EXHIBITOR Research: Exhibit- and Event-Related Technologies are More Popular than Ever

ROCHESTER, Minn., Nov. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- EXHIBITOR Media Group, the leader in trade show and corporate event marketing education, today announced the results of EXHIBITOR Magazine's 2012 Marketing Technology Survey.  The research sheds light on which technologies are currently being adopted by exhibit and event marketers, what corporate objectives they're helping users to achieve, how much of their budget respondents are allocating to these technological applications, and which technologies offer the most potential with regard to face-to-face marketing.

When compared to the baseline established in EXHIBITOR Magazine's 2010 Marketing Technology Survey, it appears a greater percentage of marketers are turning to technology to meet an entire host of corporate objectives, ranging from increased leads and sales, to a heightened ability to personalize and prioritize lead follow-up.  

The results show that 93 percent of respondents currently incorporate technology into their marketing efforts, with more than 76 percent using various technologies to specifically enhance their exhibit-marketing efforts and 50 percent who report incorporating technology into their companies' corporate events. Compared to 2010, that marks an 11-percent increase in the number of companies using some form of technology as a marketing tool, but exhibit marketing has only seen a 4-percent rise and event marketing a statistically irrelevant 1-percent bump.

The technologies that experienced the most impressive adoption rates since 2010 are QR codes, tablet PCs, and augmented reality, as the percentage of exhibitors using them has more than tripled.

"At the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show, I predicted QR codes would explode despite the fact that a low percentage of marketers anticipated using them in the coming year," commented Travis Stanton, editor of EXHIBITOR magazine. "It's clear that prediction came true, as marketers have embraced QR codes because of their ease-of-use, nominal cost, and potential reach. In just two years, the percentage of exhibitors incorporating QR codes into their programs has skyrocketed from a mere 8 percent in 2010 to 46 percent in 2012. However, it will be interesting to see how much staying power QR codes have, as only 42 percent plan to continue using QR codes in 2013."

Comprehensive results of the 2012 Marketing Technology Survey will be published in the December issue of EXHIBITOR magazine.

About Exhibitor Media Group
The leader in trade show and corporate event marketing education, Exhibitor Media Group publishes EXHIBITOR magazine - best practices in trade show marketing. EXHIBITOR also produces EXHIBITOR2013, the trade show and corporate event industry's top-rated educational conference; EXHIBITORFastTrak regional accelerated learning conferences; EXHIBITOR eTrak, live online educational sessions; and GRAVITY FREE, the World's Only Multidisciplinary Design Conference. EXHIBITOR is the founder and sponsor of CTSM (Certified Trade Show Marketer), the industry's only university-affiliated professional certification program. EXHIBITOR'S web site, www.ExhibitorOnline.com, is the trade show and event community's most comprehensive online resource.

EXHIBITOR is a registered trademark, and EXHIBITORFastTrak and EXHIBITOR eTrak are trademarks of Exhibitor Publications, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated.

SOURCE EXHIBITOR Media Group