Tuesday, May 12, 2009

First Quarter 2009 CEIR Index Results

DALLAS, 12 May 2009 - The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) announces that data collected for the annual CEIR Index report for the first quarter of 2009 reveals that the exhibition industry experienced an overall decline of 11.6 percent when compared to the same quarter of the previous year, before any widespread industry downturn had begun. Year-over-year contraction of the exhibition industry is directly linked to the continuing recession. Further declines are likely throughout the first half of 2009.

The 6th Edition CEIR Index, released in early April, reported that the National Association of Business Economists predicts that the U.S. economy will recover during the second half of 2009, with the GDP beginning to grow again at that point at an annualized rate of 1.6 percent.

While the Index data for the first quarter of 2009 does convey declines in all four metrics of measurement, attendance fared surprisingly well, with less than a 2 percent drop in reported figures. The first quarter numbers compared to the first quarter of 2008 are Net Square Feet (-14.8 percent); Revenue (-19.7 percent); Professional Attendance (-1.5 percent); and Number of Exhibiting Companies (-10.4 percent).

As an objective measure of the annual performance of the exhibition industry, the CEIR Index measures year-over-year changes in four key metrics to determine overall performance. The CEIR Index provides exhibition industry performance across 11 key industry sectors: Professional Business Services; Consumer and Retail Trade; Sports and Entertainment; Food; Government; Building and Construction; Industrial and Manufacturing; Communications and Information Technology; Medical and Health Care; Raw Materials and Science; and Transportation.

For more information and to purchase the 6th Edition CEIR Index, contact Cathy Breden, CAE, CMP, executive director of CEIR at cbreden@ceir.org or +1 (972) 687-9201.

About CEIR
CEIR serves to advance the growth, awareness and value of exhibitions and other face-to-face marketing events by producing and delivering research-based knowledge tools that enable stakeholder organizations to enhance their ability to meet current and emerging customer needs, improve their business performance and strengthen their competitive position. For additional information, visit

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