Executive Summary
The Exhibition Venues Association (EVA) recorded some 10.7 million visitors to 841 exhibitions in 1997. As in previous years, the sectors holding the largest numbers of exhibitions were service and related industries, and arts, culture, hobbies, recreation and sport. The sector attracting the most visitors, however, was that of lifestyle, homes and giftware, with its large consumer exhibitions.
Exhibitors spent £849m at these 841 events, 75% of which were of 2 or 3 days duration. Visitor expenditure at exhibitions was estimated at £620m in 1997 and expenditure on conferences £4.3bn.
The publication Meetings & Incentive Travel describes 1998 as a boom year for the industry, with turnovers of the UK’s leading event agencies up by 25%, although it is quick to add that pre-tax profits as a percentage of turnover are still, at an average of 3.6%, very low in a labour-intensive business.
There continues to be a demand for added value for money, with organisers wanting choice, flexibility and higher standards. Emphasis remains on added entertainment and interactivity as venues and organisers strive together to make the buying of exhibition and conference services enjoyable for the organisers, delegates and visitors.
Once persuaded of the necessity of attending events, visitors, delegates and exhibitors want to remain in close contact with their bases and have come to expect access to administrative support, e-mail facilities, telephones and fax machines. A recent survey on the UK conference market has found that 83% of UK conference venues are currently investing heavily in these facilities.
Competition amongst UK venues is already fierce and the domestic industry is further threatened by the continued strength of sterling and the fact that other countries are receiving government subsidies to develop their business tourism.
On another cautionary note, several recent independent surveys have indicated a significant slowdown in the economy, with business confidence at its lowest for at least 5 years. The pessimism is said to be spreading from exporters to the domestic economy and from manufacturing to the service, retail and wholesale sectors.
Fifth Edition 1998
Edited by Dominic Fenn
ISBN 1-85765-854-X
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