Speaking at UFI's Congress, jwc's Jochen Witt told audiences that Brexit, immigration and the rise of nationalism are among the world's concerns.
"I'm not sure if a 'soft' Brexit option is possible at this stage," he told audiences at UFI's Shanghai Congress. "I believe a hard Brexit would impact on Britain's domestic shows, making the market more internally focused."
He expressed regret that Europe had failed to adequately house the two million refugees fleeing from Syria, adding that immigration in general would have to be tackled by European countries to prevent the region 'falling apart'. He also labelled the increase in far-right political parties as a concern.
General trends outline by Witt included France's exhibition market increasing in exhibitors but shrinking in space. Germany, meanwhile, was leading growth in Europe, but the world, Witt said, would suffer if Europe fails.
In Asia, Witt said, the growing economies are boosting the trade show market. Trade show KPIs showed a steady increase since 2007.
In the USA, Witt said the trade show market would grow by 2-3 per cent. He put the world's general growth rate at 3.5-4% in 2017-18.
Other interesting insights included statistics showing that, although IT was the most pursued market for exhibitions in the future, it was one of the most under-performing in terms of success.
