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http://www.exhibitoronline.com/news/article.asp?ID=15832

Exhibitor Media Group, the award-winning leader in trade show and corporate event marketing education, today announced the results of its 2016 Economic Outlook Survey, which gauged the opinions, expectations, and experiences of nearly 400 exhibit and event professionals.

Results of the survey show that 2016 is likely to be similar to last year in terms of show schedules and budget allocations. After the remarkable optimism expressed by marketers in last January’s 2015 Economic Outlook Survey, when 53 percent felt “optimistic” about the effectiveness of trade shows as a marketing medium and 84% reported similar feelings regarding the U.S. economy, the mood seems to have tempered.

“Face-to-face marketers seem to be growing tired of the slow-yet-steady slog toward economic recovery, and it appears to be having a negative impact on their confidence in not only the U.S. economy, but also the value of exhibit and event marketing,” commented Travis Stanton, editor, EXHIBITOR magazine. “Just four out of 10 exhibit and event professionals are optimistic about the effectiveness of trade shows (a drop of roughly 10 percent), and only seven out of 10 describe their feelings about the economy as ‘optimistic’ or ‘hopeful,’ marking a decline of nearly 15 percent compared to last year.”

Still, there are indications of optimism this year. More than half of the respondents have at least tentative plans to purchase a new exhibit in 2016, with 25 percent reporting definite plans to pursue a new build. Plus, nearly nine out of 10 exhibiting companies are confident that their trade show programs will achieve better results this year than last.

Results from the survey will be published in the March 2016 issue of EXHIBITOR magazine. Complimentary issues will be available at EXHIBITOR Magazine’s EXHIBITORLIVE, the training conference for trade show exhibit and event managers and marketers, to be held February 29 – March 3, 2016 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.