CHICAGO — EXHIBITORLIVE The event took place at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville from February 25-28, bringing together the trade show and business events industry for four days of educational sessions and workshops, networking events and business relationship building and strengthening.
The 2024 edition recorded an increase in attendance of more than 20% compared to 2023, and the number and quality of buyers increased by more than 30% compared to last year. 65% of the exhibition space for 2025 has already been reserved, a sign of the great success of the 2024 edition.
“THE EXHIBITORLIVE “The show and educational conference exceeded my expectations and ours,” said David DuBois, CMP-Fellow, CAE-FASAE, CTA, CEO, President and Publisher of Exhibitor Group, producer of EXHIBITOR.LIVE. “Considered by many to be a ‘rebuild’ since the end of the pandemic, we have received numerous accolades for the quality of attendees and buyers, as well as the excellent educational offerings that have taken place. The Exhibitor Group continues to plan and execute exceptional educational and business opportunities for the exhibition and events industry. Our Exhibitor Magazine, CTSM Program, EXHIBITORLIVE and the Accelerated Training Week programs will be improved in the future.”
Trade Fair Manager met some professionals from the sector present at the EXHIBITORLIVE to find out what their main lessons and observations from the event were.
Jim Kelley, Fern’s Vice President of Marketing and Industry Relations:
“The recent EXHIBITORLIVE The Nashville event left us with valuable insights and conclusions about the state of the industry.
“First, the energy at the event reinforced the importance of face-to-face engagement to build professional communities, facilitate commerce, and deliver meaningful and impactful content. All of the above happens at levels of depth and nuance when people are in the same room.
“Second, technology is no longer a fringe element of the exhibition industry; it is a fully integrated part of the industry. Whether it is a multimedia display to display general marketing messages and content, using technology to facilitate interactive and fun engagement of attendees, or using AI to quantify the number of visitors, the length of their engagement or the emotional feeling while they are at the booth. AI is most exciting because it allows companies to separate what they think from what they know by tracking booth metrics, allowing for the aggregation and analysis of data over time. This data will allow exhibit designers and managers to optimize booth environments to maximize engagement and effectively achieve their event objectives.
“The final point to remember concerns the commercial side of the event and the clear commitment of the exhibitor group to EXHIBITORLIVE“At the heart of everything we do as an industry are our people. Mark Johnson has made a significant commitment to ‘human capital’ and brings a great mix of talent and experience to complement this existing core team. It was evident that there was a deep commitment from the Exhibitor Group to creating a professional community for corporate exhibit managers and event marketers.”
Related. A strong start to 2024 marked by successful industry advocacy efforts
Julie Kagy, CEM, Executive Director, Exhibition Services and Contractors Association (ESCA):
“My first observation is that the activity is back and growing. Having made many contacts and met new professionals in the sector has highlighted the enthusiasm and optimism for the future of the events sector.
“Second, networking is essential because interaction with peers provides valuable insights into the current state of the industry, emerging opportunities and potential challenges.
“Collaboration is crucial; recognizing the importance of collaboration and working together to drive growth and innovation within the events industry is necessary to move us forward.
“Another important takeaway is that direct feedback from exhibitors is very valuable. Direct dialogue with exhibitors provided valuable insights into their concerns, optimism, and opportunities for improvement.
“Finally, innovation is the engine of the future. Discover the latest trends and innovative solutions presented at EXHIBITORLIVE stressed the importance of embracing innovation to remain competitive and meet the evolving needs of the industry.”
Robyn Davis, CPTD, CEM, Trade Show Trainer/Consultant and Owner, Exhibitors WINH LLC: 
“In a workshop I facilitated, I observed that one of the biggest differences between exhibitors who have demonstrated success working with their internal teams and those who have not comes down to the concept of consequences – not how to identify what will/should happen, but how to confidently assert those consequences to their leadership (influencing the right decisions) and enforce them with their booth staff (leading a productive team).
“In a panel discussion I moderated, I found that while many exhibitors had a wealth of experience and ideas/examples to share, they struggled to identify where their expertise came from (beyond trial and error) and, more importantly, to assert that they were, in fact, experts for their company and among their peers. This shows me that we need to do more to give exhibitors not only skills, but confidence.”
“Throughout this event, I observed a growing divide between exhibitors who feel supported by their organizers and those who do not. The differences were striking: exhibitors have case study examples of effective collaboration (win-win-win!) and those who describe their organizers as disorganized, unresponsive, unwilling to listen or work with them, and/or charging more for fewer benefits with no (or no) adequate explanation. In other words: some organizers clearly serve their exhibitors and others do not… More importantly, exhibitors notice and make decisions accordingly.”
The 2025 edition of EXHIBITORLIVE will be held in San Antonio, Texas, March 16-19.
Contact David DuBois at ddubois@exhibitorgroup.com; Jim Kelley at jkelley@fernexpo.com; Julie Kagy at julie@esca.org; Robyn Davis at robyn@exhibitorswinh.com
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY EVENTVU MEDIA
