DALLAS, 15 May 2012 – Today, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events™ (IAEE) Public Events Council released its Public Events Industry 2011 survey report and Supplemental Report: How the Public Event/Consumer Show Engages with the Younger Generations/Professionals. The Public Events Council, in 2009, distributed a survey to public event organizers across 22 public events industry sectors to examine overall industry performance.

The report identified which public event industry sectors fared well, which sectors struggled and their expectations for the future. As a follow-up to that report, the survey was repeated in 2010 and 2011 with subsequent reports detailing individual and comparative statistics over the survey years.

“With three years of survey data now available, the public events industry is showing some optimistic signs with growth in exhibit space sales and steady revenue and attendance figures,” says IAEE President Steven Hacker, CAE, FASAE. “The economy, however, continues to be a major factor impacting many sectors of the public events industry.”

Key results include:

• Sixty-six percent of respondents have an optimistic/very optimistic attitude toward 2012.
• Thirty-two percent plan to launch new events in 2012.
• Thirty-six percent expect better sponsorship revenue in 2012; fifty-seven percent expect nearly the same and eleven percent expect worse results.
• The economy was identified as the top issue facing the industry today. In 2009 the economy was also the top issue, but in 2010, more event-related issues were identified above the economy.
• Sixty-eight percent of public event organizer respondents take the younger attendee/professional into consideration when developing education programming at events.

The survey report on the Public Events Industry 2011 is available for purchase at www.tradeshowstore.com.The report is free for IAEE members and $99.95 for non-members.

About the IAEE Public Events Council
The IAEE Public Events Council is charged with bringing awareness, engagement, education and recognition to the public events community. Public event resources such as the industry reports, education opportunities at the Midyear and Annual meetings, information on the Top Public Event recognition program and the public event organizer discussion group can be found on the IAEE website.

About IAEE
Since 1928, IAEE continues to provide quality and value to its members through leadership, service, education and strong relationships. IAEE is the largest association of the exhibitions and events industry in the world, with a membership of show organizers, exhibitors and exhibition suppliers. Organizers of more than 20,000 exhibitions and buyer-seller events around the world are members of IAEE. Through the 2006 consolidation with the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), IAEE delivers valuable industry research reports. IAEE also supports the IAEE Public Events Council, The International Center for Exhibitor and Event Marketing, and the Exhibition and Event Industry Audit Commission, which are IAEE councils that provide products, programs and information to members. IAEE recognizes its strategic partners: American Airlines, ASP, Inc., Bearcom, Mexico Tourism Board, New Orleans Morial Convention Center, New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau, Orange County Convention Center and Visit Orlando, Vertical Nerve, Inc. and VoiceLogic. Visit www.iaee.com for more information.

###

Contact:
Terri Phillips, CEM
Executive Director, Public Events Council
+1 (972) 687-9213
tphillips@iaee.com