CEIR Says Shows Healthy

Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 4/9/2007

In 2006, the tradeshow industry was still rebounding from the deep recession in the early part of this decade, according to a report released by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research.

"Our industry has continued the recovery in 2007 that it began in 2003," said CEIR President and CEO Doug Ducate.

According to the annual CEIR Index Report, a composite of four measures, the entire American tradeshow industry grew 4.8 percent in 2006. While that is down from the 5.8-percent growth rate in 2005, it is more than the overall U.S. economic growth rate of 3.4 percent last year.

The CEIR Index Report is a survey of nearly 300 tradeshows that submitted information to the organization. Tradeshow health is measured in terms of net square footage, revenue, attendance and number of exhibitors. A composite figure representing the total health of the industry is an average of the four measurements.

Information submitted for the report by individual shows remains confidential.

According to the CEIR report, in 2006, average revenue grew by 9.7 percent, net square footage by 3.8 percent, attendance by 4.6 percent and number of exhibitors by 1.3 percent.

By comparison, in 2005, average revenue grew by 9.2 percent, square footage by 8.5 percent, attendance 1.1 percent and number of exhibitors 4.6 percent.

According to the survey, the tradeshow sectors showing the best average growth in 2006 were professional business services (11.1 percent), raw materials and science (10 percent) and transportation (9.4 percent).

During the entire period evaluated by the CEIR Index Report, 2000 through 2006, the sectors showing the strongest growth were building and construction (5.4 percent compound annual growth rate), sports and entertainment (5.3 percent) and transportation (4.8 percent).

CEIR released the report during the March 25–28 Society of Independent Show Organizers CEO Summit in Miami Beach, Fla.