Jessica Sibila, executive director of The Exhibitor Advocate, is a seasoned marketer and social impact professional with a unique background that includes event marketing, philanthropy and corporate branding. With 20 years of industry experience, she honed skills in developing and executing the corporate event strategy for leading brands in the natural and organic industry. Sibila is a Certified Trade Show Marketer (CTSM) and Certified Meeting Planner (CMP).
I have daily conversations with frustrated exhibitors who’ve had to make the tough decision to back out of a show because they couldn’t justify the spend. Some of those who asked their show organizer for data or support were turned away with no help.
Are they talking to the wrong person — someone who doesn’t realize the importance of cultivating a market where both exhibitors and attendees are empowered to find each other? In some cities and at some shows, costs are rising so high that exhibitors are asking if they can create their own event in a hotel for less money and have better access to their customers. Exhibitors prefer the in-person event environment but don’t feel successfully supported. Does this sound familiar?
Since the Trade Show Exhibitors Association dissolved in 2012, exhibit managers and event marketing professionals haven’t had a voice in the $101 billion U.S. exhibition industry they participate in. We created The Exhibitor Advocate for you, the exhibitor, to provide a platform to share the pain points and challenges of the exhibit industry.
We understand it’s challenging when your role as the event manager may not be your full-time job. Often, a trade show is foisted on a marketing or salesperson as an additional to-do. The Exhibitor Advocate is here to support you and your leadership with resources and tools that amplify your voice in this industry and drive success.
The No. 1 challenge in our industry is rising costs. The cost of trade shows are outpacing inflation and rising to a point where exhibitors are questioning the value of their events. Exhibitors often lack quality data to justify their spend. Exhibitors must be able to predict the cost of their events and quantify an ROI.
Together, with all industry stakeholders, The Exhibitor Advocate works both sides of this value equation. We advocate for addressing rising costs in a way that makes it predictable and justifiable for exhibitors. We advocate for providing quality attendee data and supporting attendee connections that quantify participation value.
The Exhibitor Advocate is the only nonprofit trade association specifically dedicated to amplifying the voice of exhibitors on these issues. We encourage all industry stakeholders to become members of The Exhibitor Advocate and partner with us in working on these challenges. We want exhibitors to understand they have a voice in this industry, access to resources and tools to negotiate costs, a platform to raise awareness of their pain points and the opportunity to find value in their in-person events.
Since our incorporation one year ago, we published the 2022 Labor and Material Handling Survey and the Exhibitor Insights Report, as well as launched valuable resources and tools to support exhibitors.
Learn more about us and access our resources and tools (free for a limited time!) at exhibitoradvocacy.com. Join the cause, and let’s work together to ensure the sustainable future of this industry.
