Emerald Holding Inc. announced that its traded in-person events led to an increase in customer loyalty.

Key factors include:

  • Since the reopening of most major municipalities in the United States in June 2021, Emerald has traded over 20 in-person trade shows, conferences and other events, serving more than 90,000 attendees and 5,000 exhibiting companies.
  • Emerald’s events have, on average, delivered 30 percent to 70 percent of pre-COVID attendance levels with some approaching or matching attendance levels from 2019. COVID-related issues impacted attendance for many companies.
  • Exhibitor satisfaction has been high given strong attendee turnout with the ratio of attendees to exhibitors increasing over 20 percent compared to 2019 levels, on average, across all events, which has contributed to an almost 400 percent average increase in exhibitor net promoter scores (NPS) compared to 2019.
  • Emerald is scheduled to host dozens of trade shows, conferences and other events in the coming months as it looks to return to a full schedule in 2022.

“We are committed and excited to lead the way in bringing in-person events back to our customers in a safe and productive way,” said Hervé Sedky, President and CEO, Emerald. “Attendee presence at Emerald’s recent events has been driven by the need to meet rising consumer demand, which has resulted in extensive order writing and new business generation for our exhibitors. This critical business function, coupled with the positive feedback from amongst our customers, reinforces the relevance and sustainable value of our events, which have historically provided exhibitors with the highest returns on their marketing investment. The successful staging of Emerald’s events in 2021, combined with strong exhibitor return on investment, is proving to be a catalyst to bookings for our 2022 event calendar. We are also continuing to develop 365 days per year solutions for our clients to experience and get value.”

Emerald traditionally has hosted over 140 events each year. Its shows include Outdoor Retailer, Surf Expo, The Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show, Impressions, Swim Collective, and Active Collective in the active lifestyle space.

Photo courtesy Emerald/Surf Expo