Last year, 52,000 qualified buyers attended AAPEX, including 40,000 domestic and 12,000 international buyers. Of those buyers:
• 90 percent made buying decisions/recommendations;
• 90 percent buy for up to 10 locations (domestic);
• 24,000 were top management;
• 64 percent of international buyers make direct U.S. purchases; and
• 82 percent planned to make purchases after the show.

Add to the list the fact that 76 percent plan to attend the show again this year, and you can see why AAPEX is the one place exhibiting companies can reach all the key decision-makers in their target markets. But as an exhibitor, you want to get the most out of the show in an economy that seems to get more challenging by the day. Show organizers have worked hard to make sure you do.

“We are pleased to debut new features and improvements at AAPEX 2009 to enhance exhibitors’ productivity and investment at this year’s event,” said Steve Handschuh, president and COO of AASA. “We have surveyed attendees and participants, and held extensive dialogues with our AASA members, the North American aftermarket suppliers. Based on this feedback, we feel that AAPEX 2009 will present a solid ROI for its participants who take advantage of all that the event has to offer.

“We’re especially proud of the two interactive exhibits: ‘The Shop of Tomorrow’ and the ‘Car Care Fair,’” Handschuh continued. “These exhibits will add excitement to the exhibit floor and generate more traffic to exhibits.”

Handschuh points to two additional new features that provide more promotional opportunities for exhibitors: the “You Are Here” kiosks and the AAPEX Theater.

“Conveniently located through the show floor, the ‘You Are Here’ kiosks will provide quick directions to booths, products and services at AAPEX 2009,” Handschuh noted.

AAIA, in its Efficiency Brief for AAPEX Exhibitors, has several tips for companies that still want to benefit from the show, but spend less money doing so:

• Bring an “Emergency Kit”: Include office supplies, overnight shipping labels, packing tape, spare light bulbs, extension cords and power strips. Having to buy such items on-site can be expensive.

• Exhibit Reuse: Refurbish if necessary, but keep changes to a minimum to see a real cost savings.

• Show Floor Meeting Rooms: Forgo pricey hospitality suites and meeting room fees, as well as reduce rental fees and catering costs. Visitors don’t expect the extravagance of a hospitality suite in a show floor meeting room, and will probably appreciate its convenience.

• Reduce Giveaways: Use a smaller quantity of lighter, less expensive items to reduce shipping costs and reserve high-level giveaways for long-time customers and solid prospects.

• Weekday Booth Installation: Install and dismantle your booth Friday and Monday respectively, skipping Saturday and Sunday. These are the most expensive set-up days because the labor rate is based on an overtime scale.

• Exhibit Rental: Perfect for companies with continual changes in product look, direction and brand messaging, renting an exhibit minimizes show labor costs, material handling charges, shipping costs, updates, maintenance and refurbishment.

• Limit Show Staffing: Consider bringing only key employees who have set up appointments in advance. Also helpful is someone who speaks another language and can communicate with international buyers.

To continue your cost-savings strategies, take advantage of the free online return-on-investment tools available at roitoolkit.exhibitsurveys.net. Funded by a grant from the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Educational Foundation to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, the ROI Toolkit was developed by Exhibit Surveys, Inc. in conjunction with the ROI Task Force of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE).

The site provides a series of simple tools to assist exhibitors in planning for a show and to measure performance in delivering a return-on-investment (ROI) from exhibiting. From potential audience, exhibit staff and exhibit space estimators for pre-event planning to reach, staff performance and potential ROI estimator tools for post-event performance, the site provides concrete numbers to help with each aspect of a successful week at AAPEX.