The impact of the government sector on education; medical and health care; sporting goods, travel and amusement; and the transportation sectors that directly impact the exhibition industry is the focus of in New York City.

The keynote address, “Outlook for the Global Economy and its Impact on the Exhibition Industry,” will be presented by John Walker, chairman and chief economist, Oxford Economics. His address includes an overview of the geo-political and geo-economic situation as well as the outlook for the global economy through 2014.

"Some of the problems from last year, like the Tsunami in Japan, have gone away. And some problems, like higher commodity prices, have eased at least temporarily. But many of the issues, such as the Euro crisis, are still of huge concern. In addition, potential fiscal tightening in the U.S. next year (the fiscal cliff) and a slowdown in emerging markets, such as China, suggest the dangers and uncertainty are at least as bad as 2011,” said Walker.

In addition to global economic uncertainty, Walker will discuss opportunities for the exhibition industry.

“Despite these issues, many sectors continue to do quite well. For many companies, the key is to change the focus from problem areas to ones that will be resilient in difficult times,” said Walker.

Other sessions offered for C-level executives at CEIR Predict include discussions of the changes in the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America code and the U.S. Affordable Care Act’s impact on the exhibition industry. Discussions on consumer spending, legal decisions in health care spending, employer changes in health care benefits and how the forecast for continued recovery and improving consumer confidence are impacting various economic sectors and their influence on the exhibition industry also are scheduled.

"Health care … is coming under harsh scrutiny from regulators that are creating uncertainty among the public. That uncertainty, coupled with an anemic economy, inhibits discretionary leisure spending that impacts sporting goods, travel and amusements,” said Dave Noonan, deputy executive vice president, American Academy of Ophthalmology. “Our session will focus on these business sectors we depend on for our standard of living, our quality of life and our ability to compete globally. Experts will focus on our future."

CEIR Predict is scheduled for Sept. 13 at the Time Warner Center in New York City. Researchers use the CEIR Index to provide an objective measurement of the annual performance of the exhibition industry, measuring year-over-year changes and making predictions through 2014. Attendees will share best practices, ideas and future strategies, including projected event growth, merger and acquisition strategies and planned launches. Attendance is limited to allow for an intimate, high-level idea exchange about the future of the exhibition industry and implications for specific business sectors and their supporting exhibitions.