According to EXPO/Red 7 Media surveys in September there’s reason to be positive about attendance at events. While the outlook is favorable clearly attendee behavior has changed, and so has attendee spending.

The most obvious changes in attendee behavior are: The main attendee behavioral changes due to the economy have been:

• waiting longer to register and book hotels.
• sending smaller teams of attendees with buying power, although attendee quality is still good.
• scrutinizing hotel costs very closely.
• taking a greater interest in quality content and education.

A positive outlook for attendance is a good sign and could indicate the industry’s recovery. But whether these behavioral changes will disappear is any one’s guess.