| Contact: Craig Nauta Managing Director Center for Exhibition Industry Research +1 (972) 687-9242 cnauta@ceir.org PCMA Education Foundation Awards $75,000 to CEIR
DALLAS, 23 February 2007 - The Center for Exhibition Industry (CEIR) has been awarded $75,000 by the PCMA Education Foundation in favor of two major research initiatives. The significant growth of the exhibition industry has fostered the development of a number of techniques to help exhibiting companies measure performance and outcomes from exhibitions and events. The grant designates $50,000 to identify and report on the various techniques in use in an attempt to develop a rate-of-return calculator tool especially for the exhibition industry. This project will initially focus on scientific and healthcare events.
For the first time in United States history, exhibitions are the top marketing expenditure for American companies. Exhibitions have demonstrated their marketing power, yet sometimes a key exhibitor, or an exhibitor who is a marketplace leader, diverts budget dollars from exhibitions to other marketing outlets such as private events and the Internet. These dynamics have not been widely studied; therefore $25,000 was awarded to identify the events that have been able to retain major exhibitors, as well as those that have experienced the departure of a major exhibitor. Extensive interview processes will uncover and examine the techniques, adjustments, and strategies organizers and contractors have used and are using to manage this unique relationship and to keep major companies participating in exhibitions.
"We are excited to have the generous support of PCMA Education Foundation and the opportunity to develop these new projects," says Doug Ducate, president of CEIR. "Both projects are important and timely issues at play in our industry, and prioritizing these reports is further evidence of CEIR's commitment to producing the knowledge tools needed to improve business performance."
Earlier this year, CEIR was the recipient of a one-time grant of $1.0 million from the World Shoe Associations (WSA), the nonprofit organization that has produced the world's largest footwear and accessories trade shows.
About CEIR
The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) serves to advance the growth, awareness and value of exhibitions and other face-to-face marketing events by producing and delivering research-based knowledge tools that enable stakeholder organizations to enhance their ability to meet current and emerging customer needs, improve their business performance and strengthen their competitive position. For additional information, go to www.ceir.org.
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