The value of exhibitions: the top statistics

At The Barista, it’s our mission to effortlessly boost your brand presence at events where you need to make a lasting impression. Our mobile coffee stands and team of friendly, professional baristas look after your visitors by providing them with excellent quality coffee and drinks – not to mention unbeatable service – throughout the day.

Now that face-to-face events are back in full swing after a couple of years of pandemic-related uncertainty, we thought it was a perfect time for a reminder of the value that exhibitions and trade shows can bring to your business.

Keep reading for some of the most interesting stats about exhibitions.

52% of guests at an exhibition are more likely to visit a stand if they’re offering a giveaway or freebie.

Let’s face it, we all love a freebie. Princeton Marketing found that over half of guests at an exhibition will be drawn to a stand that’s offering a giveaway or a freebie. This could be a competition for attendees to enter, a sample or demonstration of your product, or something as simple as serving fresh coffee at exhibitions to your guests.

81% of trade show attendees have buying authority.

According to CEIR, a large majority of trade show attendees (81%) have buying authority. This highlights the importance of making a great first impression at events – there’s a high likelihood that the person you’re speaking to at your stand has some degree of buying influence within their company.

The average attendee at a trade show spends 5.5 hours there.

Exhibitions and trade shows usually mean long days, both for exhibitors and guests. FaceTime found that on average, attendees spend 5 and a half hours at a trade show. That’s more than enough time to browse the various stands and get a good idea of what’s on offer, but it’s still important to make sure your stand is worthy of visitors’ time.

Impressing potential customers with an eye-catching stand or offering something a little different is a wonderful idea if you’d like to take your guests from browsing to engaged. For potentially long and tiring days, looking after your guests with a great cup of coffee helps them get a much-needed caffeine boost while showing that you value their time.

Almost half of trade show attendees only attend one show per year.

In research conducted by Freeman Exhibit Surveys, it was found that 46% of guests at a trade show only attend one show a year. This stat shines a light on the importance of making a memorable first impression – if the exhibition or trade show is the only one that an attendee is visiting that year, their time is precious. This also shows that many guests will be true specialists in their field and will have hand-picked the one show that’s most likely to be relevant to their needs.

71% of SMEs have generated new business using face-to-face networking like trade shows.

Trade shows and exhibitions can offer an incredible stream of new business for smaller operations. If you don’t have the budget for big advertising campaigns, the opportunity to get in front of your potential customers and let them know why you’re so special can be priceless. Display Wizard found that an incredible 71% of small and medium-sized enterprises won new business using face-to-face networking like trade shows.

The global exhibition industry shrank by 68% in 2020.

It’s no surprise that the exhibition industry took a hit in 2020, with IFI finding it contracted by almost 70%. The good news is we’re now finally seeing people safely gather in numbers once more. The post-Covid landscape is actually a fantastic opportunity to get in front of your potential customers and make an impact, as appetites for face-to-face interactions are still on the rise after a period of uncertainty.

The best way to attract visitors at an exhibition is with an eye-catching stand, followed by giveaways.

While your product or service may be market-leading, if you want people to know about it, you have to grab their attention first. First impressions count, and that’s perhaps never truer for businesses than at an exhibition or trade show. Your stand should clearly convey your message, be welcoming, and make people want to hang around.

Display Wizard’s Trade Show Trends Report found that for 48% of attendees, an eye-catching stand was the number one way to attract their attention. This was followed by giveaways, at 34%. Giving attendees a reason to visit your stand is a great step toward success at your next event, and a mobile coffee bar is a perfect way to do just that.

We hope you found these exhibition and trade show statistics interesting. If you’d like to boost your brand presence and win business at your next event, get in touch to find out how we can help you stand out with fresh, barista-made coffee.