CEIR Index First Quarter Results Report 1.3% Increase for Eleven Quarters of Consecutive Growth but Lags Behind Macro Economy as Real GDP Gains 1.8%

DALLAS, 13 June 2013 – Steadied growth for 2013 is the outlook for the exhibition industry based on first quarter results reported today by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR). Data collected for the first quarter of 2013 CEIR Index was in line with CEIR forecast and reveals that the Total Index increased by 1.3 percent compared to the same period in 2012, but fell behind real GDP which gained 1.8 percent during the same period.

This was a modest acceleration from the 0.9 percent growth seen in the fourth quarter of 2012. Growth from the individual metrics are promising with the most substantial gains seen in Net Square feet gaining 2.3 percent followed by Exhibitors which showed a 2.2 percent increase, and Real Revenues increased by 1.0 percent; however, there was a slight decline of 0.2 percent in Attendees which is attributed to the weakness of government employee participation.

CEIR Total Index for the Overall Exhibition Industry vs. Quarterly Real GDP

“Overall, the first-quarter results are positive and confirm that the exhibition industry has survived and emerged from the recession,” says CEIR’s economist Allen Shaw, Ph.D., Chief Economist for Global Economic Consulting Associates, Inc. “With eleven consecutive quarters of growth as well as our predictions closely matching outcomes, we are confident in the continued growth and progress of the industry.”

Quarterly CEIR Index Total for Overall Exhibition Industry, Yeaer-on-Year Percent Change

“With the decline in Attendance, we are closely monitoring business-to-business exhibitions especially for trade shows that depend on government employees’ participation to determine how much of the attendance decline is directly attributable to Sequestration,” says CEIR President and CEO Douglas L. Ducate, CEM, CMP. “Based on media reports from lawmakers in Washington, it appears unlikely that both parties will reach an agreement on a “grand bargain” in the near future; therefore, this period of uncertainty is likely to continue through 2013.”

As an objective measure of the annual performance of the exhibition industry, the CEIR Index measures year-over-year changes in four key metrics to determine overall performance: Net Square Feet of Exhibit Space Sold; Professional Attendance; Number of Exhibiting Companies; and Gross Revenue. The CEIR Index provides exhibition industry performance across 14 key industry sectors: Business Services; Consumer Goods; Discretionary Consumer Services; Education; Food; Financial, Legal and Real Estate; Government; Building, Construction, Home and Repair; Industrial/Heavy Machinery and Finished Business Inputs; Communications and Information Technology; Medical and Health Care; Raw Materials and Science; Sporting Goods, Travel and Entertainment; and Transportation.

For more information about the CEIR Index, an Analysis of the 2012 Exhibition Industry and Future Outlook report or Predict – CEIR’s Annual Exhibition Industry Outlook Conference, contact CEIR Executive Director Cathy Breden, CAE, CMP, at cbreden@ceir.org or +1 (972) 687-9201.

About CEIR
CEIR serves to advance the growth, awareness and value of exhibitions and other face-to-face marketing events by producing and delivering knowledge-based research 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, visit www.ceir.org.

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Media Contact:
Susan Brower, CMM, CCP                    
sbrower@ceir.org
+1 (972) 687-9207