IAEM Antes Up in Audit Standards Game

Efforts to convince tradeshow operators to embrace audits continue to gain momentum.

The Intl. Assn. for Exhibit Management recently announced plans to form a task force to devise audit standards and best practices. At the same time, MediaLive Intl., producer of COMDEX and other technology shows, said it will convene a similar group. MediaLive announced in September that it planned to audit its own shows, in addition to getting interested parties together to begin a dialogue about the practice.

While the efforts appear to overlap, backers say they want to ensure that the drive for audit standards doesn't lose momentum. "We're working in parallel," said Steven Hacker, president of IAEM. "We've agreed to serve on their task force and they are serving on ours."

Melinda Kendall, senior vice president of marketing for MediaLive, added that the effort she is spearheading is aimed at technology shows. "Any initiative effort toward audits that helps the exhibitors is a good thing," she said.

The IAEM group — called the Task Force on Exhibition Industry Audit Best Practices and Standards — will convene in January. Members will include audit providers, such as BPA Intl., Exhibit Surveys and eBrain Research, as well as industry organizations that support independent verification of attendance and demographic information.

The task force will be asked to:

• Define criteria for an audit;
• Develop minimum data points for an audit;
• Draw up a list of best standards and practices;
• Talk to international groups about universal standards.

The MediaLive group — called the IT Event Measurement and Audit Council — will hold its first meeting Nov. 18 at COMDEX. During the private gathering, members will work to:

• Define an event audit;
• Define components of the auditing process;
• Determine how to measure attendee quality;
• Determine what audit metrics exhibitors should expect.

Ultimately, the council intends to come up with independent standards that can be used to perform unbiased audits.

Among the members are representatives of IAEM; the Computer Event Marketing Assn.; event marketer The George P. Johnson Co.; show managers CMP Media, Hanover Fairs USA, IDG World Expo, MediaLive and TechTarget; exhibitors Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Quantum; auditors BPA Intl. and Exhibit Surveys; and agency Carat Business & Technology.

Hacker said IAEM has been pushing for audits for 12 years. Interest spiked in the '80s, but died down in the '90s as exhibitors grew less concerned about return on investment. In today's challenging economy, with corporations slashing marketing budgets, concern has been reignited.

The rallying cry for audits has been loudest from the high-tech set. CEMA — which has its own audit task force — has pushed hard for show managers to provide independent attendance and demographic information.

Hannover Fairs USA offered audited results for its inaugural CeBIT America show in June. IDG World Expo, producer of Macworld and LinuxWorld, in July announced it would provide audited results of all its shows. And TechTarget and MediaLive followed suit in September. Intl. CES, the country's fourth-largest show last year, has long been an adherent of audits.

Hacker said IAEM has decided to establish a task force to ensure some degree of uniformity before audits become more popular. "We thought it would be better to get this oar in the water before three or four or five providers are each calling what they do an audit," he said.