April Trade Show Attendance and ... - Conference News | TSETSE’s ZOOM Trade Show Locator and Gold 100 directory. All responses were cross-checked by TSE editors for discrepancies

TSE DASHBOARD SPONSORED BY

26 June 2013 | Trade Show Executive

Oceanside, CA – Larger crowds, busier aisles, and more expansive exhibit fl oors highlighted a productive and encour-aging April for trade show organizers. Exhibit space and attendance were up 3.3% over April 2012, and the only red ink in the Trade Show Executive Dash-board of Monthly Trade Show Metrics was a modest (0.6)% southerly drift in the number of exhibitors.

Th e fi rst month of the Second Quarter produced metrics similar to what has been seen in recent months: a few percentage points of growth in some categories that was off set by equally modest slippage in the others. In the First Quarter, which included robust performances by the TSE Gold 100 shows in January, exhibit space and exhibitor metrics were up more than 2%, but attendance was down ever so slightly by (0.6)%.

Th ere were 20 exhibitions that made up the April Dashboard. Of that total, nine were 100,000 nsf or larger, and six joined the elite ranks of the TSE Gold 100. Th ere was also one event, Aviation Week MRO Americas in Atlanta, whose 2012 edition was honored as a TSE Fastest 50 show at ceremonies held by TSE and 38 sponsors in Chicago in May.

For the Dashboard analysis, TSE used adjusted fi gures, which excluded outliers and shows that did not have a consecutive two-year comparison. Adjusted total exhibit space in April reached 2,953,652 nsf. Th at compared to nearly 6 million nsf

in March. Th e exhibitor tally was 9,466 and attendance reached 258,525. Th e totals worked out to a per-show average of 147,683 nsf, 473 exhibitors and 13,607 attendees.

Th ree April shows saw their metrics decline in all three categories. Eleven of the 20 shows reported growth or no change in all three metrics.

The Big BroadcastOne of the 11 shows with an uptick in size was also the largest show held in April. Th e NAB Show, which last year placed 11th on the Gold 100, reported 878,500 nsf of exhibit space, up a healthy 9.1% from the 805,000 nsf last year. Th e

growth in exhibit space was even more impressive because the number of exhibi-tors grew by just six companies to 1,581. Attendance increased 1.9% to 7,850.

Th e National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) again invited key television industry executives and producers to Las Vegas to headline its conference. Th e strong international component to the show continued. Nearly 600 overseas exhibitors were on the fl oor and international attendees made up 27% of the crowd.

“Once again, NAB Show was the premiere event for content and commu-nications professionals from around the globe,” said Dennis Wharton, NAB executive vice president of media rela-tions. “We're delighted that NAB Show’s brand remains a powerful force for technological advancement in media.”

Growth Leaders� Th e Reliable Plant Conference and Exhibi-tion. Th e show took place in Columbus, OH and boosted its exhibit space 28.6% to 99,000 nsf and its attendance increased more than 50%. Th e impressive move upward in the metrics was credited to the power of strong marketing. Th e sales outreach was ratcheted up for this year’s show, and it paid off with a 51.2% increase in attendance. Strengthening the confer-ence portion of the show and adding more networking opportunities also added to the show’s appeal.

April Trade Show Attendance and Exhibit Space Metrics Move Up; Exhibitors FlatBY DARLENE GUDEA, president; CAROL ANDREWS, editor-at-large, and HIL ANDERSON, senior editor

The fi rst month of the

Second Quarter produced

metrics similar to what

has been seen in recent

months: a few percentage

points of growth in some

categories that was

offset by equally modest

slippage in the others.

TSE’s ZOOM Trade Show Locator and Gold

100 directory. All responses were cross-

checked by TSE editors for discrepancies.

The Trade Show Executive Dashboard

was created to give show organizers and

CEOs a fast read on trade show perfor-

mance at a time when up-to-date, quality in-

formation is paramount to making decisions

in today’s business world. We recognize that

simple statistics don’t tell the full story about

a show, and year-over-year growth is not the

key factor in a show’s value to the industry

it serves. The TSE Dashboard still provides

the traditional metrics of show growth but

also lists other signifi cant characteristics

and accomplishments such as quality of

attendees, international attendance, sales

transactions and conference and sponsor-

ship growth.

We are grateful to the organizers who

shared both quantitative and qualitative data.

MethodologySurvey questionnaires were sent

to shows held in April as listed in

SPONSORED BYSPONSORED BY

www.TradeShowExecutive.com | June 2013 27

Great Reception. The NAB Show continues

to be the premier trade show in the continually

evolving broadcast industry with attendance

up 1.9% and exhibit space topping 800,000

nsf. NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith

(inset) had plenty of good news to share in

his address to the membership.

q Is That Carpeting?.The aisles at the Wood

Flooring Expo were packed and included 54 new

exhibitors. The show’s sold-out exhibit fl oor was

16.3% larger than last year.

p Turn on the Lights, the Party’s Started.

LIGHTFAIR International lit up Philadelphia with

a record crowd and 13.1% increase in exhibit

space. Solid gains in fi rst-time and international

exhibitors drove metrics higher.

� Th e National Wood Flooring Association Wood Flooring Expo. Th ere were no scuff s in this show’s performance, and in fact, there was an infl ux of 54 new exhibitors. Th e infl ux contributed to a 16.3% increase in exhibit space on the sold-out fl oor. � LIGHTFAIR International. Th e show organizer, AMC, Inc., reported across-the-board gains in Philadelphia. Exhibit space led the way with a 13.1% increase to 233,850 nsf. Exhibitors increased 6.5% and attendance was up 6.5%. A closer look at the statistics found healthy gains in international and fi rst-time exhibitors from the commercial lighting industry. A pavilion for street lighting was added along with new exhibitor categories for solar-powered lighting and soft ware to control the lights in large commercial buildings.

Secure HorizonsExpanding the exhibit fl oor for the International Security Conference & Expo West (ISC West) paid off with 5.1% increase in exhibitors and 2.3% growth in exhibit space to 298,200 nsf. ISC West has been on the rebound since 2009 and was No. 65 on the most recent Gold 100. Th is year, the show had a 2.3% increase in exhibit space to 298,200 nsf. Just over 1,000 exhibitors were on hand with a record number of

Continued on page 28

20)%

(15)%

(10)%

(5)%

10%

0%

5%

2010

JAN2010 FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR

MONTHLY OVERVIEW: EXHIBITORS

TSE DASHBOARD

Dashboard Snapshot – APRIL TRADE SHOW METRICSTrade Show Executive

(20)%

(15)%

(10)%

(5)%

10%

0%

5%

MONTHLY OVERVIEW: NET SQUARE FEET

2010 2011 2012

JAN2010 FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPOCT NOV DEC DEC

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

OCT NOV 2013

JAN FEB MAR APR

APR

MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT DECNOV

JAN FEB

3.3%

MAR

2013MAR APRJAN FEB

2013APRMAR

2013MAR APRJAN FEB

(20)%

(15)%

(10)%

(5)%

10%

0%

5%

2010 2011 2012

JAN2010 FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPOCT NOV DEC DEC

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

OCT NOV

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT DECNOV

JAN FEB

MONTHLY OVERVIEW: ATTENDEES

3.3%

t Gaining Momentum?.Exhibit

space (top left) increased 3.3% over

the previous April. The gains continued

upward momentum for another month.

p More With Less. Exhibit space

increased in April but the number of

exhibitors (top right) did not. The ex-

hibitor count actually declined slightly

compared to last year.

t Making the Scene. Attendance

at trade shows was also up by 3.3%

in April. The gains reversed a slight

decline in the crowds during the

First Quarter of 2013.

Of the nearly 3 million

net square feet (nsf) of

exhibit space tallied for the

Dashboard, nearly half of it

was located in Las Vegas.

The Strip hosted nearly

1.5 million nsf, including

four Gold 100 shows.

Chicago was in second

place with 356,000 nsf.


SPONSORED BY

Continued from page 27

new electronic security products ranging from school lockdown devices to the lat-est solutions to Internet hackers. “We had an increase in attendance, an expanded show fl oor, and increased exhibitor renewals for next year,” said Ed Several, vice president of ISC Events, a unit of Reed Exhibitions. “Th e industry seems poised for a great year.”

Fastest 50 SpeedsAft er cracking the Gold 100 and Fastest 50 rankings in 2012, GlobalShop turned in another good show this year. GlobalShop was 99th on the Gold 100 and could move up the ladder a few rungs this year thanks to a 6.5% increase in exhibit space

to 198,700 nsf. Nielsen Expositions also said attendance climbed a heft y 26.7% to 14,054, making 2013 the third year in a row the crowd had grown by double digits. In 2011 and 2012, attendance was up 11%.

“Th e new events and innovative features on the expo fl oor attracted a number of attendees this year who either hadn’t experienced GlobalShop before, or hadn’t been to the show in several years,” noted Show Manager Todd Fearney.

Nielsen said the show included some new features. Breakfast and lunch were turned into working educational sessions. Th e “best of show” pavilion showcased the more intriguing off erings in the exhibit

SPONSORED BY

2013APR

2011 2012

MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP JAN FEB MAR MARAPR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPOCT NOV DEC DEC

MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

OCT NOV

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT DECNOV

2013MAR APRJAN FEB

JAN FEB

(0.6)%

t Quarter Turns. Positive signs

on the exhibit fl oor in Q1 were

offset by a continuing downward

trend in attendance. Crowds in

the period were down (0.6)% from

2012, but exhibit space and exhibi-

tors were both up more than 2%.

© 2013, Trade Show Executive Magazine, Oceanside, CA

SPONSORED BY

(20)%

(15)%

(10)%

(5)%

10%

0%

5%

CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL OVERVIEW

2010 20122011

(20)%

(15)%

(10)%

(5)%

10%

0%

5%

CONSOLIDATED QUARTERLY OVERVIEW

2010

2010

Q1 Q2 Q1 Q2 Q1 Q2Q3 Q4

2011Q3 Q4

2012 2013Q3 Q4

Q1 Q2 Q1 Q2 Q1

Q1

Q1Q2Q3 Q4 Q3 Q4 Q3 Q4 2013

Exhibitors

Attendees

NSFAttendees

NSF

Exhibitors

t Respectable Growth (right).

2012 took the trade show industry

on the same moderate growth

path as 2011. Of the three metrics,

attendance growth was in the lead.


hall and gave attendees the opportunity to vote on the ones that caught their eye.

Springtime in VegasOf the nearly 3 million nsf of exhibit space tallied for the Dashboard, nearly half of it was located in Las Vegas. Th e Strip hosted nearly 1.5 million nsf, in-cluding four Gold 100 shows. GlobalShop and the big BIO International Convention placed Chicago in second place with 356,000 nsf. Philadelphia tallied 233,850 nsf thanks to LIGHTFAIR International.

How Did May Shows Perform?An early Summer arrived in May along with scores of attendees pouring

into convention centers nationwide. Trade Show Executive is now gathering performance data on shows such as CTIA Wireless; Th e National Restaurant Association’s NRA Show; RECon, the Global Retail Real Estate Convention; and the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting. Th ese show reports and others will be published in the July issue of Trade Show Executive. TSE

Better Than eBay. The retail industry continues

fl ocking to GlobalShop. Nielsen put on another

good show that included a 26.7% jump in atten-

dance and 6.5% increase in exhibit space.

SHOW INFORMATION 2013/2012 2013/2012 VARIANCE 2013/2012 VARIANCE 2013/2012 VARIANCE 2013 VS. 2012

April 2013 Show Site Net SF of Exhibits Exhibitors Total Attendance Qualitative Data

GROWTH LEADERSTOP CITIES* BENCHMARKS:

AVERAGE GROWTH

TOP INDUSTRY

SECTORS*

*Based on total nsf

BY CAROL ANDREWS, editor-at-large

TOP MGMTS.*

Dashboard – APRIL TRADE SHOW METRICSTrade Show Executive

SPONSORED BY

� Reliable Plant

Conf. & Exhibition

� NWFA Wood

Flooring Expo

� Lightfair Intl.

� Las Vegas

� Chicago

� Philadelphia

� NSF: 3.3%

� Exhibitors: (0.6)%

� Attendance: 3.3%

� Broadcasting

� Security

� Architecture/

Interior Design

� National Association

of Broadcasters

� Nielsen Expositions

� Reed Exhibitions


American Occupational San Diego 41,200 4.0% 371 6.6% 7,160 10.6% There were more than 900 sessions

Therapy Association Indianapolis 39,600 348 6,473 and posters, the most ever. The show

The American Occupational also had the second largest profess-

Therapy Association ional attendance ever (only the 1996

www.aota.org show in Chicago was larger) and the

second largest number of exhibitors

(only the 2011 show in Philadelphia

had more).

American Public Charlotte, NC 26,400 (33.8)% 131 (24.7)% 1,521 (29.9)% Attendance and exhibit sales were

Works Association North Milwaukee, WI 39,900 174 2,170 lower in 2013 due to the southern

American Snow Conference location. However, the smaller show

American Public Works Assn. featured the newest equipment and

www.apwa.net/snow products available, quality education

programs and technical tours, and

opportunities to exchange ideas.

AVIATION WEEK Atlanta 118,900 10.3% 690 13.5% 10,150 26.9% Show management initiated an

MRO Americas Dallas 107,800 608 8,000 aggressive marketing plan, including

AVIATION WEEK enlisting exhibitors to invite customers

www.aviationweek.com/events to the show. It also introduced

13 education tracks to expand

content and job functions, which

resulted in increased attendance.

BIO Intl. Convention Chicago 157,800 (12.6)% 1,713 (14.4)% 13,594 (17.6)% More than one-third of attendees

Biotechnology Boston 180,550 2,000 16,505 were international, representing

Industry Organization 65 countries. Attendees came

www.bio.org from the leading biotech companies,

pharma companies, more than 300

academic institutions, major research

labs, government agencies, and

leading service companies.

The Car Wash Show Las Vegas 115,000 (0.9)% 303 (1.6)% 5,900 est. 3.3% The show saw steady fl oor traffi c

Smith Bucklin Las Vegas 116,050 308 5,714 and a 12% increase in the number

www.thecarwashshow.com of attendees who took advantage

of education sessions focusing on

operations, business management,

and marketing and brand strategy.

The keynote speaker was NBA legend

and entrepreneur Magic Johnson.

ExpoCam - Canada’s Montreal 91,147 (3.0)% 254 5.0% 14,583 est. 3.8% Attendees were fl eets-for-hire/

National Truck Show Montreal 93,948 242 13,503 private/public; owners-operators;

Newcom Media Quebec heavy duty wholesalers/distributors;

www.expocam.ca manufacturers; new vehicle dealers;

and industry service providers.

The Highway Star of the Year

Award presentation recognized a

professional truck driver in Canada.

Continued on page 32

Th is show is biennial; therefore,

we interpolated the data for 2012,

the in-between year. Numbers for

2013 and 2011 were averaged to

determine a usable number for 2012.


SPONSORED BY



Continued from page 30


GlobalShop Chicago 198,700 6.5% 626 1.5% 14,054 26.7% This was the third consecutive year

Nielsen Expositions Las Vegas 186,512 617 11,089 that the show saw double-digit

www.globalshop.org growth in qualifi ed attendees. New

events and innovative features on the

show fl oor attracted attendees who

hadn’t experienced the show before

or who hadn’t been to the show in

several years.

Imprinted Sportswear Orlando 19,100 0.1% 108 (5.3)% 3,768 (5.9)% The show attracted embroiderers

Show Orlando Orlando 19,090 114 4,005 and screen printers from Florida,

Nielsen Expositions Georgia, North and South Carolina

www.issshows.com and beyond. There were business

seminars on pricing and marketing

as well as sessions on embroidery

taught by industry experts.

Intl. Security Conference Las Vegas 298,200 2.3% 1,009 5.1% 27,400 4.2% Exhibitor and attendee satisfaction

& Expo (ISC) West Las Vegas 291,600 960 26,300 scores were higher than in any year

Reed Exhibitions since tracking began. A record

www.iscwest.com number of new products were

introduced at the show. Exhibitors

represented a wide range of physical

security products and attendees

came from all segments of the

physical security buying channel.

Intl. Sign Expo - ISA Las Vegas 202,275 7.0% 593 9.8% 19,500 est. 19.2% By better managing data and

International Sign Association Orlando 188,975 540 16,355 understanding its audience, the show

www.signexpo.org has been able to reduce its marketing

spend by nearly 45%. Two new

education tracks, Architectural

Design and Dynamic Digital Design,

brought in leading educators and

boosted attendance.

ISA Calgary Show Calgary, Alberta 36,170 (0.3)% 151 0.7% 4,702 12.8% The show attracted decision-makers

dmg events (Canada) Inc. Calgary, Alberta 36,285* 150 3,634 representing engineering/design/

www.isacalgary.com/exhibition construction, technology/service

suppliers, oil and gas producers/

operators, consultants, etc. 57%

of attendees were decision makers

and 37% were infl uencers.

Jewelers Intl. Showcase Miami Beach 28,300 4.8% 180 4.7% 8,427 26.4% The show was one of the most

Jewelers Intl. Showcase, Inc. Miami Beach 27,000 172 6,669 successful Spring buying events

www.jisshow.com JIS has ever produced. There was

an increase in buyer attendees who

hailed almost entirely from Latin

America and Florida. On opening

day, a large number of buyers lined

up early, eager to start purchasing

for the upcoming retail season.

Kitchen & Bath New Orleans 174,600 (20.7)% 322 (20.7)% 13,000 (29.2)% The show featured an extensive show

Industry Show - KBIS Chicago 220,300 406 18,374 fl oor showcasing the latest kitchen

Nielsen Expositions and bath products, a relevant

www.kbis.com conference program, dynamic

networking events and world-

renowned industry speakers. KBIS

will co-locate with IBS (International

Builders’ Show) next year.

LIGHTFAIR International Philadelphia 233,850 13.1% 538 6.5% 25,998 est. 7.8% The show set new all-time records

AMC. Inc. Las Vegas 206,800 505 24,121 this year. It included 91 fi rst-time

www.lightfair.com exhibitors and 93 international

manufacturers. Attendees included

representatives from 77 countries.

Two new product categories were

introduced: solar power and software.


SPONSORED BY



Total 2,953,652 9,466 259,825(Sum of all fi gures submitted by show management) 2,858,020 9,525 251,102

Adjusted Total 2,953,652 9,466 259,825(Excludes outliers and shows in which an 2,858,020 9,525 251,102

apples-to-apples comparison is not possible)

Averages 147,683 473 13,607(Based on Adjusted Totals) 142,901 476 13,171

Percentage of Growth 3.3% (0.6)% 3.3%(Based on Adjusted Totals)

DASHBOARD ANALYSIS: Net SF of Exhibits Exhibitors Total Attendance


NAB Show Las Vegas 878,500 9.1% 1,581 0.4% 78,500 est. 1.9% International attendees from 155

National Assn. of Broadcasters Las Vegas 805,000 1,575 77,000 countries represented 27% of total

www.nabshow.com attendance. There were 596 interna-

tional exhibitors, 186 new exhibitors,

and 1,703 media attendees. Special

events featured top TV producers.

National Association Louisville 45,000 4.7% 120 10.1% 772 24.3% The number of fi rst-time attendees

of Sports Commissions Hartford, CT 43,000 109 621 increased 11%, sponsorships

Sports Event Symposium grew 20% and pre-scheduled

National Association of appointments between attendees

Sports Commissions and exhibitors increased 29%.

www.NASCsymposium.com

National Wood Flooring Grapevine, TX 45,410 16.3% 241 14.2% 2,408 (2.6)% There were 54 fi rst-time exhibitors.

Assn. Wood Flooring Expo Kissimmee, FL 39,060 211 2,473 Sponsorship revenue increased more

National Wood Flooring Assn. than 100%, from $36,000 in 2012

www.nwfaexpo.org to $78,250 this year. The show is

dedicated solely to wood fl ooring.

Educational breakouts were offered

in four educational tracks: Marketing/

Sales, Technical Skills, Management

and AIA/IDCEC (for the architecture

and design community).

Navy League National 78,100 2.0% 204 15.3% 5,656 (3.7)% Even with the government challenges

Sea-Air-Space Exposition Harbor, MD 76,550 177 5,875 this year, the show was able to grow

Clarion Events USA National Harbor, MD substantially. New show management

www.seaairspace.org brought new techniques and

strategies to the League’s outreach

and collaborative approach to active

duty Navy leadership.

Reliable Plant Columbus, OH 99,000 28.6% 99 20.7% 1,300 51.2% The show realized signifi cant growth,

Conference & Exhibition Indianapolis 77,000 82 860 largely due to increased marketing;

Noria Corporation more targeted conference sessions,

www.noria.com workshops and case studies;

enhanced registration and lead

retrieval software; additional social

and networking opportunities;

and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle

show prize giveaway.

School Food & Orlando 66,000 4.8% 232 2.2% 1,432 5.2% New this year were Innovation

Equipment Expo Daytona Beach, FL 63,000 227 1,361 Stations where exhibitors hosted

Florida School Nutrition Assn. 25-minute sessions for up to 20

www.fl oridaschoolnutrition.org attendees. Sessions included

roundtable discussions, new

product samples and equipment

demonstrations. Also new was a

lounge room that could be used for

one-on-one appointments.©

201

3, T

rade

Sho

w Ex

ecut

ive M

agaz

ine,

Oce

ansid

e, C

A (7

60) 6

30-9

105

COMING UPNEXT MONTH:

A review of shows held in May

Documents

April Trade Show Attendance and ... - Conference News | TSETSE’s ZOOM Trade Show Locator and Gold 100 directory. All responses were cross-checked by TSE editors for discrepancies