"As long as you keep on reinventing your events you will be ok," said Tfconnect chief executive Trevor Foley.
"The amount of young people wanting to join the industry shows that the future is positive and can only grow steadily from here."
When asked about a general decline in exhibition visitor figures Foley said it has been quality over quantity in recent years. NEC venue sales director Richard Pegler said the same number of companies are still visiting exhibitions, it was the number of representatives from each company visiting that has declined.
In response to the effects of cut backs in government spending, Waypoint Exhibitions chairman Phil Soar seemed to be the one negative voice in the debate and said it is "easy to say government cut-backs will not effect the industry but ultimately education and health events will suffer as they rely on government funding".
More controversially, the panel dicussed if three major venues - Earls Court, Excel and the NEC - could survive in these uncertain times. Foley quipped that one will .
Pegler responded and said he is in constant contact with Earls Court and Excel and they agree there is growth in the exhibition sector, especially with the rise in semi-permanent events.
"I predict we will see a dip in the industry again but from 2012 there will be a steady growth" concluded Stanco deputy chairman Neil Jackson.
To leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
"The amount of young people wanting to join the industry shows that the future is positive and can only grow steadily from here."
When asked about a general decline in exhibition visitor figures Foley said it has been quality over quantity in recent years. NEC venue sales director Richard Pegler said the same number of companies are still visiting exhibitions, it was the number of representatives from each company visiting that has declined.
In response to the effects of cut backs in government spending, Waypoint Exhibitions chairman Phil Soar seemed to be the one negative voice in the debate and said it is "easy to say government cut-backs will not effect the industry but ultimately education and health events will suffer as they rely on government funding".
More controversially, the panel dicussed if three major venues - Earls Court, Excel and the NEC - could survive in these uncertain times. Foley quipped that one will .
Pegler responded and said he is in constant contact with Earls Court and Excel and they agree there is growth in the exhibition sector, especially with the rise in semi-permanent events.
"I predict we will see a dip in the industry again but from 2012 there will be a steady growth" concluded Stanco deputy chairman Neil Jackson.
To leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.