Welcome to 2022! If you are like me, I have started this year with a renewed sense of optimism for the B2B exhibitions industry. AVIXA’s Infocomm 2021 was one of the fortunate shows that took place this past October in Orlando, Florida and the entire AVIXA team and our event stakeholders were encouraged with the return to an industry face-to-face event. CEIR data is used on multiple fronts to not only benchmark against other shows in our market vertical and the exhibitions industry as a whole, but to also glean insights that assist our exhibitors, and our internal teams to gauge attendee sentiment and ROI.
It is my pleasure to serve as your 2022 Chairperson of the CEIR board and with that comes my promise to work with the CEIR Research Council, Board of Directors and staff in producing research that is valued and needed by the industry. We are all in the business of bringing buyers and sellers together, and I look forward to the reports and data that CEIR will be providing over the next year to help us all get back on track. Although this track may not be what it was pre-COVID, rest assured CEIR will do its best to inform on what we are seeing in our marketplace.
If you produce a B2B exhibition, it is vital to submit your data to the CEIR Index so that as an industry we can all receive an economic perspective on the state of the industry overall, and the 14 market sectors. I would encourage all to take the surveys that are sent, download reports from the CEIR store and contribute to CEIR by donating.
Please read below for more information on the CEIR COVID Tracker Survey, the Omnichannel Marketing Study, upcoming CEIR events being planned and the Event Performance Analyzer.
Stay safe and best wishes,
Dennis Smith
2022 Chairperson of the Board, CEIR
Senior Director, Exposition Sales & Business Development, AVIXA
Special Message from CEIR CEO Cathy Breden on the Passing of Don Vaughn
Don Vaughn passed away last week. For those who did not know Don, he was an industry legend, an icon of integrity, a servant leader and an all-around good person. While you may not realize it, his work in the exhibitions industry leaves a legacy that touches us all. I hope you will take a moment to honor him by reading this testament to a man who made a difference.
Don had a well-rounded career having been in executive roles with the National Association of Home Builders, the Astrodome Astrohall Stadium Corporation, Freeman, the Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Billcom Exhibitions, Vaughn, Ducate and Associates, The Augusta Group, CMAC.
Anything Don said he was going to do, he did. He threw himself in 100%. He believed in the power of exhibitions and he was agnostic when it came to the associations he served (CEIR, EDPA, ESCA, HCEA, IAVM, IAEE, PCMA, MPI). IAEE recognized him with its highest level of recognition in 1981 with the William Hunt Eisenmann Award (Pinnacle Award), and he was also recognized by the Experiential Designers and Producers Association with the Hazel Hayes Award, the Exhibition Services and Contractors Association with the Distinguished Service Award, and the Healthcare Convention and Exhibitions Association with the Distinguished Service Award. These are the highest-level awards for these associations.
Don was one of the founders of what is now the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (initially formed as the Trade Show Bureau) and this is how I came to know him. The Trade Show Bureau was initially created to promote the importance of the exhibitions industry to the U.S. economy, which led to the CEIR Census and CEIR Index which measures the performance of the business-to-business exhibitions industry. The CEIR Index also provides economic impact information for advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. Over the past two years, CEIR has had many interviews with major news outlets in the U.S., Europe and Asia on the impact of COVID to the conventions and exhibitions industry. Don’s work in the beginning, along with others, has elevated the importance of exhibitions on jobs, industries and commerce.
“Don Vaughn was an early advocate of the need to promote the use of exhibitions to bring products to market. As a gifted speaker he seized opportunities throughout his storied career to deliver that message to groups both within and outside the industry,” said Doug Ducate, former CEIR CEO. “He had a unique career in the industry first as an exhibition organizer, then a major facility manager and finally an executive with the largest general service contractor in the industry. That combination enabled him to see situations from various points of view and find balanced solutions to industry issues. He was a great friend, and I will miss him.”
He believed strongly in the need for an umbrella organization and became involved in the Convention Liaison Council, now known as the Events Industry Council. During his time as chair (1985-1986), the organization introduced both the Certified Meeting Professional designation and the Hall of Leaders program. It was fitting that he was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Leaders in 1997. Again, the organization’s highest-level award, but this award is the pinnacle of all the pinnacles!
If you had met Don after 1997, you would not have known he had received all these awards and accolades. He was a humble man. He lived to serve the industry he loved. To learn more about Don and his contributions, watch this Hall of Leaders video .
A Celebration of Life will be held at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, January 29, at the First Presbyterian Grapevine with a reception following at the Grapevine Marriott. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Don Vaughn Memorial Fund, CEIR Foundation, 12700 Park Central Drive, Ste 308, Dallas, TX, 75251 or via the CEIR Foundation website . Donations in Don’s memory may also be made to the First Presbyterian Church Grapevine, 1002 North Park Blvd., Grapevine, TX 76051.
Bravo, Don, what a testament to a life well lived!
Cathy Breden, CMP, CAE, CEM
Chief Executive Officer
CEIR COVID Tracker Survey
CEIR has closely monitored the effects of the pandemic on the industry by tracking event cancellations and postponements over the past 18 months. These survey results are integral to measuring and monitoring the recovery of the B2B exhibitions industry. The next survey will be released in the next few days. Exhibition organizers – be on the lookout for the survey in your inbox.
Omnichannel Marketing Insights
CEIR released the first report in the Omnichannel Marketing report series in late November - Marketing Channel Mix During Pandemic and Outlook Moving Forward for Brand Marketers That Exhibit at B2B Exhibitions . Report One summarizes overall findings from the exhibitor perspective. Results indicate the outlook for the B2B exhibition industry is strong among sexhibiting companies that have used the channel pre-COVID-19.
This report is available at no charge to CEIR subscribers and industry members and is $99 USD for non-members. Report two will tackle the channels used by attendees to meet their business needs during the pandemic and the outlook moving forward. This report and will be released in February.
Silent Auction Open Through 8 February
CEIR has procured many great items in the online silent auction including destination packages, luxury goods, specialty experiences and tons more. There are exceptional gifts to show your love on Valentine’s Day.
If you or your organization is interested in donating items to the Silent Auction, please visit the CEIR Silent Auction page .
2022 CEIR Predict – Save the Date
Recently, CEIR announced that the 2022 conference will take place on 15-16 September at the MGM National Harbor. Read post event insights from the 2021 Predict speakers on the CEIR Blog here . If your company is interested in partnering with CEIR on the Predict Conference, contact Karen Gonzales, kgonzales@ceir.org .
CEIR Predict – Save the Date to Your Calendar
Event Performance Analyzer
Take the Guesswork Out of Understanding Your Market Position
Understanding how your event is performing compared to your competitive peer set is an integral metric in strategic planning. It reveals your event’s strengths and weaknesses. It helps direct strategic planning to where it counts, where improvements are needed and where to build on an event’s success.
The Event Performance Analyzer Tool looks at your event’s performance for critical metrics:
- Number of attendees
- Number of exhibitors
- NSF of paid space
- Organizer gross revenues
The beauty of this tool is that it visualizes your event’s performance in 13 charts to prior editions of your event and the corresponding CEIR Sector Index aka your competitive peer set.