Do you wonder- what’s the events industry like outside the U.S? Like many other industries, the trade show and events industry is worldwide. On global exhibitions day last year, 85 countries and regions celebrated and supported the exhibitions industry.
But are businesses in the United States choosing to have their events outside the country? The answer is yes.
According to a study done by Exhibitor Online, when asked where they plan on exhibiting in the foreseeable future, 57.6% said North America, 56% said Europe, 38.4% said Asia. Now that’s something to talk about.
North America
We have 50 states to choose from when it comes to where we want to host an event. What’s convenient is that you do not have to have your event in the same state as your organization. Many events will choose a different venue and state each year. In fact, “The top three cities for meetings and events in North America continue to be Orlando, Las Vegas, and Chicago”. When it comes to convention centers, the U.S doesn’t mess around. From expanding current convention centers to building new ones, billions of dollars have been spent to make these convention centers bigger and better.
Chicago is home to the largest convention facility in the United States. McCormick Place has 2.6 million sq ft of exhibit hall space. Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center is the 2nd largest convention facility.
One of the most popular and largest expos in the United States is IMEX. IMEX is an event not to be missed by any event professional, as it’s the most popular exhibition worldwide. Over 3,000 companies exhibited at this event and it continues to grow.
Europe
The trade show and events industry is steady in Europe. Europe is so vast, therefore, which country are you going to choose? According to a report by American Express, the top locations are London, Barcelona and Berlin. Venues include the European Convention Center Luxembourg, Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona, and Austria Centre Vienna. London has been called a hot spot for the trade show and events industry. From new venues to new hotels, London is changing and expanding. MRO Europe Aviation Week is a well attended and popular event. It’s the leading exhibition for airlines.
Asia
The trade show and events industry is a fast growing industry in Asia. There are many venues that have been constructed and the amount of exhibiting space is hundreds of thousands of square feet in their halls. A popular venue for events is the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. This convention center was host to over 8.2 million visitors within a one year span. One venue that is currently being built is the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center. The first phase is due to open later this year. Popular events include Aquarama, and the Hong Kong Book Fair. There were over 1 million visitors at the book fair. Asia continues to break records in the global events industry. Expanding venues, attendance numbers, and technology advancements have fueled their growth.
The trade show and events industry is a booming business. No matter where you are, if it’s here in the U.S, in Europe or Asia, there is always a place to host an event!
References
- https://www.ufi.org/industry-resources/global-exhibitions-day/
- https://www.exhibitoronline.com/topics/article.asp?ID=2477&catID=7
- https://www.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com/content/uploads/2017/12/2018-Global-Meetings-Forecast-US.pdf
- https://www.tsnn.com/news/hkcec-posts-record-attendance-82-million-fy201718
- https://venuesnow.com/smg-to-manage-new-shenzhen-venue/
- https://www.mccormickplace.com/about-us/about-us.php
- https://www.occc.net/About-Us
- https://www.imexamerica.com/show-statistics
- https://mroeurope.aviationweek.com/en/home.html
