Editorial Note: Originally published in the August 2026 issue of Trade Show Executive magazine.
In June, I wrote about the cost pressures exhibitors continue to face and what our industry owes them in return. This month, I want to build on that conversation by highlighting a companion study from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) that adds an important layer to the discussion. CEIR’s “Marketing Spend Decision Report” explores not just what exhibitors are spending, but why they’re still spending it and how they view the value of exhibiting today.
The findings are encouraging.
Despite more than a decade of digital disruption and the seismic interruption of a global pandemic, face-to-face B2B exhibitions continue to command the largest share of exhibitors’ marketing budgets across every budget size. Not email. Not social media. Not search. Live events.
That is a remarkable statement about the enduring value of what we do. But it’s also a responsibility.
What makes this finding even more meaningful is the confidence data behind it. Those of us who were in this industry in 2021 remember the uncertainty of the pandemic. Exhibitor sentiment was deeply negative, and confidence in exhibiting had fallen dramatically. The recovery since then has been significant, with exhibitors once again expressing strong confidence in the value of face-to-face events and actively recommending them to colleagues.
Exhibitors aren’t showing up out of habit. They’re showing up because they continue to see results.
The research also reveals an important pattern: exhibitors who get the most value from events are those with clear objectives, consistent participation and a strategic approach to exhibiting. Our opportunity as organizers is to help more exhibitors reach that level of success.
Another finding deserves our attention. When exhibitors reduce participation, organizers report that the primary driver is budget and cost constraints. The value proposition isn’t the issue. Affordability is.
That distinction matters enormously because it means we’re not defending the relevance of face-to-face events; we’re defending access to them.
The report also challenges the perception that growing digital investment is coming at the expense of exhibitions. The data suggests otherwise. Rather than replacing face-to-face events, exhibitors are using social media, email, and search to amplify what happens before, during and after an event. The most effective exhibitors are building marketing ecosystems with exhibitions at the center – a model our industry should actively enable and promote.
Finally, the study reinforces something every organizer should keep top of mind: exhibitors ultimately measure success through business outcomes. Lead volume, pipeline generated, opportunities created and deals closed remain the metrics that matter most to leadership teams.
If we’re not helping exhibitors connect participation to those outcomes in a clear and timely way, we’re leaving them to make that case on their own. That’s a gap we can help close.
The confidence is back. The investment is holding. The channel continues to prove its value.
The question is what we do with that confidence.
I encourage industry leaders to take an honest look at whether their events provide exhibitors with the data, tools and insights needed to demonstrate ROI internally. Because exhibitors who can clearly show business impact are the exhibitors who come back year after year. And our industry’s long-term health depends on helping more of them do exactly that.
Brian Pagel
2026 IAEE Chairperson
Chief Revenue Officer
Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)/Performance Racing Industry (PRI)
