Report: Key Exhibitors Make or Break

Remember how the old E³/Electronics Entertainment Expo started with the large game console manufacturers pulling out of Intl. CES?

That's just one example cited in a Center for Exhibition Industry Research report, funded by the Professional Convention Management Assn. Education Foundation, about retaining key exhibitors at events and managing those relationships.

"The importance of the report is that key, bellwether exhibitors can really be crucial — sometimes make-or-break — components to either the exhibits portion of a convention, a tradeshow or sponsorship for either," said Deborah Sexton, president and CEO of PCMA.

The report demonstrates how larger exhibitors are now seeking more control with their involvement in tradeshows, including how they participate and how their needs are met.

The report also contains a series of best practices for managing key exhibitor relationships:

• allow market leaders to invest in a tradeshow without exhibiting
• collaborate with exhibitors on corporate events
• build ongoing relationships instead of annually selling a show
• utilize ROI
• align goals of exhibitors with goals of exhibition organizers

The PCMA Education Foundation funded the research because it will be useful to PCMA members and the meetings and convention industry at large, Sexton said.

PCMA will mail reports to members with an exhibition focus. Other PCMA members can obtain a free copy of the report from PCMA's Web site, www.pcma.org.