UFI Survey Indicates Global Trade Show Growth in 2013

January 21, 2014

UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry’s recently released 12th Global Barometer survey has some good news to end 2013, with the results indicating overall growth still occurring for most companies worldwide.

Taking into account the results for the past five years, the survey also indicated that a majority of companies in all regions had an increase of their turnover since at least 2011.

In addition, approximately one company out of two had an increase of more than 10 percent for 2013.

“While we shall remain cautious about the development of the global economic situation, the exhibition media continues to demonstrate its strength with growth over the last four years,” said Paul Woodward, UFI managing director.

He added, “The industry remains remarkably dynamic with a majority of companies positively embracing the challenges of new ranges of activity or geographical development.”

These results are in line with the U.S.-based Center for Exhibition Industry Research that indicated slight overall growth for the industry last year, but slowing compared with the previous year.

Asia and the Americas still remain particularly strong, with seven and eight out of 10 companies showing increases this past year, though the second half of 2014 is more conservative in the U.S., with four out of 10 companies expecting increases.

In the Middle East, Africa and Europe last year, six out of 10 companies also saw upticks in growth.

Still, 63 percent of the respondents responded that the impact of the “economic crisis” on their business is not yet over and most of them expect that it won’t be until 2015.

In the meantime, most companies are planning new strategic developments, with 75 percent planning new activities in either the classic range of exhibition activities (venue/organizer/services) or in live or virtual events (or both) and 49 percent planning to expand exhibition operations to new countries.

The 12th Global Barometer survey was conducted in December 2013 and was answered by 178 companies from 57 countries.

Full results of the 12th Global Barometer Survey can be complimentarily downloaded at www.ufi.org/research.

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