Thursday 20 February 2014

Exhibition Visitor Numbers Up 30% at Top 30 Audited Shows

The number of unique visitors to the top 30 audited exhibitions in Australia and New Zealand has increased by 30% for the 2013 financial year according to latest figures released at AIME 2014 in Melbourne.

The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) and the Audited Media Association of Australia (AMAA) presented new data showing the visitor impacts of the top exhibitions held in Australia and New Zealand from July 2012 to June 2013.

EEAA Chief Executive, Joyce DiMascio said the new audited data from the Audited Media Association of Australia provided solid evidence of the Power of Exhibitions to drive incremental visitation to the cities which host them.

“The audited data from AMAA paints a rich picture of the exhibition industry – showing which events are the biggest drivers of visitors from interstate and overseas.

“We source this data to support our Government advocacy campaigns as the State and Federal Governments have a strong interest in how events can help meet visitor targets.

“Even though the benefits of exhibitions spread across all areas of the economy, visitation is still a powerful metric when engaging with Governments and their agencies.” she said.

The visitor profile of shows varies widely – for some shows the number of visitors from outside the host State can be over 40 per cent. These are in the lifestyle category.

“That visitor numbers were up by a third is positive news for the exhibition industry and shows the resilience of the sector and its capacity to positively impact on the visitor economy.” she said.

AMAA Chief Executive, Paul Dovas said his organisation continues to encourage the industry to commit to third party auditing.

“The willingness of our event organiser members to commit to audit in an open and transparent manner has provided the industry with a credible and reliable snapshot of the power of exhibitions to drive visitors to our major cities." he said.

Highlights of the new data include:
  • The top 30 AMAA audited exhibitions in Australia and New Zealand Exhibitions generated 321,544 unique visitors in the 2013 financial year -­‐ up 30.3% on the previous year.
  • The number of visitors from interstate and overseas varies markedly from show to show. This figure can be as high as 44.3%. This demonstrates the ability of exhibitions to drive visitors from outside the State to host cities.
  • Trade and consumer shows attract up to 28,000 unique visitors.
  • Of the top 30 expos, 12 were held in Melbourne, 11 were held in Sydney, three were held in Perth, two in Auckland and one in Brisbane and Mackay in Queensland.
  • Sydney generated 112,356 unique visitors with 18.2% from interstate or overseas*.
  • Of the 11 Sydney exhibitions, 7 were held at SCEC, representing 23.3% of total top 30 audited shows
  • Melbourne generated 140,604 unique visitors with 20.6% of visitors from interstate or overseas*.
  • Of the 12 Melbourne exhibitions, 10 were held at MCEC, representing 33.3% of total top 30 audited shows
  • Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre hosted the sixth biggest show with 17,164 unique visitors. Mackay Showground hosted the 11th biggest show with 11,064 unique visitors. This was followed by Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre in 12th place with 10,378 unique visitors.
  • ASB Showgrounds in Auckland, New Zealand attracted 5,526 visitors at its top 30 show.
  • Sydney exhibitions ran on average for 3.4 days while in Melbourne exhibitions ran for 3.8 days

*Please note: the interstate and/or overseas percentage is calculated from only those shows reported geographic data. Consumer shows do not all capture origin of visitor.

EEAA:

The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) is the peak association for the exhibition and event industry, representing organisers, venues and suppliers. www.eeaa.com.au

AMAA:

The Audited Media Association of Australia (AMAA) is a not-­‐for-­‐profit industry organisation, formed by an alliance of the ABC and CAB that brings together advertisers, media buyers and media company members with a common interest in accountability. AMAA independently verifies print and digital circulation and distribution, website analytics, exhibition and conference attendance and email newsletter distribution. www.auditedmedia.org.au.

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