Trade Show Facts
- Trade Shows account for over 18% of the marketing budget of most companies today. Fortune 1,000 and 1,500 companies
- Corporate Trade Show budgets have increased by more than 50% in the last two years.
- The 200 largest US trade shows have over 100,000 participating companies spending a total of in excess of $40 billion every year.
- Trade shows were named as the sales tool with the greatest impact on the purchase of technology.
- 91% of visitors receive their most useful buying information from events and trade shows.
- 90% of attendees have not been seen by the exhibiting company in the past 12 months.
- 72% of purchasers reported that the show influenced their purchase decision.
- 76% of those attending trade shows select the vendors they are planning to see, even before they step foot on the trade show floor.
- 59% of all attendees make their purchase after the trade show is over.
- Trade Shows are growing at a rate of 10%-12% per years, and are expected to continue this growth for at least the next 5 years.
- Trade Shows continue to be the best source of information in making purchasing decisions.
- Trade Shows continue to capture the highest caliber of economic decision-makers.
- 47% of marketers view them as having the highest ROI of all marketing activities.
- 72% of customers identified them as their #1 buying influence.
- 86% of customers agree that they increase their likelihood of purchasing products.
- 68% agree that they deepen their existing relationship with the company. Trade Shows remain the principal buying venue in many industries.
- Major companies, usually have one major show, and two local or focused shows a quarter. With these trade shows they are able to keep their sales forces in qualified leads, and look forward to closing orders. Today it costs a company $550 to $850 for a salesperson to make a sales call.
- A company cannot afford to have sales people make “cold calls”. A sales person should be used to “close” orders, not generate suspects. Using trade shows as your source of qualified leads is the answer.
- Only one out of seven companies exhibiting at a trade show will be successful.
Sources: Center for Exhibit Industry Research, Simmons Market Research Bureau, and TSEA.