What is the trade show industry going to look like in a post-pandemic “new normal?” That is the burning question the Predict Annual Exhibition Industry Outlook Conference will attempt to answer when it takes place Sept.
[co-authors: Geoff Serednesky, Reddhi Mitra, Jose Silva]
The rise of virtual events raises questions about the state of in-person trade shows. An FTI Consulting survey shows there’s an appetite for a new model.
For years, trade shows have played a prominent role in business, serving as the backbone for networking and product showcasing. That operating principle got shelved with the arrival of COVID-19, however. Without the freedom to stage in-person events, trade shows took a major financial hit in 2020, resulting in an economic loss of $14 billion to $22 billion according to an estimate by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research.
CEIR publishes second part of its Global Virtual Event Trends research
The Centre for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) has released the second part in its three-part Global Virtual Event Trends series.
‘Lessons Learned to Date and Technologies Used’ collected results to open-ended questions about virtual events. The report was sponsored by virtual event platform Swapcard.
It can be viewed at
A statement from CEIR said: “[Virtual events] appeared almost overnight like a volcanic eruption [in 2020]. When Covid-19 brought the industry to a screeching halt, B2B exhibition organizers who were forced to cancel in-person events flipped to offering events online.
US tradeshow sector forms new advocacy alliance
A coalition of eight US event industry associations has formed a new advocacy group, the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA), to lobby the interests of the US exhibitions and conference sector with legislators.
ECA describes its role as being, “to help government officials understand the important role events have on economies and job creation. We promote the impact of the sector, drive general industry awareness, monitor legislative issues, advocate for the industry’s common interests, and work with partners globally as needed, to maintain a favorable operating environment within the US.
“ECA provides a long-term strategy focused on creating substantive relationships with policymakers and ensuring priority matters are heard”.
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has tapped
Marie-Laure Bellon to serve as its next COO, effective March 1. She will work out of the organization’s Paris headquarters.
Bellon is currently the CEO and general manager of French exhibition organizer Eurovet, a trade show organizer for lingerie and swimwear, and a subsidiary of Comexposium and the French Knitting and Lingerie Federation.
She has held various senior executive positions over the years at Eurovet, including the strategic positioning and restructuring of the business, launching new activities in Asia and the U.S. and leading the organization’s overall international development. Her career also includes leadership positions in management and business development for Reed Expositions France.