Marketing Communications

THE ROLE OF EXHIBITIONS IN MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS 461

The role of exhibitions in marketing communications

Like direct marketing and personal selling, exhibitions and trade fairs are considered to be a

more personal and thus a ‘below-the-line’ communications tool. Demonstrations, one-to-one

contacts with customers and prospects, direct selling and public relations are combined in

this medium. Exhibitions have the advantage that all the senses (listening, watching, feeling,

tasting and smelling) can be stimulated. Th e Index study of the CEIR (Center for Exhibition

Industry Research) reported an increase in the overall trade show industry of 15% in 2011,

compared with 2010. Th e positive growth brought an end to three consecutive years of

decline. Th e growth is refl ected in all four metrics of measurement (real revenues, net square

feet, attendees and exhibitors). Additionally, the index forecasts increases for the upcoming

years (3.2% in 2013 and 3.4% in 2014).^6

Table 14.3 shows the result of a study among 311 Belgian companies that were asked to

rank their most important promotional tools.^7 A comparison was made between rarely

exhibiting companies and frequently participating companies.

Personal selling and direct marketing are most frequently cited as important communications

tools. For exhibitors, trade fairs take third place, but non-exhibitors think that advertising,

own events and PR are far more important. Th e same study concluded that, for investment

goods, personal selling was signifi cantly more important than for consumer goods and services.

Trade fairs and exhibitions proved to be of little importance for services. On average, only 8%

of the communications budgets in these industries was spent on trade fairs, compared with

15% in investment and consumer goods.

Table 14.2 Types of exhibition based on the type of visitors and exhibitors

Visitors Vertical Horizontal

Exhibitors Vertical Focused shows

Reserved for companies and

clients from a specific industry

Multi-industry visitors

Companies from a specific

industry exhibit to a diverse public

Horizontal Multi-industry exhibitors

Different companies exhibit to

a specific public

Diversified trade shows

Different companies exhibit to

a diverse public

Source : Based on Shoham, A. (1992), ‘Selecting and Evaluating Trade Shows’, Industrial Marketing Management , 21, 335–41.

Table 14.3 The place of exhibitions in the communications mix

Exhibiting companies Non-exhibitors

Tool Score/5 Tool Score/5

1. Personal selling 4.09 1. Personal selling 3.51


2. Direct marketing 3.48 2. Direct marketing 3.13


3. Own events 3.36 3. Ads in professional magazines 2.99


4. Exhibitions 3.35 4. Own events 2.83


5. PR 3.34 5. PR 2.82


6. Ads in professional magazines 3.19 6. Exhibitions 2.23


7. Sponsorship 2.33 7. Sponsoring 2.03
   Source : De Pelsmacker, P., Van den Bergh, J. and De Schepper, W. (1997), Febelux Research on the Image of Exhibitions and Trade
   Fairs Among Companies and Communication Agencies. Ghent, Belgium: De Vlerick School voor Management.

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