Exhibitions by far are the best way to engage in face-to-face business interactions, according to a new report by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR).
CEIR has released its first findings of a series of reports that will be released over the next three months from the firm’s landmark study, “The Role and Value of Face-to-Face Interaction.” The study examines the long-term value of face-to-face marketing and exhibitions in particular in light of major economic fluctuations and the influx of technology and alternative-marketing tactics, including digital media. More than 9,000 attendees and 800 exhibitors participated in the initiative.
The first report provides an overview of attendee and exhibitor perceptions and perspectives of face-to-face interactions they engage in during normal business practices, including business-to-business exhibitions and other face-to-face interaction settings.
Among the findings, both audiences rank exhibitions highest in terms of the value of face-to-face interactions from a list of 10 possible options, including sales calls, exhibits, conventions, annual meetings, educational conferences – with or without an exhibit component, and hosted-buyer events, to name a few. For attendees, the exhibition setting is the top rated, with 48 percent, ranking it first over all other listed options. In-person sales calls are a distant second at 26 percent.
CEIR Research Director, PRC, “The results of this study, last conducted in 2002, validate the enduring value of face-to-face marketing and use of business-to-business exhibitions in particular,” said Nancy Drapeau, research director, CEIR. “The economy has impacted exhibitions; however, study results point to a positive outlook moving forward.”
The study was made possible by a grant from the Exhibition Industry Foundation and is available at www.ceir.org. Members of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events can access the CEIR library and reports at no cost.
CEIR serves to advance the growth, awareness and value of exhibitions and other face-to-face marketing events by producing and delivering knowledge-based research tools that enable stakeholder organizations to enhance their ability to meet current and emerging customer needs, improve their business performance and strengthen their competitive position.
