Attendees Are Tough to Attract

Although consumer shows were booming with exhibitors last year, many were missing a key ingredient for success: consumers.

With a 13-percent increase in net square footage, the shows' average growth rate was nearly double the previous year's 6.8-percent rate, according to Tradeshow Week's annual report of consumer show statistics. The 5.6-percent increase in exhibiting companies was double 2004's 2.6-percent gain.

Last year's attendance, however, suffered a 0.7-percent decrease after a more dramatic decline of 4.3 percent in 2004.

Consumer show producers said simply counting the bodies that come through the door is only one way of evaluating success. Exhibitors' happiness counts for something, and many of them know quantity doesn't always mean quality.

Erin Carr, event management coordinator for Apple Rock Advertising and Promotions, which produces four recreational vehicle and camping shows in North Carolina, said exhibitors evaluate success by the number of people that register for and/or buy something.

For instance, attendance was down 2 percent at one Apple Rock show because of an ice storm in Raleigh, N.C. Dealers were still happy, though, because the people who made it there were very interested in buying, Carr said.

Because attendees can't purchase cars at auto shows, dealers measure their success by the number of cars sold in the three to six months following shows, said Barbara Pudney, vice president of Paragon Group, which manages four consumer shows.

"They're not selling, just branding," she said.

Still, it's not all that easy for show managers. While exhibitors come to find leads, attendees are looking to have a good time.

"It's a competitive industry because you're looking for the entertainment dollar," said Mike Fisher, executive director of the Natl. Assn. of Consumer Shows. "You could lose out to a ball game or a movie."

"The view when doing consumer events is that there has to be entertainment value, beyond the business aspect," added Pudney. "There might already be interest there, but attendees need to feel entertained for their admission dollar."

Another factor driving attendance (either up or down) is the general state of the economy – whether people have money to spend. Some show managers share the view that economic conditions are not as favorable now as others believe.

"We're still coming out of the downturn of 2002 and 2003," Fisher said. "The economy is not robust."

Some events have found success attracting attendees. "Year after year, people will come out to see home, boat, auto and garden shows," Fisher said.

He attributed much of that to rising housing costs around the country. "People are working to improve their homes now, rather than buy new ones," he said.

Regardless of economic factors, show organizers still have to entice the public to their events.

Paragon offers a kids' fun zone that includes face painting and play areas.

"After 30 or 45 minutes, kids start tugging on their parents, so parents take them to the fun zone, and then they can spend another hour looking at cars," Pudney said.

The Natl. Golf Show has a driving range, putting green and hole-in-one challenge. Other events offer stunt shows or a talking robot that makes four appearances a day.

At Paragon shows, "people play various contests, we keep score, and at the end of the three days, whoever did the best wins such prizes as a set of golf clubs or a trip," Pudney said. "The idea is to get the attendee to say, 'Wow, I had a great time. I'm going to come back next year.'"

It's hard to measure repeat attendance at consumer shows, because there's no pre-registration. Pudney estimates that about 60 percent of attendees at her auto shows are repeats, while 80 percent of the golf show's attendees have been there before.

Advertising and marketing are also keys in getting attendees to shows. Almost everyone drives a car, so everyone is a potential attendee for an auto show. Pudney said Paragon uses a lot of radio and TV ads but, with more people getting their news online, ads on the Web sites of local newspapers have also become common.

For the golf show, the company uses more direct mail and e-mail blasts, in addition to print, TV and radio ads. Apple Rock uses promotional tools such as sponsorships with in-store coupons and free tickets for radio stations to give out.

"Different publications and venues of advertising have different readerships," Fisher said. "Get the demographics of the station or publication before using them to advertise, to make sure they have the same demographics the show is trying to attract."