Press Releases

Vital Statistics: Highlights Events' Successes

Events and event marketing enjoyed a surplus of success in 2006 as people flocked to take part and experience the new, the traditional and the reinvigorated. Visitors voted with their feet in response to marketeers renewed recognition and innovative use of the ultimate in permission marketing. Exciting, interactive and experiential, events in 2006 produced some amazing growth statistics reflecting the buoyant industry. The numbers include;

• The International Caravan & Motorhome was a huge launch event that filled 80,000m2 of the NEC making it 40% bigger than any other caravan show in the country. More than 72,000 visitors attended, 5,000 caravans were sold representing more than 10% of total annual sales in the UK.
• British International Motor Show drew 411,070 visitors, 23% up from previous edition in 2004, promoted with outstanding creative work combining the iconic London Eye.
• The live event in Regents Park, Taste Of London has seen continuous growth in attendance from an initial 14,000 in 2004 up 260% in just 2 years to 36,000. So successful is it that organisers launched Taste Of Birmingham in 2006 that saw more than 17,000 ‘foodies’ attend the city’s Cannon Hill Park, 40% more than anticipated.
• The extraordinary success story of Grand Designs ‘live’ continued in 2006 as the second edition added over 10,000 visitors to its incredible 2005 launch show total, with 50,000+ attendees plus an extra 200 companies exhibiting at the show – a 19% increase.
  • In the B2B sector, Leisure Industry Week saw its NEC attendance up by 15% while the London Book Fair’s rose by 5.3% with 24,000 global industry professionals visiting.
• The Daily Mail Ideal Home Show, still the largest consumer event, drew 364,950 visitors in 2006 who spent £250m shopping at the show.

These very tangible successes amply demonstrate the power of events. Recent research corroborates the evidence, with experiential marketing (38%) and friend 'word of mouth' (26%) being identified as the two most likely media/methods leading to product purchase with the Jack Morton report also showing that live marketing is best medium for stimulating 'word of mouth.'

2007 bodes well for the events industry as more marketeers appreciate that live events are the most engaging form of brand communication (89% 24-37 year olds). The fact that events are only medium that cannot be ‘duplicated’ online and actually combine very well with innovative new media campaigns to bring virtual experiences to life, has seen the likes of O2, Microsoft, Google and Channel 4 taking stakes in the industry.

The 2005 KPMG Economic Impact Study estimated the exhibitions sector alone to be valued at £9.3 billion annually attracting 17 million visitors to the UK each year. As marketeers switch on to the power of events, bigger players enter the market and the Olympics focus government’s attention on the sector, the industry’s vital statistics will only move one way.

By Trevor Foley, Chief Executive of Events Industry Alliance

Business To Business Events Spring Fair (giftware) World Travel Market Professional Beauty & Professional Spa Furniture Show IFE-The International Food & Drink Exhibition Autumn Fair Offshore Europe IFSEC Incorporating Security Solutions & Network Advantage 100% Design BETT

Attendance 79,939 43,763 40,254 39,327 34,331 32,518 32,104 31,774 29,494 27,015

Consumer Shows Attendance British International Motor Show Daily Mail Ideal Home Show Clotheshow Live Schroders London Boat Show BBC Good Food Show Southampton International Boat Show BBC Gardeners World Live Autumn Ideal Home Show Autosport International Ideal Home Show Scotland MCN London Motorcycle Show

Attendance 411,070 364,950 178,118 154,041 134,516 123,325 121,570 88,168 87,545 65,826 60,891

KPMG Economic Impact Study – October 2005

Industry Statistics (Exhibition only)

• Economic impact £9.3 billion
• £1 billion tax revenues
• 137,000 full time job equivalents
• 17 million visitors each year
• 7% of visitors and 13% of exhibitors are from overseas

Where’s the impact? (Exhibition only)

• Hotels: £720 million (equates to approximately 19 million bed nights p.a.)
• Food and Beverage: £403 million
• Shopping: £312 million
• Travel: £258 million
• Entertainment £179 million

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Notes to Editors

About the EIA: www.eventsindustryalliance.com

The Events Industry Alliance (EIA) is the new marketing arm for the exhibitions and events industry, tasked with telling business leaders and media planners about the huge prospects for business growth through the medium of “Face to Face Marketing”, and increasing recognition in Government of the considerable value of the industry to the UK economy.

This new body has been formed by and is equally owned by members of three associations that have increasingly worked together to speak with one powerful voice for the industry:

• The Association of Exhibition Contractors (AEC)
• The Association of Exhibition Organisers (AEO)
• The Association of Event Venues (AEV)

The EIA aims to:

1. Provide a single stronger voice for the industry
2. Better resource industry promotion activities
3. Enable greater sharing of information and intellect between existing association parties and new communities
4. Increase professionalism within and knowledge of the industry at all levels within member companies, In order that all members can run existing events more successfully and win more exhibition/event business.

For more information, visit the website at www.eventsindustryalliance.com

Contact
Events Industry Alliance (EIA)
Declan Gane, EIA PR Manager
Email: declan@eventsindustryalliance.com
Events Industry Alliance (EIA)
119 High Street
Berkhamsted
Hertfordshire
HP4 2DJ
Telephone: (01442) 873331
Facsimile: (01442) 875551