2%MEASUREMENT:
Despite the buzz around metrics and measurement, investment remains strikingly low. We recognize that suggesting exhibit managers invest more in measurement when budgets are eaten up by the cost of exhibiting is akin to suggesting that avocado toast is a barrier to home ownership while ignoring student loans. But industry professionals should ask themselves: Are we flying blind? If the answer is yes, perhaps a small shift in spend could yield tremendous insights.

6%GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PRODUCTION:
Graphic design and production took up 9 percent of 2008 budgets, then dropped to 6 percent in 2022 where it remains today. The dip may be driven by increased reliance on digital graphics, interactive touchpoints, and cost-effective alternatives to print production like QR codes.

18%SHOW SERVICES:
Show services, a sprawling category that encompasses everything from internet access to trash collection, held around 14 percent from 1998 to 2022. Then this category jumped to 18 percent, confirming what many exhibitors already know: Costs are up. In 2022, show services was respondents' fourth highest budget item. Today, it comes in at number two.

11%SHIPPING:
Shipping went from a high of 13 percent in 1998 to a low of 8 percent in 2021 when no one was shipping anything to anyone without latex gloves and disinfectant spray. Since then, shipping costs have climbed, prompting some brands to rethink their crate contents or partner with exhibit houses that have fabrication hubs in trade-show-dominant cities.

23%BOOTH SPACE:
This year, reported percentages ranged from 15 percent to more than 50 percent, reflecting brands' strategic diversity in floor presence. But bigger isn't always better. A well-thought-out 10-by-20 can easily outperform an underdeveloped 20-by-40. Deliberate use of space has massive impact.

2%OTHER EXPENSES:
This catch-all category that includes things like lead retrieval and staff uniforms has always been a small part of event marketers' trade show budgets.

16%EXHIBIT DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION:
In 1998, grunge gave way to boy band glitz, and exhibit design followed the cultural zeitgeist, taking up roughly 23 percent of a trade show budget. But now, thanks to portable and modular systems, brands can deliver high-impact design without high-cost build. Notably, this is the only budget category in the top five directly tied to brand perception.

11%TRAVEL AND LODGING:
Travel expenses went from 2 percent of the average budget in 1988 to 11 percent today. But this number may understate real costs because many companies report travel as a line item outside the exhibit budget.

8%MARKETING PROMOTIONS:
The portion of budgets spent on promotions was 2 percent in 1988 when engagement meant a handshake and a branded ballpoint. It plateaued at 6 percent for a number of years before increasing to 8 percent today, reflecting a move toward experience-first thinking on the show floor.

3%TALENT:
This comprises payment for professional booth staff, speakers, and presenters, and the low allocation suggests most exhibitors rely on internal staff rather than paid presenters or specialists. Still, a little charisma can go a long way. A skilled presenter may deliver more qualified leads than a towering LED wall.

Across three sets of data, exhibit managers' budget allocations have remained largely consistent. But a few clear shifts confirm what industry professionals have long suspected.