New York, NY – The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) will have some good news to share with trade show industry executives at Predict, its annual economic forecast conference, on September 15. CEIR announced in late August that the numbers for the first half of 2011 showed the trade show industry outperforming the overall U.S. economy. According to CEIR, the exhibition industry grew 2.4% in the first six months of the year compared to the same period of 2010. The overall economy grew only 1.9%.
The three major show metrics – attendance, number of exhibitors and exhibit space sold – all reversed course from their 2010 declines. Growth, however, was relatively modest with a 2.8% increase in exhibit space, 1.0% for attendance and 0.5% for exhibitors.
“Like the economy, exhibitions are showing strong signs of life through 2010 into 2011,” said CEIR economist Jeffrey Werling. “Can robust recovery continue despite anemic employment growth?”
That question and other issues related to trade shows will be explored by Werling, fellow CEIR economist Allen Shaw and other high-powered speakers at Predict, which will take place at the Time Warner Center in New York City. The agenda includes presentations by David Loechner, president of Nielsen Exhibitions; Thomas Kemp, chairman and CEO of Northstar Travel Media LLC, Freeman Executive Vice President Robert Priest-Heck, and Nancy Walsh, executive vice president of Reed Exhibitions.
Attendance is limited to 200 qualified C-level executives from the exhibition industry and financial sector.
Trade Show Executive is the media sponsor of the event.
Reach Doug Ducate, CEIR president and CEO, at (972) 687-9242 or dducate@ceir.org
