In order to ensure the availability of internationally acknowledgeable and transparent exhibition data the CENTREX International Exhibition Statistics Union members have updated their earlier Exhibition Statistics Auditing Rules and apply this as Unified Regulation by the afore mentioned companies in their exhibition activity.
- VISITORS
- Quantitative visitor data
Number of visitors is calculated on evidence.- Paying visitors
Number of paying visitors is established through financial evidence:
number of sold tickets (prepaid or on the spot)
number of tickets/entry passes paid by the exhibitor or a third party
Visitors with season tickets are calculated as financially reasonable minimum number of use of the tickets (price of season ticket divided by the price of the respective single ticket).
Number of family tickets sold - whenever relevant - are calculated as 4 visitors. - Other identified visitors
Persons arriving with vouchers, registration cards or similar valid free passes, tickets can be counted as visitors only if evidence is available (e.g. serial numbered control slips or the registration cards).
Persons entering the exhibition with permanent passes (e.g. annual complimentary cards or VIP passes) can only be considered as visitors if evidence is provided for the visit (e.g. special registration slip). - Number of visits
In case of verifiable conditions repeat visits and consequently total number of visits may be calculated on evidence (e.g. serial numbered control slips or electronic entry system reports). Total number of visits is the sum of the total number of single visits and of the total number of repeat visits.
In case no verifiable conditions apply the total number of visitors and the total number of visits shall be the same. - Other
Number of exhibitor tickets/passes cannot be taken as visitors irrespective whether they were issued free or sold.
Persons visiting an exhibition/fair without evidence provided cannot be considered as visitors.
Person buying tickets or preregistering e.g. through Internet but not entering the gates/visitor control system shall not be counted as visitors.
- Paying visitors
- Qualitative visitor data
- Foreign visitors
Number of foreign visitors can be established either by direct evidence: tickets/passes sold/given out at special counters/gates for foreigners, filled in-registration cards with evidence of the foreign origin of the visitor or indirectly, through representative visitor surveys. - Trade visitors
Number/percentage of trade visitors can be obtained through processing of the registration cards or representative visitor surveys. - Other specific data
Other specific data on the quality of the visitors like age groups, decision-making capacity etc. can also be obtained through processing of the registration cards or representative visitor surveys.
- Foreign visitors
- Control of visitor data
Number of sold tickets are established on the basis of cash counter records of the organiser. Tickets should be issued with serial numbering.
Number of registration cards/vouchers is to be established through actual count and recorded in relevant documents.
Number of revisits is to be established through actual count of the control slips and other documents or on basis of relevant report from the electronic entry system.
Control of the qualitative figures should be performed through inspection of the evidences available - gate entry records, registration cards, visitor survey questionnaires and reports etc.
Financial records/relevant documents shall be subject to control by the auditor.
In case representative survey serves as base of qualitative data the auditor shall specify the method of it in its report.
- Quantitative visitor data
- EXHIBITORS
- Quantitative data
- Number of exhibitors
Whoever rents an autonomous, separable and paid-up area unit (a stand) where people are employed exclusively by himself to offer goods and/or services in his own name for the entire duration of the exhibition/fair can be considered an Exhibitor - irrespective of the branch or product classification. The organiser of the exhibition issues an invoice on him.
Co-exhibitors at an exhibitor's stand or participants at a collective stand are also considered as exhibitors for statistical purposes if they exhibit their own goods employing their own personnel on the exhibitor's stand or at a common stand organised by a collective stand organiser and their autonomy can be undoubtedly recognised even without physical separation. These companies are considered as exhibitors regardless that the invoice is being issued on the exhibitor or on a collective stand organiser. The nature of the participation and the identity of each exhibitor at the stand should be undoubtedly clear from the application form sent to the exhibition organiser.
A collective stand organiser should be considered as an exhibitor only if it is undoubtedly clear from the common stand plan that the collective stand organiser also disposes of an autonomous stand segment with at least one open side towards the visitors to carry out his own marketing activity.
When an exhibitor has more than one stand within an exhibition branch (product group) only counts as one exhibitor. In case it exhibits at more than one branch (product group) it can be counted according to the number of branches where it rents stands.
Service companies, authorities, associations, institutes, media companies who rent/contract exhibition space (stand) and they offer their services which are relevant to the theme of the exhibition are also considered as exhibitors.
A company who does not attend the exhibition (although it rented a stand) is not considered as exhibitor. - Transparency of the calculation
Further to exhibitors no other categories like sub-exhibitor, co-exhibitor, non-direct exhibitor, indirect exhibitor should be used in the statistical publications.
- Number of exhibitors
- Nationality of the exhibitor
- Nationality of the exhibitor
Nationality of the exhibitor should be undoubtedly clear from the application form sent to the exhibition organiser. The nationality of the exhibitor is the country which is mentioned in the application form. - Statistics on the exhibitors
The number of the exhibitors can be broken down into foreign exhibitors and domestic exhibitors. - Within domestic exhibitors the number of exhibitors can separately counted as multinational exhibitors and non-multinational exhibitors as sub-categories. (see classification/definition in Section V. of the present Auditing Rules)
- International exhibitors are considered as sum of foreign exhibitors and multinational exhibitors.
- Nationality of the exhibitor
- Control of the exhibitor data
Exhibitor data is to be controlled on the basis of application forms, contracts, agreements, invoices and relevant computer printouts. These documents shall give evidence to the qualitative figures as well.
The total number of participating countries is also to be declared where the country of the organiser/location of the event is also included.
Other statistics on available qualitative data can also be made public (like trader or manufacturers or loyalty of the exhibitors) but they should be subject of control and verification (statistics audit) beyond the present Regulation.
- Quantitative data
- EXHIBITION SURFACE
- Exhibition surface
Exhibition surface and stand data are given in square meters.- Total contracted space
Total contracted space is the total territory of exhibition stands rented/contracted by exhibitors (as invoiced to or rendered under agreement to the exhibitors) and which is occupied by the exhibitors for the entire duration of the exhibition. - Special show space
Special show space is an exhibition space (net sq. m.) where performances, shows, lectures, contests (e.g. stage) are held, if this activity relates/covers/promotes the theme of the exhibition, and which space is independent of any single exhibitor. - Total net exhibition space
Total net exhibition space includes the total contracted space (as per Point III./1.1.) and the total special show space (as per Point III./1.2.) - Special regulations
The contracted space of a collective (common) stand can be calculated in total (the rented space according to the invoice) or as added up exhibitor-by-exhibitor (according to the stand plan if this completely equals the space invoiced to the collective stand organiser).
Multi-storey stand space is to be calculated as per the invoice.
Represented companies may not have exhibition space data.
- Total contracted space
- Qualitative exhibition space figures
- Contracted space as well as special show space can be broken down into
Indoor space - t.i. rented/built in exhibition halls
Outdoor space - t.i. rented/built in the open area of the exhibition compound. - Total gross exhibition space
Gross exhibition space can be calculated also for gross area occupancy of the exhibition compound. Such data shall be communicated only by members in their capacity as exhibition centres.
- Contracted space as well as special show space can be broken down into
- Control of exhibition space data
The total net exhibition space is to be controlled on the basis of invoices (contracted space) and on the basis of the hall/open area occupancy plans (floor plans) of the organiser (for the special show space).
These documents shall give evidence to the qualitative figures as well.
- Exhibition surface
- THE PUBLISHING OF EXHIBITION DATA
The publishing of exhibition data must be undoubtedly clear in definitions and content.
Definition of the present Rules should be used only when fully complying with the content of this Rules.
In no case should gross exhibition space be indicated/made public in a way to create confusion by exhibition organiser. - MISCELLANEOUS
For statistical purposes domestic exhibitors can be broken down by multinational exhibitors and non-multinational exhibitors. - Multinational exhibitors: an exhibitor who is a multinational corporation (MNC) is a corporation or enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country.
Original agreement made in Brno, on April 24, 1997.