Global Fastener News

Exhibitors Want Only One National Trade Show

John Wolz

No one is providing the fastener distributor trade show configuration a majority of exhibitors want, according to an online survey conducted by AWP Research.
When exhibitors at North American expositions were asked what is the single best configuration, three options with the term �one national� totaled 88.5%.
�More than one national� was supported by only 3.8%.\
One annual national show was supported by 32.7%. One annual national plus regional shows drew support from 28.8%, and 26.9% opted for dropping the one national show to every other year plus regional shows in between.
A majority of respondents (55.8%) prefer participating in a large national show to smaller regional shows (19.2%), but nearly a quarter expressed �no preference� (23.1%).
Full booth shows are the overwhelming favorite over tabletops by a 59.5% to 19.2% margin. Another 19.2% marked �no preference.�
� National shows should be longer, exhibitors said. Nearly 10% want the shows to be three days or more; 30.8% two days; and another quarter want 1.5 days. A one-day national show was supported by 26.9%.
This year the longest shows are one day. The National Industrial Fastener Show in Columbus, OH, will return to a 1.5-day format in 2001, and the West version in Las Vegas will add a 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday preview to the Friday format in 2001.
Exhibitors want regional shows to be short. More than two-thirds chose one day or less than a day (30.8% less than a full day and 38.5% one day), and fewer than 10% asked for 1.5 days.
� A vacation/entertainment location is the best location for a national show, according to 36.5%, compared with 17.3% favoring a business-oriented location. More than a third (34.6%) want a national show to alternate between entertainment and business locations.
Nearly 10% expressed no preference.
� Change the locations: By a 40.4% to 36.5% margin, exhibitors want shows moved to different cities.
A total of 21.2% expressed �no preference� on changing cities.
How Many Shows?
Exhibitors showed strong support for limiting the number of shows. One national show is preferred to multiple national shows. One national show in Las Vegas scored 3.6 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being high. One Midwest show scored 3.1, a national show plus small regional shows 3.0, and one national show in alternative locations 3.2.
A majority of exhibitors gave thumbs down to two national shows, with 51.9% rating multiple shows as �poor� and another 11.5% pegging multiple shows at �fair.� The �excellent,� �good� and �average� ratings all fell short of even double-digit support and combined totaled only 25%.
A fastener week every other year with a distribution show and manufacturing show overlapping combined with smaller regional shows in alternate years and coordinated traveling shows both rated 2.9. These two options are not currently available, which upped the �not sure/no opinion� ratings to about 20%.
Of those rating the �Fastener Week� with overlapping distribution and manufacturing shows every other year, nearly 19% envisioned it as �excellent,� 22% �good,� 13% �average,� 19% �fair� and 27% �poor.�
Of those expressing opinions on coordinated traveling shows, 15% saw the potential as �excellent,� 26% �good,� 19% �average,� and 21% rated each as �fair� or �poor� options.
Another idea not available at most trade shows is �one-on-one� sessions. Exhibitors gave the concept a 3.2 on the index. A total of 13.5% rated it �excellent,� 21.2% �good,� 25% �average, � 15.4% �fair,� and 9.6% �poor.�
Far back in popularity were �two national shows,� rating just 1.9 on the index.
At 1.3 on the index, �eliminate all shows� edged out �as many shows as possible� at 1.2.

Survey Participants
� A total of 52 exhibitors participated in the online survey conducted during August 2000. Of those, 17.3% had exhibited in one show during 1999, 30.8% had exhibited in two shows, 11.5% in three, 17.3% four and 11.5% five or more.
While 9.6% reported exhibiting in only one show in 1999, a total of 17.3% plan to exhibit in just one in 2001. Two shows again draw the largest plurality.
� Manufacturers totaled 45.5% of the survey participants. Distributors/master distributors made up 18.2%; importers 7.3%; suppliers of products/services other than fasteners, 12.7%; and other 16.4% (including coatings, reps and software).
A total of 45.5% reported they have 51 to 250 employees, 27.3% 11-50; 18.2% 10 or fewer. Companies with 251 to 500 employees were 5.5%, and 3.6% reported more than 500.
� The exhibitors came from 17 states, with the largest number from Illinois (22%), followed by Ohio, 18%, and Texas 10%.
U.S.-based companies made up 92.7% of the survey respondents, with Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and Spain accounting for the rest.
� Percentages do not always total 100 because of �not sure/don�t know� or no response to individual questions.
Editor�s Note: AWP Research conducted the online survey as a test of new Internet software. AWP specializes in written surveys, focus groups and strategic planning and is located at 898 Broad Oaks, Herndon, VA 20170-3600 USA. Tel: 703 834-1748. Fax 703 834-1749. E-mail: sales@awpresearch.com