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IMEX 2010 post-show survey – buyers prove their spending power

Tuesday 10, August 2010

More than 1000 hosted buyers responded to the IMEX 2010 post-show survey and results show that the award-winning trade show continues to deliver on its promise of high quality exhibitors, outstanding networking and education and, above all, abundant business opportunities.

With the majority of buyers (79 per cent) spending over 12 hours on the show floor and nearly a quarter over 16 hours; meetings at IMEX continued to generate the highest possible levels of business between buyers and exhibitors. Survey results showed that hosted buyers placed orders of USD 450 million with exhibitors during the exhibition and expect to place over USD 2.2 billion of business with IMEX exhibitors in the coming 12 months – an increase of over 20 per cent on last year’s estimates. 40 per cent of IMEX hosted buyers confirmed in a separate survey that they have budgets in excess of USD 1 million per year. Over one quarter of respondents said that up to 40 per cent of their meetings at the show were with new companies they had not previously done business with. 

IMEX’s unique suite of online tools has proven to have a significant impact on the value of the show for both exhibitors and buyers, with 87 per cent of buyers rating the online diary in particular as ‘extremely or very useful’ and 73 per cent of exhibitors agreeing that the website tools significantly or somewhat improved their business performance at the exhibition. This resulted in a total of 57,000 business appointments made between buyers and exhibitors before and during IMEX in Frankfurt. The number of diary messages exchanged before and during IMEX also increased by 9 per cent to over 12,000. 

Important for business

96 per cent of respondents rated the show as ‘very important’ or ‘quite important’ for their business. 82 per cent attended to keep up to date with industry developments and to see ‘what’s new’, whilst 66 per cent visited the Frankfurt trade show specifically to meet new suppliers. The need to find inspiration and new ideas for the workplace was also a priority for 62 per cent. 

When asked which market trends or services caught their attention, a number of first-time and regular visitors picked out new technology innovations, the online delivery of educational content, a focus on CSR and green meetings, plus innovative incentive and event solutions which ‘touch the senses’ or focus on the art and culture of a destination. The sheer variety of exhibitors and destinations at IMEX 2010 also caught buyers’ attention, with one buyer commenting: “After decades in the business, I became acquainted with destinations I had barely heard about before.”

Finally, as debate about the role and proliferation of virtual events compared to the value of live events continues to dominate industry thinking, respondents were asked which factors figure in the choice of exhibitions they visit annually. For 52 per cent it is the overall reputation of the show, whereas 74 per cent are sensitive to the quality of companies exhibiting. 48 per cent still regard the quantity of exhibitors as important, whereas 51 per cent consider the global nature of the show their most important decision-making factor.

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