Skift Take
The newest analysis from Freeman digs into the present exhibitor mindset and what they’re actually searching for from occasions.
Dynamics are shifting within the conferences business, and exhibitors are altering. They’re youthful, extra feminine, and pushed by a broader set of goals and occasion sorts.
The newest Freeman developments report focuses on exhibitors’ wants. That is the newest report within the analysis sequence carried out by Freeman.
A whopping 72% of the survey’s 1,911 respondents reported exhibiting at numerous sorts of occasions past simply tradeshows. Along with tradeshows, they’re extra prone to exhibit at consumer conferences and shopper occasions or execute their very own unbiased occasions. Most exhibit groups now report back to the chief advertising and marketing officer, which has led to an occasion evolution.
“The competitors is heating up for the place exhibitors are spending their {dollars},” says Ken Holsinger, senior vice chairman of technique and analysis at Freeman.
Youthful Exhibitors and Attendees
The report reveals that exhibitors are youthful and extra feminine. In comparison with Freeman’s final exhibitor report, there are 3% extra Gen Zers, 12% extra Millennials, 6% fewer Gen Zers, and 9% fewer Boomers, resulting in an total lower in common age from 51 right down to 47 in lower than a 12 months. It’s crucial that assembly professionals take into account this age shift and the dynamics that align with it in planning their occasions.
The age shift has additionally created an fascinating state of affairs by which exhibitors and attendees are aligned from an age standpoint. On the similar time, assembly professionals are about eight to 9 years older, says Holsinger. That is making a disconnect. “In sure classes, organizers have just about gone again to a rinse and repeat of what they’ve all the time achieved of their conferences. After you’ve attended one or two of these post-pandemic, you may make a shift and take a look at some totally different conferences and take a look at some totally different alternatives each as an attendee and an exhibitor.”
Exhibitors Attend Tradeshows to Do Extra Than Promote
There’s a false impression that exhibitors attend occasions solely to promote. The developments report signifies that networking is simply as essential. Commerce was ranked by 33 %, and networking by 32 %. “A part of the shift towards networking for exhibitors is the shift in generations,” Holsinger mentioned.
Coinciding with this, exhibitors are designing cubicles with networking in thoughts. Most of the bigger cubicles have seating areas for personal locations to attach.
The survey reviews that exhibitors can improve their ROI by receiving attendee lists forward of time to arrange networking alternatives.
As well as, Holsinger stresses the significance of ongoing networking. “The largest hole within the total commerce present stream is connection stops at registration and on the completion of the occasion,” Holsinger mentioned. “Networking must be steady and ongoing.”
Attendees and exhibitors need to bond over shared skilled challenges and matters. Pace relationship over hors d’oeuvres isn’t slicing it anymore. Any such networking generally is a helpful ancillary – however it’s not adequate by itself. Occasion attendees could be higher served if organizers devoted extra time to valued types of networking.
“Don’t depend on serendipity,” says Holsinger. “Given at present’s tech and tempo of communication how is it potential to go away these conferences to probability?”
