus.

• Experience still counts a lot. Overall, salaries increase 52.5 percent during the first 10 years in the trade show industry and 14.8 percent during the next 10 years. And nearly one-third of those with more than 20 years of experience earn more than $100,000 in base salary.