Convention and Trade Show Management
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 5,700 convention and trade show management services in the US charge fees to plan, organize, promote, and manage a variety of events, including business shows, trade shows, conventions, conferences, and meetings. General Service Contractors (GSC), which coordinate the set-up and tear-down of trade shows, generate the majority of revenue and profits from material handling fees charged to exhibitors.
Competition from Digital Communications
Conventions and trade shows compete with alternative and more flexible forms of communication, such as video conferences, webinars, and other digital vehicles.
Uneven Cash Flow
Demand for convention and trade show organization services varies throughout the year, and depends on the frequency, timing, and location of events.
Industry size & Structure
The average convention and trade show management services provider works out of a single location, employs fewer than 5 workers, and generates $3 million annually.
- The convention and trade show management services industry consists of about 5,700 firms that employ about 53,000 workers and generate about $17 billion annually.
- The industry is concentrated at the top and fragmented at the bottom; the top 50 companies account for about 48% of industry revenue.
- Large companies include Freeman and Viad Corporation. Large firms may have international operations.
Industry Forecast
Convention and Trade Show Management Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Jul 8, 2024 - Softer Industry Growth
- The convention and trade show management industry is expected to return to nominal growth after a slowdown in 2024. The industry’s year-over-year growth is projected to drop to 1.8% in 2024 after posting a rise of 5.8% in 2023, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. Sales growth in the convention and trade show management industry is expected to increase to 4.1% in 2025, then post flat, but steady average annual growth of about 5.1% through 2028, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.
- Despite strong demand for summer travel, some airlines are struggling amid higher costs and weaker demand from business travelers, according to The Wall Street Journal. US budget carriers are being hit the hardest as their low fares leave less of a buffer from higher fuel, operational, and labor costs. Some carriers are also feeling the pinch from softer demand for business travel. While airlines have generally reported stronger corporate bookings in the last two years, growth seems to have stalled. According to the latest forecast by the US Travel Association, corporate travel spending - in inflation-adjusted dollars - is expected to be 13% below 2019 levels and then remain flat.
- Convention and trade show planners are increasingly building wellness into their event schedules. Wellness activities can help weary event attendees feel rejuvenated and recharged while sending the message that brands and planners value and care for them. Offerings can include wellness speakers, outdoor activities, and healthy foods and beverages, including vegetarian and vegan options. Wellness-related gifts are another way event planners can create a more memorable and stress-free experience.
- Convention and trade show attendance took a hit during the pandemic. Still, the airline and hotel industries say that business travel is nearly back to levels seen before the public health crisis began, according to The Wall Street Journal. Business travel has taken a while to recover, even as pandemic conditions improved, partly due to economic uncertainty that tightened travel budgets and workforces that had become more geographically dispersed. However, Alaska Airlines said its business travel sales increased 22% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to Q1 2023 – marking a return to pre-pandemic levels. Southwest Airlines’ corporate travel revenue jumped 25% over the same period. During a recent earnings call, the CEO of Hilton Worldwide Holdings said that business travel demand among small and medium-sized companies was above 2019 levels; travel for large corporate customers wasn’t quite there yet but was close.
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