The primary reason attendees visit a B2B exhibition is still to find new products and vendors, as it has been for decades now, says the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) in a new report. 80% of attendees surveyed said that was a reason for attending, including 53% who cited it as a top-2 reason. Just as important: a far lesser proportion said they attend exhibitions to look for specific products and vendors (57% naming it a reason; 12% a top-2). That means that exhibitors not only have a willing audience, but one that is open to suggestion.
Still, the sales cycle is by no means immediate. Just 22% of respondents said that a reason for attending was to make a purchase, and only 5% cited that as a top-2 reason. That not only reflects the longer B2B sales cycle, but also the finding that attendees are not necessarily driven to attend by specific vendors and products in which they already have an interest. Read the rest at MarketingCharts.
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