INCON Survey of the Global Association Conference Market


Findings from the same survey show that association conference attendance is expected to remain the same for this year as for last year with 41 percent of respondents forecasting no change in attendee figures at 2012 events compared to 2011. This figure reverses the findings of both the 2011 and 2010 surveys when 50% of respondents forecast improved delegate numbers compared to previous years.


In terms of sponsorship, the INCON survey notes that respondents were evenly divided between those who expect sponsorship revenues to remain unchanged by comparison with 2011 levels (37 percent) and those who see this revenue source declining throughout 2012 (37 percent). These findings are not as positive as those of the 2011 survey when 42 percent of respondents forecast increased levels of sponsorship revenue. That figure has dropped to 25 percent in 2012.


The top two emerging trends likely to influence the association conference sector in 2013 were found to be budgeting and content capture/distribution. It should come as no surprise that budgets continue to be scrutinised and planners are seeking best value in negotiating the highest level of event income. However, the content capture/ distribution trend is worthy of note. Technological developments in conference capture and data distribution, such as speaker video, audio and visuals over the web in real time and on demand after the conference, now enable conference professionals to extend the reach and lifecycle of their meetings and expand the learning exchange to many more people. The digital content produced in this way represents not only scientifically valuable material for long-term use in continuing online education but also a sustainable source of revenue for associations.


Most large association conferences are held in the type of venues that form the membership of the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC), therefore the perceptions of this association’s members provide a useful insight into the state of the market for this sector. The AIPC’s latest Road to Recovery survey found that 44 percent of their members are seeing ‘weak’ to ‘no’ recovery following the recent economic downturn. When asked about pricing power, 65 percent of survey respondents said their pricing power had increased in the last five years. A further 67


Reed Exhibitions | EIBTM Trends Watch Report 2012 21


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