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choosing an event

Around 400 exhibitions are held in Australia each year and information about most of these are readily obtainable. The major exhibition venues and exhibition organisers publish calendars listing the events with which they are associated.

Finding out about forthcoming events should be the starting point for any business planning to exhibit. Identifying those events that might be suitable is the next step. You should gather as much information as you can about potential events and where possible, visit them. Each event should be assessed against your exhibition goals and strategies.

Most trade show organisers in Australia can provide demographic breakdowns of visitors or audiences at past events, including the number of interstate and overseas visitors. Similar statistics may be available for some consumer events.

Ask the organisers for information and statistics on past performance, as well as copies of their advertising and PR campaigns, in order to ascertain their media objectives and target audiences. Most exhibition organisers will be able to provide you with this information.

You should also ask about the types of exhibitors they plan to include.
Will they be highly focused, or drawn from a broad spectrum?
One useful indicator of an event’s success is rebooks: how many exhibitors rebook and what type of exhibitors rebook. For example, a homemakers’ event that has a high percentage of rebooks from home building and renovation businesses but few rebooks from other types of business, not only reveals which types of business did well, but the type of visitors the event attracts. If possible, talk to exhibitors at previous events – both those who have rebooked and those who haven’t – to get their feedback.

Visitors to previous exhibitions are another useful source of information.
Where possible, talk to the types of visitors that you hope to attract to your stand. You should ask them whether the exhibition met their needs and expectations, whether the range of exhibitors was too broad or too narrow; and what role (if any) the exhibition played in any purchasing decisions.

Other factors that you should consider are:

The timing of the exhibition
The timing of other, similar exhibitions
The exhibition’s duration
The days it is being presented
The location and venue

When evaluating a particular exhibition, remember that a quality audience is more important than a large audience.
You can only speak to one person at a time, so don’t be dazzled by numbers.
It’s quality over quantity.


choosing an event Around 400 exhibitions are held in Australia each year and information about most of these are readily obtainable. The major exhibition venues and exhibition organisers publish calendars listing the events with which they are associated. Finding out about forthcoming events should be the starting point for any business planning to exhibit. Identifying those events that might be suitable is the next step. You should gather as much information as you can about potential events and where possible, visit them. Each event should be assessed against your exhibition goals and strategies. Most trade show organisers in Australia can provide demographic breakdowns of visitors or audiences at past events, including the number of interstate and overseas visitors. Similar statistics may be available for some consumer events. Ask the organisers for information and statistics on past performance, as well as copies of their advertising and PR campaigns, in order to ascertain their media objectives and target audiences. Most exhibition organisers will be able to provide you with this information. You should also ask about the types of exhibitors they plan to include. Will they be highly focused, or drawn from a broad spectrum? One useful indicator of an event’s success is rebooks: how many exhibitors rebook and what type of exhibitors rebook. For example, a homemakers’ event that has a high percentage of rebooks from home building and renovation businesses but few rebooks from other types of business, not only reveals which types of business did well, but the type of visitors the event attracts. If possible, talk to exhibitors at previous events – both those who have rebooked and those who haven’t – to get their feedback. Visitors to previous exhibitions are another useful source of information. Where possible, talk to the types of visitors that you hope to attract to your stand. You should ask them whether the exhibition met their needs and expectations, whether the range of exhibitors was too broad or too narrow; and what role (if any) the exhibition played in any purchasing decisions. Other factors that you should consider are: The timing of the exhibition The timing of other, similar exhibitions The exhibition’s duration The days it is being presented The location and venue When evaluating a particular exhibition, remember that a quality audience is more important than a large audience. You can only speak to one person at a time, so don’t be dazzled by numbers. It’s quality over quantity.		Click here for career opportunities with Expertise Events Adjust the filters below to find the event that suits you! Include Trade Events in my search. or