CEIR 2026 Marketing Spend Decision Report: How Exhibitors Are Managing Their Marketing Resources

May 11, 2026

Exhibitors continue to prioritize in-person events

For more than a decade, the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) has tracked how exhibitors allocate marketing dollars across channels. After a temporary pause, the research resumed in the latter part of 2025, offering marketers and exhibition organizers an updated look at how exhibitors are approaching event participation, marketing integration and ROI measurement.

The findings in CEIR’s 2026 Marketing Spend Decision Report paint a picture of an industry that has mostly stabilized following years of disruption. While exhibitors remain cautious about spending, face-to-face exhibitions continue to command the largest share of B2B marketing budgets across companies and organizations of all sizes. At the same time, exhibitors are becoming increasingly disciplined about evaluating event performance, prioritizing measurable outcomes and integrating in-person efforts into their marketing strategies.

Exhibitors still note the importance of in-person events, but they are demanding clearer business impact and more strategic engagement opportunities than ever before.

Exhibitions as an Anchor

Despite seeing continued growth in digital alternatives, B2B exhibitions remain the largest category within exhibitors’ marketing budgets. According to the report, exhibitions account for 40.8% of overall marketing spending among survey participants, reinforcing the importance of face-to-face networking in the B2B marketing landscape.

This shift is especially notable considering the proliferation of digital marketing tools and the increased scrutiny many companies are placing on budgets. Rather than shifting away from trade shows, exhibitors appear to be perfecting how they use them—viewing exhibitions as high-value opportunities for lead generation, relationship building and brand visibility in the spaces where it counts most.

The report also makes clear that exhibitors still view in-person engagement as difficult to replicate through other channels. Expos and conferences remain uniquely positioned to facilitate trust-building conversations, product demonstrations and networking opportunities that support longer-term business development goals.

The report also suggests that exhibitions increasingly serve as the centerpiece of broader marketing strategies. This shift creates new opportunities for organizers to position events as year-round engagement platforms rather than isolated annual gatherings.

Budget Stability and Cautious Optimism

While organizers continue to invest in events, the overall budgeting environment remains cautious. Most exhibitors reported relatively flat budgets heading into 2026, reflecting ongoing economic uncertainty and a continued need to justify spending decisions.

However, the research also points to selective growth opportunities. Spending is expected to flow toward B2B exhibitions, select in-person sponsorship opportunities and targeted digital marketing channels.

For meetings professionals, the implications are significant. Exhibitors may be less interested in add-ons or highly experimental activations and more focused on investments that directly support growth, audience engagement and sales conversions.

This environment places greater emphasis on organizers’ ability to clearly communicate audience quality, attendee intent and post-event performance metrics. Demonstrating how sponsorships, booth placements, networking opportunities and educational programming contribute to business goals may increasingly influence exhibitor retention.

Exhibitors Expand More Selectively

Participant projections for 2026 further highlight the theme of cautious confidence. According to the report, 47% of exhibitors expect to participate in the same number of exhibitions next year, while 28% anticipate adding shows to their programs. 83 percent of the same respondents expect to maintain their booth size.

The results show that, rather than dramatically scaling their event footprints, many exhibitors appear to be evaluating portfolios show by show, identifying which shows deliver the strongest returns.

For organizers, this creates both opportunity and pressure. High-performing events with clearly defined audiences and strong engagement metrics may stand to benefit as exhibitors consolidate spending around proven performers. At the same time, organizers might face greater scrutiny from exhibitors seeking evidence that participation will produce meaningful business outcomes.

Lead Generation as a Primary Driver

Although exhibitor strategies continue to evolve, the motivations behind participation remain consistent. Lead generation, brand awareness and relationship building continue to rank among the top reasons organizations participate in B2B exhibitions.

The emphasis on measurable performance reinforces the need for organizers to think beyond attendance numbers. While strong registration figures remain important, exhibitors increasingly want evidence that attendees are qualified buyers, decision-makers and active participants in purchasing conversations.

Organizers may find additional value in expanding hosted-buyer programs, matchmaking tools, appointment-setting platforms and networking opportunities designed to facilitate meaningful interactions between attendees and exhibitors.

Educational programming can also support exhibitors’ goals. Sessions that attract highly targeted audiences or align closely with exhibitor solutions may help drive stronger booth traffic and more productive conversations on the show floor.

New Best Practices in Integrated Marketing

Exhibitors no longer view digital marketing and in-person events as competing investments. Instead, integrated marketing strategies are becoming the norm, with 75% of exhibitors reporting investment in digital channels alongside exhibition participation.

ROI Accountability

The report notes that approximately one in 10 exhibitors appears to be reassessing their exhibition schedules. Increased references to sales challenges and uncertain business conditions further suggest that exhibitors are under pressure to maximize marketing efficiency.

Detailed post-event reporting, stronger audience insights, lead-tracking capabilities and clearer ROI management tools may become increasingly important competitive differentiators.

Report Summary

The report’s findings point to a mature industry that remains resilient—but increasingly performance-driven. Exhibitors continue to believe in the value of face-to-face engagement, but are also demanding more effective targeting, integration and measurable impact from marketing investments.

For exhibitors and event professionals, success in the years ahead may depend less on scale and more on the ability to deliver significant value to target audiences—along with the measurable business outcomes that follow.

This article highlights select findings from CEIR’s latest research on exhibitor marketing spend and participation trends. Additional data and analysis are available in the full report from the International Association of Exhibitions and Events. Read the full CEIR report here.