Consumer Events: As Popular as Ever

Exhibitions and events represent a global industry, and the economy affects them no matter where they are held, even with the British counterparts across the pond.

In London alone, a city with a population of more than 7.5 million, there are 1,000-plus venues capable of holding a business event, many with more than 10,000 square meters (107,639 square feet) of exhibit space, including the Hilton London Metropole with 30,610 sq. m. (329,483 sq. ft.) and 30 breakout rooms and the Wembley Conference Centre with 10,000 sq. m. (107,639 sq. ft.) and 166 breakout rooms.

Then there is ExCeL London – The Intl. Exhibition & Conference Centre, with its 65,000 sq. m. (699,654 sq. ft.), 45 breakout rooms and 20,000-seat theater, as well as Earls Court & Olympia conference centers, with its 97,000 sq. m. (1.05 million sq. ft.) and two conference centers, according to Visit London, the city's convention and visitors bureau.

London earns £3 billion ($4.36 billion) a year from business tourism and 15 percent of that – £450 million ($655.36 million) – is from discretionary business tourism. In other words, said Chloe Couchman, public relations manager for Visit London, the city is a place “where an event has a choice of destination.” Couchman added the city has 80,000 hotel rooms and 15,000 more rooms in bed and breakfasts, making it a ripe destination for shows.

And that's just London. Elsewhere in the United Kingdom is the massive Natl. Exhibition Centre Birmingham in Birmingham. The NEC Birmingham has a whopping 200,000 sq. m. (2.15 million sq. ft.) of exhibit space and 24 conference suites.

But just like the United States, the U.K. also is experiencing an economic downturn, and many shows are down in both attendance and exhibitors. Even so, consumers still need affordable entertainment, and often that comes in the form of consumer shows.

One event providing consumer entertainment is the Natl. Wedding Show, according to Nicole Boarer, marketing manager for Ocean Media, producer of the event held four times a year, twice at NEC Birmingham, and twice in London, once each at Earls Court and Olympia. The show, next scheduled Feb. 20-22 at Olympia and March 13-15 at the NEC, experienced some of its best crowds ever during its recent fall shows. And, although Boarer said her company anticipates some slowdown this year, 7,800 exhibitors and 60,000 attendees still are expected at the show next month.

“Our 2008 autumn shows proved to be our most popular yet,” Boarer added. “However, in (2009), we anticipate a slight downturn in visitors.” She went on to say that the autumn shows often are attended better than the spring shows.

“We are obviously doing all we can to ensure our shows are attractive to both exhibitors and visitors,” Boarer said. “People will always get married and want to fully embrace the whole experience.”

Wedding shows are one thing, but are consumers still making their way to other types of exhibitions, and are exhibitors still shelling out the bucks to book space when they can't be sure consumers will attend?

That is a concern facing Steve Coombes, account manager for Chicane Marketing, the public relations and marketing company behind The Aftermarket Show at Autosport Intl., a consumer-trade motor sports show, which is part of Autosport Intl. and collocated with The Karting Show and Autosport Intl. Engineering Show.

In 2008, Coombes said the show had 1,200 sq. m. (12,916 sq. ft.) of exhibit space, 4,000 dedicated international attendees and 55 exhibitors. This year's show, held Jan. 8-11 at the NEC, had only 25 exhibitors and took up a mere 600 sq. m. (6,458 sq. ft.). This, Coombes added, leads him to worry about the state of not only his show, but also the industry as a whole.

But not everyone is worried. Steve Clark, group show manager at BBC Haymarket Exhibitions, said his shows, the collocated BBC Gardeners' World Live and BBC Summer Good Food Show, held annually at the NEC, are seeing an uptick in booked space, exhibitors and attendees. In 2008, Clark said, Gardeners' World Live used 8,000 sq. m. (86,111 sq. ft.) and the Summer Good Food Show used 3,000 sq. m. (32,291 sq. ft.), with a combined 115,000 attendees and 850 exhibitors. This year, the shows, scheduled June 10-14 at the NEC, will grow to a combined 12,000 sq. m. (129,166 sq. ft.), 125,000 attendees and 900 exhibitors.

He added though he has not seen a drop in booked exhibitors or anticipated attendance, the attitudes of both reflect the current economic conditions. Still, Clark said, the unstable economy could very well be one reason consumers and exhibitors continue to attend and book at these events.

“There is certainly more hesitancy, and reassurance (is) needed,” he added.