News
28.10.2008Exhibition Industry: Perspectives 2009
Does the credit crunch effect the exhibition industry? Crisis management is complex and often short-winded. No one can tell, when and how the financial and economic turmoil is going to end.
In these rough times I am confronted with the question: Do we need the “Chief Future Officer” in the exhibition industry? The US already are in a recession phase, whereas the Euro zone is considered to be on the edge of recession. Emerging markets still foresee growth, but their economic situation is closely linked to the export demand of the industrialised countries.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is anticipating a particularly slow economic pick-up in many industrialised countries in the second half of 2009 at the earliest. Consequences for investment activities, the employment rate and consumer behaviour are more than likely.
Source: IMF Report October 2008Trade fairs and exhibitions are mirrors of the markets with a certain time lack of six to nine months. Some experts view these marketing media as being counter-cyclical in the sense that the need to be present within the sector community is even more vital in difficult times. What is the year 2009 going to bring?
In fact, the numbers of exhibitors and visitors and the sold square meters are clearly related to the expectations of the clients. Thus repercussions on the decision making process of exhibiting and visiting companies are obvious.
Therefore we do not need futurists, but “Chief Content & Service Officers” to strengthen the client first approach of our industry. The saying “wait and see” has to be replaced by “work hard and be optimistic”.
