Research & DataExhibition Organisers
The New Exhibitor Mindset: Doing More with Less
August 20251 min read
Exhibitors are getting smarter.
In today's economic climate, every marketing pound (or dollar) must work harder. For exhibitors, this has sparked a shift in how they approach events. Our 2025 Channel Insights research shows that exhibitors are more selective than ever: but they're also getting better results. The key? A focus on quality over quantity.
What's changed since 2019?
- Post-pandemic exhibitor satisfaction and NPS remain well above 2019 levels.
- Budgets are flat or declining, but costs are rising.
This combination has led exhibitors to adopt a more strategic approach: carefully choosing which events to attend and how to show up.
Three pillars of the new mindset
- Selectivity: Dropping events that don't deliver ROI and doubling down on those that do.
- Purpose-driven participation: Defining clear objectives before committing.
- Creative engagement: Moving beyond the booth to sponsorships, targeted networking, and curated experiences.
For organisers
- Offer segmented participation packages.
- Share audience data early to help exhibitors decide.
- Create platforms for quality interactions, not just volume.
For exhibitors
- Build a business case for each event.
- Prioritise events where your target audience is confirmed to attend.
- Get perfectly aligned on sales, marketing and strategic objectives and set clear targets.
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