WORLD - A new study from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) claims the global exhibition market is bucking economic pressures.
Despite a sluggish macro economy, CEIR’s Index Report, an Analysis of the 2011 Exhibition Industry and Future Outlook, claimed the overall exhibition industry posted growth of 2.7 per cent, outpacing real GDP growth by one percentage point in 2011.
Each exhibition metric saw positive growth. Net Square Feet (NSF) grew 2.7 per cent, exhibitors were up 2.3 per cent, attendees increased 3.4 per cent, and real revenues rose by 2.3 per cent.
CEIR also reported varied growth across the sectors focused on by exhibition organisers. The fastest growing were business process-related exhibitions, including machinery and finished business outputs (11.2 per cent), followed by communication and information technology (8.1 per cent), government (7 per cent), and transportation (5.7 per cent).
But building, construction, home and repair dropped by 5.3 per cent, sporting goods, travel, and amusement fell by 0.8 per cent, and medical and healthcare had a 0.2 per cent contraction.
“I am excited by the 2011 overall results and even more so by the future outlook,” said CEIR chairman Chris Brown. “The definitive results from our economists confirm their predictions from last year, and the three-year forecast is very encouraging.”
A forecast update will be presented at the CEIR Predict conference in New York on 13 September.
A recent CEIR study found visitor quality is the main driver behind the decision to exhibit at an event.
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