A new IFES global study conducted with independent research partner jwc GmbH will build an international evidence base on exhibitor spending, purchasing behaviour and the value of exhibition and event services.

Brussels, Belgium – Sept 2026

 

While the global exhibition industry has strong data on exhibition space, visitor numbers and market trends, there is far less comparable international insight into how exhibitors allocate their budgets, what drives purchasing decisions and which services they value most. Closing this gap will help IFES members and the wider industry better understand exhibitors’ needs, strengthen the value of the services they provide and make more informed decisions about where to invest and adapt.

To address the gap, the International Federation of Exhibition and Event Services (IFES), together with jwc GmbH, its independent research partner, has commissioned a comprehensive international research initiative to generate new, data-driven insights into exhibitor spending, purchasing behaviour and expectations.

The study will build a structured internationally comparable picture of exhibitor spending and decision-making around exhibition and event services. It will examine how budgets are distributed across the exhibition experience, what influences purchasing decisions and how exhibitors assess the value of individual service categories.

The research will cover stand space, stand construction and design, logistics and transport, accommodation and personnel, rigging, marketing and communication, as well as other services surrounding exhibition participation. It will also examine differences between regions, industries, event formats and B2B and B2C events.

“Our industry has an enormous depth of knowledge and experience along the entire customer journey, but there are still areas where better data can help us to learn and make better decisions,” says Jörg Zeissig, President of IFES. “Understanding where exhibitors invest, what they value from their partners and what influences their choices, will give the wider industry a clearer view of how customer expectations are differing and evolving. The research will create a credible benchmark that helps our members and partner association members understand their customers better and gives us a basis for tracking how markets and expectations develop over time.”

 

Making the value of exhibition services more visible

Exhibition and event service providers are central to successful exhibition participation, yet their economic contribution – and how exhibitor budgets are distributed across individual services – remains far less documented internationally. This limits the industry’s ability to benchmark service demand, compare markets and  demonstrate the value created across the exhibition services sector.

The IFES research initiative aims to build a stronger data foundation around the economic contribution and relevance of exhibition and event services. By doing so, it will make the service sector more visible and give businesses better evidence to guide planning, investment and service development. The project has two complementary parts. The first analyses the development of the global exhibition market, including growth markets and structural trends. The second focuses on the role and economic relevance of exhibition and event services through an international quantitative survey of exhibitors.

“Service providers contribute substantially to the overall exhibition experience, but there is comparatively little international data showing how exhibitors allocate budgets or what drives their purchasing decisions,” says Sebastian Witt, Managing Director of jwc GmbH. “By combining market analysis with direct exhibitor feedback, we can see not only where exhibitors spend, but what drives that spend and which services they value most. That creates useful evidence for service providers and the wider industry.” For the survey, IFES and jwc have developed a questionnaire covering exhibitor expenditure, service requirements, purchasing criteria and the perceived contribution of  individual services to exhibition success.

 

Better insight through industry collaboration

The findings are intended to be practical, helping IFES members benchmark their markets, refine their services and focus investment where exhibitors see most value. The quality of those insights, however, will depend on the breadth and diversity of exhibitor participation.

IFES is therefore inviting its international membership and relevant industry partners to share the survey with their exhibitor clients and networks. The aim is to gather responses across a wide range of countries, industries and event formats, so the data reflects the diversity of the global exhibition market rather than the experience of any single region or sector.

Broad international participation is central to the initiative. A diverse response will allow meaningful patterns to emerge, enable comparisons between markets and create findings that are useful not only to individual businesses, but to the industry overall.

“No single company can build this picture alone,” says Gregor Bischkopf, Executive Director of IFES. “By opening the survey to exhibitor networks across our membership and industry partners, we can create an evidence base that is more representative and more useful to everyone. For our members, that means practical insight into their priorities, customers and markets. For IFES, it creates a benchmark we can develop over time and use to support the wider industry with stronger evidence.”

The survey will run from September to the end of October 2026, with analysis taking place in November. Findings are expected to include concise summaries, regional comparisons, visual benchmarks and practical strategic insights.

The ambition is not simply to capture a snapshot of  exhibitor behaviour, today. IFES and jwc intend the research to establish a longer-term benchmark, allowing changes in exhibitor spending, expectations and purchasing priorities to be tracked over time and giving the industry a stronger evidence base for future decisions. The results will be published by year-end.

COMPLETE THE SURVEY

 

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About IFES:

The International Federation of Exhibition & Event Services (IFES) is the worldwide trade association dedicated to the specific needs of exposition designers and providers of tradeshow and events services. Over 350 companies representing more than 47 countries are proud network members. The purpose of IFES is to promote the commercial, professional and socio-political interests of its members on an international level and generate and promote a business and knowledge exchange platform for its active members in the global market. For more information about the International Federation of Exhibition and Event Services, go to www.ifesnet.org

 

About jwc

Founded in 2007, jwc GmbH is an international management consultancy specialising in the exhibition, trade fair and conference industry. The company works with organisers, venues, service providers, governments, destinations, private equity firms and industry associations, providing strategic advice, market research, business intelligence and commercial development support. Its work combines industry expertise with data-driven analysis to support decision-making and long-term development across the global business events sector.

 

Media contact:

Robyn D’Alessandro

PR and Communications Manager, IFES

[email protected]