Nancy Drapeau, IPC, is a 30-year market research veteran with more than 20 years in the business-to-business exhibitions industry. As CEIR’s Vice President of Research, Ms. Drapeau conducts industry-wide studies and reports on current trends in the exhibition industry. In 2019, she was named to BizBash’s 1000 Most Influential People in Events list. She holds a BA in Government from Georgetown University and a Master’s in Advanced European and International Studies from l’Institut Européen des Hautes Études Internationales. She is an AC Nielsen Burke Institute-trained focus group moderator. She is a well-respected industry speaker and a member of the Industry Insights Association, with IPC certification. She has served as a member of the Events Industry Council’s (EIC) Research & Advocacy Task Force. She lives in Maine, with her husband and a border collie named Moxie. 

<figure class="alignleft size-medium"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nancy Drapeau</figcaption></figure>

• In this episode, Nancy speaks about the latest reports that expose some of the current trends in the Trade shows and events Industry, as well as a few reports that are macro-economic studies of business growth and trends. The Trade Show-specific reports are based on surveys conducted by Nancy’s group and are an attempt to find factors that can increase ROI for exhibitors, organizers and attendees. 


• To this end, the studies also attempt to discover the sentiments and proclivity of stakeholders to get back to face-to-face events in a post-pandemic scenario. The discovery is that there is an overwhelming urge to connect and engage, both for attendees as well as exhibitors, especially given that the events industry was severely affected during the lockdown. The studies confirm the enduring value of face-to-face engagements. 


• The studies pivot on high attendee use to delve into insights that can help stakeholders understand better how they can resonate better with their audiences and help brand markers invest wisely to maximize engagement outcomes and enhance attendee experience, ultimately maximizing ROI on their events outlay.  

Run time – 51:44 mins.