This is the fifth year since Covid-19 that EXHIBITOR magazine has conducted its annual Economic Outlook Survey, and the body of data we've collected throughout a challenging historical period paints a picture of optimism, followed by fear, followed by hope for a brighter future. No one could have guessed what 2020 had in store for our industry when we launched our 2019 survey. The results we received captured an image of what was never to be — the average marketer expected to exhibit at 54 events in 2020 with an average trade show budget of $1.25 million. By the end of that year, industry professionals had participated in only 10 events, and their budgets were decimated. In 2022, the survey showed face-to-face marketers planned to participate in an average of 37 live events, significantly lower than their never-to-be 2020 plans, but proof that the industry was rebounding. Many experts cautioned events professionals that the industry wouldn't return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023. Our 2023 survey said we didn't quite make it to pre-pandemic levels, but that growth was significant. Still, industry professionals remained cautious. This year, just days before the Presidential election, we invited a select group of nearly 200 U.S. event marketers to participate in our survey. We wondered if we'd see significant differences in the data we received pre- and post-election, but there were none. Although respondents were split nearly down the middle in their personal feelings toward the U.S. political climate, they remain confident in the effectiveness of the industry and its future. Budgets are on the rise, as are trade show participation and booth size. Most respondents experienced success in 2024, and nearly all of them anticipate even greater success in 2025.