Meeting News - September 21, 2009 - (Page 38)

Dateline: Las Vegas NAB Trade Show Gives Las Vegas 50 Billion Reasons To Wait For Recovery By Andrea Doyle Successful Meetings lenging economic landscape is tracking return on investment. NAB prides itself on being an association that actually tracks ROI. The show’s economic impact on Las Vegas was $130 million. In tracking the return on investment its annual trade show generates, NAB found $50 billion in sales from 1,600 exhibitors and 84,000 attendees. After the show in April, the NAB e-mailed a post-show survey, with the help of Red Bank, N.J.-based Exhibit Surveys, to 10,000 attendees to track the buying and selling. Responses came from 784 participants, or 8 percent. “This is the response rate they get on most surveys. E-mail and survey fatigue come into play as well as issues with spam filters,” said Brown. “I’d like to see the number higher, but it is what it is.” The results showed that a total of 78 percent either purchased products or services from exhibiting companies onsite, or plan to purchase within the next year. Four percent purchased onsite, 58 percent will purchase within one NAB’s Brown: Trade shows are effective and efficient. The National Association of Broadcasters runs a media trade show that generates $50 billion in global sales—and they want everyone to know it. Broadcasters from all walks, or in this case, talks, of the industry converge on Las Vegas every April. The city couldn’t have been happier to welcome them this year, in light of the sputtering economy and AIG backlash. The National Association of Broadcasters show is the largest electronic media event in the world. In a truly international gathering, attendees came from more than 160 countries to attend the 2009 show, April 18 to 23, that focuses on traditional broadcast outlets like radio and television as well as new media technologies. This has been a unique year for 38 MeetingNews the industry, and so it was at the NAB show. Many came to Las Vegas without the entourages they had in the past but they still came to do business. NAB followed up with attendees and exhibitors to gauge how much business was transacted as part of its post-show ROI analysis. Generating $50 billion in sales was no easy feat this year. From subsidizing key attendees to expanding the discount time for registration, NAB undertook a full-court press to make this year’s show a success. “People attend trade shows to do business, and real business is done. It’s the perfect thing to do in this environment, and those who are proactive will win in the end,” said Chris Brown, NAB’s executive vice president of conventions and business operations, who is responsible for producing the show. “Trade shows are effective and efficient. These are not travel jaunts people take for the heck of it. Where else can you make contact with tens of thousands of peo- “Real business is done at trade shows. Those proactive in this envronment will win in the end. ” —Chris Brown, NAB’s executive vice president of conventions and business operations ple, all the best minds, all the best ideas? You just don’t know who you’ll run across, or what you’ll hear, that will spark a new idea.” One key step to the organization ensuring that this year’s event achieved success in a very chal- year, and 16 percent purchased both onsite and will within one year. The average planned expenditure reported by respondents is $921,000. “Actual spending by specific continued on page 40 www.meetingnews.com Photos: Matt Furman September 21, 2009 http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - September 21, 2009

Meeting News - September 21, 2009

Contents
Pricing Forecast
Newsmaker
Meetings Spotlight
Event Profile

Meeting News - September 21, 2009

Meeting News - September 21, 2009 -

Meeting News - September 21, 2009

(Page Cover1)
Meeting News - September 21, 2009 -

Meeting News - September 21, 2009