Measurement of Service Quality in Trade Fair Organization

Abstract

The success of a trade fair depends on the close collaboration between organizers and exhibitors with potential visitors. While the literature has invested a great deal of interest in the role of the exhibitor and, to a lesser extent, to the visitor, scarce attention has been paid to the vital role played by the fair organizer. The present work analyzes the latter and their importance to the success of a trade fair, which is measured by the quality of the services offered to exhibitors. Using a sample of exhibitors at an International Spanish trade fair, regression analysis is used to examine, at the exploratory level, some quality aspects linked to organizers that can affect the fulfillment of objectives established by exhibitors prior to attending a fair. The results obtained reveal that two dimensions of quality linked to the organizer (event design and quality of results) highly correlate with the final perceptions of exhibitors, and that their deficient quality level prevents the exhibitors from reaching their fair goals.

Trade show visitors and key technological trends: from a literature review to a conceptual framework

“…The activity of evaluating trade show performance in the literature, as mentioned above, has been focused mainly on exhibitors’ side (Kerin and Cron, 1987; Seringhaus and Rosson, 1998; Reinhold et al , 2010; Kirchgeorg et al , 2010). The success of a trade fair depends on the collaboration between organizers and exhibitors with visitors (Jiménez-Guerrero et al , 2020). Different ways of defining measures of performance have been defined: for instance, by identifying and differentiating outcome-based dimensions, comprising evaluation of sales-related activities, from behavior-based dimensions, namely, information-gathering activities, image-building activities and relationship-building activities (Hansen, 1999; Hansen, 2004; Lee and Kim, 2008; Çobanoğlu and Turaeva, 2014).…”

“…To illustrate, organizers are service providers that make the event possible through marketing strategies which are aimed at creating a match between exhibitors and visitors based on information such as attitudinal, political, economic and/or sociocultural factors (Jung, 2005). Jiménez-Guerrero et al (2020, p. 11) argued that “the organizer is responsible for conceiving the fair itself and dealing with all the complexities involved in its organization”; hence, it is an essential role for the success of the event itself. The authors analyzed the influence of organizers-related quality aspects that can impact the fulfillment of exhibitors’ objective in attending an event.…”

Trade Show Triumph: A Strategic Guide for New Businesses for Better Exposure

“…Role-play scenarios to prepare them for different interactions and questions. [10] Service quality in trade shows is a crucial element dictating individual effectiveness.…”