Analysts searching for a new key index of business optimism could do worse than looking at results from nine key events and conferences – including B2B segments heavily dependent on consumer spending – organized by Questex, a leading global business information company, in March and early April 2014.
Kerry C. Gumas, president and CEO, Questex, stated that largely attended tradeshows during the spring 2014 season have contributed to interest in future investments.
“This is a busy time every year for our show operators, but the Spring 2014 shows were remarkable for their record attendance, enthusiastic exhibitor presence and robust show dynamics,” said Gumas. “From global hotel group CEOs at our Berlin hotel investment forum, to tens of thousands of nightclub and bar professionals at our Las Vegas show, to the largest group of beauty, spa and wellness professionals ever at our events in New York, what we saw, in show after show, was enthusiasm and a desire to invest in future growth.”
Looking at the Spring 2014 events, Gumas noted:
- Optimism about global hotel development, financing and property values prevailed among the 2,000 delegates from 73 countries who attended the 17th annual International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin. The positive tone was reflected in presentations by 200 speakers during the three-day event. There was consensus that property values are increasing, banks are more willing to lend at sensible loan-to-value ratios and substantial international growth, reflected by the industry’s strong global pipeline, will continue to dominate the development agenda.
- Celebrating its 29th anniversary, the 2014 Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show drew tens of thousands of industry professionals to Las Vegas. Legacy brands, such as Anheuser-Busch, DIAGEO and MillerCoors, used the event to debut their newest offerings while emerging and start up brands seized the opportunity to showcase their products for industry power players. Bar owners, operators and industry leaders attending the Nightclub & Bar event and the co-located VIBE 2014 conference, where chain owners and representatives of the largest restaurant, bar and on-premise operations convene annually, were optimistic about the outlook for the on-premise market in 2014. Suppliers to the industry exhibiting at the event reported strong high-volume sales across all beverage categories and in mobile payments and POS, bar fixtures, lighting, sound and other product categories on display.
- Nearly 80,000 owners and professionals thronged to New York to attend the nation’s largest integrated event for the beauty salon and spa industry. The International Beauty Show New York (IBS) was a resounding success and drew almost 63,000 passionate and energetic beauty professionals. Co-located with IBS at the Javits Convention Center in New York, the 12th annual International Esthetics, Cosmetics and Spa Conference (IECSC) experienced record-breaking success as more than 14,900 spa and wellness professionals attended over the course of three days. Exhibitors reported strong attendance and significant orders on the busy show floor reflecting the strength of this sector.
- Manufacturers and suppliers exhibiting at the 14th annual ITEX National Conference and Expo in Las Vegas assessed the event a resounding commercial success, with orders and inquiries up sharply from the thousands of representatives from more than 1,000 office dealers, MSPs, VARs, system integrators and resellers in attendance at the industry’s premier event for the Channel.
In addition to tradeshows, Questex also specializes in “One-to-One” hosted buyer/appointment-based events that bring industry professionals together in intimate settings that foster communication and cross sharing of ideas, best practices and future business relationships.
Spring 2014 One-to-One events included:
- Suppliers reported strong buying interest from spa owners and operators attending the SPATECH Spring One-to-One event in Charlotte, N.C.
- Reflecting the strength of the Asia Pacific hotel market, management, operations and purchasing executives attending the HOTEC Asia One-to-One event in Chennai, India, expressed strong optimism for the sector’s continued growth in the region driven by new construction, openings and major renovation projects across the entire chain scale.
- International resort, hospitality and travel suppliers and destinations stated that demand was strong from UK MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) buyers and planners attending the CONFEC Red One-to-One event in Casablanca, Morocco, fueling continued optimism for the MICE category of the global travel industry.
