Past the Numbers: Why Impartial Audits Matter for the Occasions Trade is a contributed article from the Shopper Expertise Affiliation.
Since CES started in 1967, we have launched an estimated variety of CES attendees because the present formally wraps. For CES 2024, that meant sharing that greater than 135,000 trade executives, patrons, authorities officers, and media had joined us in Las Vegas, effectively above our beforehand shared targets. However the reality is, we don’t have an official depend of attendees for months, till our impartial audit is full. (This yr’s audit – releasing subsequent week – will probably be finalized at document velocity, some two months after the shut of CES 2024.) That makes us comparatively distinctive within the occasions world, the place some organizers would moderately have inflated attendee counts than externally vetted information.
Why can we really feel so strongly in regards to the auditing course of? For one, it’s a part of our ethos of sincere disclosure. As a non-profit affiliation, we serve others and have a particular obligation to transparency and truthful reporting. We additionally know that in a aggressive atmosphere for occasions, we will’t relaxation on our status because the world’s most impactful expertise occasion – now we have to make sure that the present earns it every year.
We additionally see it as a very good enterprise follow, and one that may and needs to be a value-add for any main occasion. Exhibitors at commerce occasions make investments an unimaginable period of time, cash and institutional effort after they take part in commerce exhibits. Anybody who’s spent a day constructing, staffing or managing a sales space understands the quantity of power that’s required, to not point out the big effort that takes place to dream up a build-out and produce the mandatory supplies, collateral and workers collectively.
On the identical time, enterprise leaders are more and more searching for information to justify their advertising and marketing investments. They have to consistently consider the price of participation in commerce exhibits towards advertising and marketing budgets for paid social media, partnerships, activations, sponsorships and different types of promoting. It’s not sufficient for advertising and marketing leaders to tout ‘robust attendance’ or ‘constructive attendee interactions’ – they’re searching for in-depth information to make sure they’re not simply reaching massive audiences, however the proper audiences.
That’s very true today, as companies scrutinize journey budgets and contemplate extra hyper-targeted advertising and marketing investments. Nevertheless it’s lengthy been true that failure to share credible attendee information can undermine an occasion’s relevance. Think about the cautionary story of COMDEX. For 20 years, COMDEX dominated the tradeshow trade, packing out conference facilities. Then, the present started to say no as corporations like IBM pulled out of the occasion, citing doubts about influence. In damning feedback to Reuters in 1997, an IBM spokesperson shared doubts that the present was attracting the decision-makers chargeable for shopping for its merchandise, saying, “claims on the variety of individuals attending the present and the demographics on the kinds of prospects that go can’t be substantiated…We’ve requested for an impartial audit for various years, they usually’ve refused.” The present was offered, resold and at last canceled in 2003.
Whereas the funding is deeper for exhibitors, the identical logic applies to attendees. Executives wish to attend occasions the place they know they’ll study, uncover developments and new income alternatives and community with friends and different decision-makers.
Auditing will grow to be much more essential because the occasions trade continues to shift. Pandemic-era forecasts of a everlasting transfer to digital occasions had been mistaken. Individuals wish to be collectively, and in surveys some 95% of trade show exhibitors say they like in-person occasions to digital ones. On the identical time, the trade received’t return to pre-pandemic norms. Trade consolidation will proceed to wean out many occasions as exhibitors and attendees grow to be more and more selective about which occasions to placed on their calendars. Impartial audits permit occasions to face out from the group.
It’s essential, in fact, to acknowledge that the audit course of may be complicated and time consuming. CES follows pointers set out by UFI – the worldwide affiliation representing audited exhibitions – which incorporates evaluations not simply of the present ground and attendees, however the registration course of, information cleanup and reporting. Correct audits additionally require an on-site crew at exhibits to make sure the processes are adopted in follow.
Nonetheless, because the competitors for advertising and marketing {dollars} grows, we consider that auditing will grow to be not only a nice-to-have, however a need-to-have for exhibits which might be severe about demonstrating their influence. Auditing permits trade specialists to prioritize the occasions that may most successfully market their manufacturers. Occasion organizers can entice the thought leaders that finest align with their viewers and aims. Finally, our trade will reap the rewards.
Gary Shapiro is CEO on the Shopper Expertise Affiliation (CTA)®, North America’s largest expertise affiliation and the proprietor and producer of CES® — the world’s strongest expertise occasion.
Kinsey Fabrizio is President on the Shopper Expertise Affiliation (CTA)® , North America’s largest expertise affiliation and the proprietor and producer of CES® — the world’s strongest expertise occasion.
Since CES started in 1967, we have launched an estimated variety of CES attendees because the present formally wraps. For CES 2024, that meant sharing that greater than 135,000 trade executives, patrons, authorities officers, and media had joined us in Las Vegas, effectively above our beforehand shared targets. However the reality is, we don’t have an official depend of attendees for months, till our impartial audit is full. (This yr’s audit – releasing subsequent week – will probably be finalized at document velocity, some two months after the shut of CES 2024.) That makes us comparatively distinctive within the occasions world, the place some organizers would moderately have inflated attendee counts than externally vetted information.
Why can we really feel so strongly in regards to the auditing course of? For one, it’s a part of our ethos of sincere disclosure. As a non-profit affiliation, we serve others and have a particular obligation to transparency and truthful reporting. We additionally know that in a aggressive atmosphere for occasions, we will’t relaxation on our status because the world’s most impactful expertise occasion – now we have to make sure that the present earns it every year.
We additionally see it as a very good enterprise follow, and one that may and needs to be a value-add for any main occasion. Exhibitors at commerce occasions make investments an unimaginable period of time, cash and institutional effort after they take part in commerce exhibits. Anybody who’s spent a day constructing, staffing or managing a sales space understands the quantity of power that’s required, to not point out the big effort that takes place to dream up a build-out and produce the mandatory supplies, collateral and workers collectively.
On the identical time, enterprise leaders are more and more searching for information to justify their advertising and marketing investments. They have to consistently consider the price of participation in commerce exhibits towards advertising and marketing budgets for paid social media, partnerships, activations, sponsorships and different types of promoting. It’s not sufficient for advertising and marketing leaders to tout ‘robust attendance’ or ‘constructive attendee interactions’ – they’re searching for in-depth information to make sure they’re not simply reaching massive audiences, however the proper audiences.
That’s very true today, as companies scrutinize journey budgets and contemplate extra hyper-targeted advertising and marketing investments. Nevertheless it’s lengthy been true that failure to share credible attendee information can undermine an occasion’s relevance. Think about the cautionary story of COMDEX. For 20 years, COMDEX dominated the tradeshow trade, packing out conference facilities. Then, the present started to say no as corporations like IBM pulled out of the occasion, citing doubts about influence. In damning feedback to Reuters in 1997, an IBM spokesperson shared doubts that the present was attracting the decision-makers chargeable for shopping for its merchandise, saying, “claims on the variety of individuals attending the present and the demographics on the kinds of prospects that go can’t be substantiated…We’ve requested for an impartial audit for various years, they usually’ve refused.” The present was offered, resold and at last canceled in 2003.
Whereas the funding is deeper for exhibitors, the identical logic applies to attendees. Executives wish to attend occasions the place they know they’ll study, uncover developments and new income alternatives and community with friends and different decision-makers.
Auditing will grow to be much more essential because the occasions trade continues to shift. Pandemic-era forecasts of a everlasting transfer to digital occasions had been mistaken. Individuals wish to be collectively, and in surveys some 95% of trade show exhibitors say they like in-person occasions to digital ones. On the identical time, the trade received’t return to pre-pandemic norms. Trade consolidation will proceed to wean out many occasions as exhibitors and attendees grow to be more and more selective about which occasions to placed on their calendars. Impartial audits permit occasions to face out from the group.
It’s essential, in fact, to acknowledge that the audit course of may be complicated and time consuming. CES follows pointers set out by UFI – the worldwide affiliation representing audited exhibitions – which incorporates evaluations not simply of the present ground and attendees, however the registration course of, information cleanup and reporting. Correct audits additionally require an on-site crew at exhibits to make sure the processes are adopted in follow.
Nonetheless, because the competitors for advertising and marketing {dollars} grows, we consider that auditing will grow to be not only a nice-to-have, however a need-to-have for exhibits which might be severe about demonstrating their influence. Auditing permits trade specialists to prioritize the occasions that may most successfully market their manufacturers. Occasion organizers can entice the thought leaders that finest align with their viewers and aims. Finally, our trade will reap the rewards.
Gary Shapiro is CEO on the Shopper Expertise Affiliation (CTA)®, North America’s largest expertise affiliation and the proprietor and producer of CES® — the world’s strongest expertise occasion.
Kinsey Fabrizio is President on the Shopper Expertise Affiliation (CTA)® , North America’s largest expertise affiliation and the proprietor and producer of CES® — the world’s strongest expertise occasion.