Exhibitions and Events The Industry that Brings Buyers and Sellers Together presented by:

Exhibitions and events have existed for thousands of years. References to fairs in the Bible. Connections between fairs and holy days. Fairs educate the public. Fairs continue to evolve.

Exhibitions and events serve basic business goals and needs. Bring buyers and sellers together Display products/services Educate Networking EXPERIENCE

Elements of an Exhibition/Event A typical exhibition may also include: General learning sessions Receptions Awards presentations Industry keynote speech Workshop education sessions Board of Directors and other committee meetings Recreational activities such as golf and tennis

Exhibitions drive economic impact. Exhibition

U.S. Economic Impact Direct Spending = $ billion Direct Taxes = $21.4 billion Direct Employment = 1.71 million jobs Source: 2005 Economic Impact Study released by the Convention Industry Council

More Than 13,000 Exhibitions According to the Center for Exhibition Research (CEIR), a not-for-profit exhibition industry research organization, the exhibition industry comprises 11 key industry sectors. The basis for this universe is the Exhibition Industry Census, which catalogued over 13,000 events with at least 3,000 net square feet of exhibit space. Approximately 10,000 events are business-to-business exhibitions and the remaining 3,000+ events are business-to-consumer shows.

Business-to-business Exhibitions Source: 3 rd Annual CEIR Index

The Places to Be RankHost City 1Las Vegas, Nevada 2Chicago, Illinois 3New York, New York 4Toronto, Ontario, Canada 5Atlanta, Georgia 6Orlando, Florida 7Boston, Massachusetts 8Washington, D.C. 9Dallas, Texas 10San Diego, California Source: Tradeshow Week and Reed Business Information “Tradeshow Industry Outlook”

The Global Picture in 2008 Source: Meetings & Conventions magazine’s “2006 International Meeting Planner Survey” RegionCorporate Planners Association Planners Europe50%55% Canada/Mexico42%40% Caribbean/Bermuda29%22% Asia26%22% Central/South America15%20% Australia/New Zealand13%10% Middle East7% Africa6%9%

Technology is enriching the exhibition and event experience. Technologies now allow attendees and exhibitors to schedule appointments in advance of the event. Matchmaking software allows buyers and sellers to find each other before, during and after an event. Lead retrieval programs permit exhibitors to obtain live-time demographic data about buyers who visit their booth. marketing helps build interest and attendance. Online marketing and commerce build sales. Webcasts, podcasts and streaming video extend information to audiences beyond those who attend and extend the life of the show.

Nothing rivals the power of face-to-face. There is obviously something powerful that makes all of us crave the face-to-face experience. Exhibitions are clearly the most dynamic way that buyers and sellers can communicate with each other.