In a survey of 117 top exhibition executives at the Exhibitions USA Annual Forum, the consensus was that European exhibitions are becoming a key focus for US firms. Nearly half of the sample’s respective clients (around 46%) are considering exhibiting outside of the US for the first time – 20% of the client base has already decided to exhibit in the UK.
The statistics show an interesting trend for internationalisation. Many US businesses consider the UK an important market in which to exhibit. Consequently, over the next few years UK exhibitions could see a steady increase in exhibitors from North America. Some UK businesses might lose their spots at exhibitions to new American competitors as a result.
I think this is a very interesting development. In an uncertain economic climate, it is intriguing that US companies are interested in breaking into European and British markets.
In my experience, US clients tend to invest much more in high tech displays than their British and European counterparts. My suspicion is that, given the associated investment in technology, US firms will want to take their exhibition stands on the road as much as possible to maximise the return on their investment.
By the same adage then, perhaps some UK companies will respond by exhibiting in the US. Certainly, with a healthy exchange rate, this could be a possibility for firms with flexibility in their marketing budgets. However, UK firms will need to recognise that their displays will need to be ‘top notch’ to pass muster in the US.
As one of the leading UK exhibition companies, 200m2 is on hand to advise any prospective clients on making the move into new exhibition markets. 200m2 specialises in assisting organisations venture into pastures new – or overseas in this case!
