In its most recent report, CEIR found that government and non-profit sectors represented about 11.9% of all exhibiting activities.
In 2007, governments led all industry sectors in growth with an increase over the previous year of a whopping 12.6%. The closest competitor for growth was the technology sector which reported a 6.9% increase.
The challenge for government and non-profit sectors is that they are not like private sector exhibitors. Profits and R.O.I. are not what motivates this group.
Show managers who treat this group as just another exhibitor without adjusting to the differences are clearly missing an important opportunity.
Government and non-profit exhibiting can take many forms including large international country pavilions and missions, stand-alone exhibits, or information kiosks that are part of a larger exhibit. Virtually every every-level government employee will take part in an exhibit at one time or another whether it’s federal, state or municipal.
Shows give these public sector groups an opportunity to put a human face to their programs and services, an opportunity to reach out to those people who are most affected by certain issues and a chance to show taxpayers what they are all about.
In order to support this important sector whose primary focus is on accountability, the industry is going to have to help government exhibitors look beyond the traditional models that are based on profit alone.
For more on government exhibiting and steps to success in this important arena, check out Barry’s Guru report at www.ceir.org. (http://www.ceir.org/store_products.view.php?id=1231)
