Business View Magazine - September 2016 89
“By 2018, we will be at the highest level
of volume of exhibition revenues and at-
tendance in the history of our industry.
So, we’re very healthy – predominantly
in the United States; Europe’s a little
softer, although Germany continues to
be strong; Spain is coming back a little
bit; Latin America is struggling because
of Brazil; Mexico’s okay; Canada’s al-
ways steady; China’s doing well at 7
percent growth; India’s at 3 or 4 percent
growth. So, overall, our industry’s very
healthy and it’s all tied to GDP in coun-
tries around the world.”
Both DuBois and Bowman believe that
the economic impact of the exhibitions
and events industry cannot be over-em-
phasized. “Everybody goes tomeetings,”
says DuBois. “Everybody is involved, as
an adult, in going to and attending, or
walking through a trade show at some
point in time, whether it’s a car show,
a garden show, a jewelry show, a con-
sumer electronics show – CES, every
January in Vegas, has 150,000 people.”
And as long as these shows continue to
draw such large and sustained crowds,
worldwide, the International Association
of Exhibitions and Events will persevere
in its mission of providing its stakehold-
ers in the global exhibitions and events
industry with the information and re-
sources that will help advance and
promote their success, both here and
abroad.
Because, after all, “the shows must go
on.”
