Issue link: https://tradeshowexecutive.epubxp.com/i/107551
TS E DA S H BOA R D SPONSORED BY December Trade Shows Reflected Upward Mobility BY DARLENE GUDEA, president; CAROL ANDREWS, editor-at-large, and HIL ANDERSON, senior editor Oceanside, CA – Te month of December wrapped up a year in which predictions of a frustratingly slow economic recovery were right on the money. In any slowdown, attendee participation generally refects the most vulnerability, and December held true to form, eking out only a 0.9% growth in attendance for the month of December. Exhibitor growth and net square footage bucked economic trends and jumped 3.3% and 3.1% respectively, refecting a position of strength and ofering a glimmer of hope that trade shows would continue on that path in 2013. Q4 was disappointing, with lackluster growth in all three metrics. Net square feet was the growth leader at 2.1% but that was nothing to write home about. Exhibitor growth disappointed with a 0.9% increase, and attendance growth came in at a sluggish 1.3%. Full-year performance was so so. Net square footage rose 2.4%, exhibitor growth was a weak 1.5%, and attendance outshined both with a 2.9% growth. What does 2013 have in store for the trade show industry? TSE's Exposition Forecasting Board has some interesting insights [see pages 25 to 29]. And 150 shows managed to rise above the fray, growing at least seven times the average. Trade Show Executive and more than 20 sponsors will honor this elite group — 50 in each metric — at the Fastest 50 Awards & Summit at the Swissôtel in Chicago May 8-10. A Closer Look at December Tere were 13 trade shows included in TSE's December Dashboard, only three of which were 100,000 nsf or larger. Just two shows — POWER-GEN International and the International WorkBoat Show — were large enough to be on the TSE Gold 100 rankings of largest U.S. trade shows. One show, Te Running Event in Austin, TX — made the TSE Fastest 50; however, its dizzying 88% reported increase in exhibit space was too rich to be included in the adjusted totals for the Dashboard. Te adjusted totals for December (which excludes shows without 2011 metrics) refected 1,092,154 nsf of exhibit space plus 4,780 exhibitors and 104,957 attendees. Tat worked out to 91,013 nsf per show. Exhibitors averaged 398 per show and attendance averaged 8,746. Generating Crowds Te largest show surveyed for the Dashboard was POWER-GEN International, which enjoyed a 3.9% increase in exhibit space to 382,300 nsf. Attendance in Orlando took a 6.1% jump to a record 21,570 and the number of exhibitors grew 6.0% to 1,327. PennWell Corp. has grown POWERGEN into a show that encompasses all aspects of electricity generation. Te show is actually four co-located events. Along with POWER-GEN proper, the agenda included Renewable Energy World North America Conference & Expo, NUCLEAR POWER International and the Financial Forum, a specialized networking and educational event for corporate level project developer and fnancial types. "We are extremely pleased with the success of POWER-GEN International and the co-located events," said Richard Baker, senior vice president of the PennWell Power Group. "Te momentum seen by these four events underscores the importance of such a platform to the industry. It also reafrms the growth in the power generation sector." PennWell has also parlayed the synergy between its trade show and industry publication Power Engineering into an enticing draw for advertisers. Regular advertisers in Power Engineering received a $4 per square foot discount on booth space for 2013; however, exhibitors were encouraged to book quickly since the rates went up in mid January. Growth Leaders Humming Along. Business was brisk at POWER-GEN International where attendance and exhibitor count were both up 6%. Exhibit space also grew nearly 4% to 382,300 nsf. Te Running Event. More exhibitors and larger booths ran up the totals for the sporting goods show held in Austin, TX. Formula4Media said many of the 2012 exhibitors booked more space for the introduction of the latest in shoes, attire and other products for serious runners. Exhibit space reached 94,000 nsf, a whopping 88% jump from the 50,000 nsf in 2011. Exhibitors increased by 18% to 295 and attendance grew 25.1% Continued on page 32 30 February 2013 | Trade Show Executive