Feature
Most critical issue with shift in time
Inititatives taken by event organisers
26.9%
1.
2.
3.
Visitors not willing or able to travel
19.4%
Lack of revenues / cash flow issues
14.9%
Overlapping calendar of other events
14.6%
Availability of venues to re-schedule
government and public
administration assistance,
followed by greater openness
to digitalisation and
technology and co-operation
between events (i.e. working
together to create functional
calendars for the remainder
of the year).
More than 40% said
they were not expecting
a recovery in terms of
revenues and number of
international visitors to
pre-pandemic figures before
8.2%
Cyclicality and seasonality of the
market
7.5%
Availability of some key exhibitors
5.2%
Non-recoverable expenses / increase in costs
3.4%
Other
2022.
Even though almost 50%
of respondents think the
industry reacted well to this
crisis, there is still doubt
around just how many
events can take place in the
second half of 2020; 72%
agree that support from
the government is crucial
in order to overcome the
current challenges.
Digitalisation, Big Data,
and AI will be the top three
technologies in terms of
4.
5.
1. Webinars 2. Virtual events Digital Matchmaking
65.2% 45.4% 43.6%
4. E-commerce 5. No new initiatives
22.3% 11.3%
impact on the exhibition
industry in the coming
years, the GRS research
found, and the market will
benefit organisers who will
be successful in providing
effective matchmaking
solutions and year-round
networking opportunities.
There is a significant
interest towards virtual
events, which should benefit
participants particularly
when it comes to knowing
what’s new in the market and
participating in seminars
and conferences. These are
perceived as short-term
solutions to overcome the
current restrictions, and will
possibly be complementary
to physical events, but are
not expected to represent a
threat nor to replace physical
tradeshows.
The Voice of the Exhibition
Industry research was carried
out in June 2020, with over 550
respondents from around the
world. The full report can be
accessed on the Expo Network
website.
www.outlook.exponetwork.it/
en/results
Technologies with
bigger impact
Digitalisation (i.e. access to
content at any time)
77.9%
Virtual /
Augumented
reality
43.6% Internet of
Things
39.2%
Block-chain
22.1%
Artificial
intelligence
(i.e. improving
matchmaking)
56.6%
Big Data
(i.e. more effective
use of available
information)
57.7%
Other
1.0%
September — 43