Rules for Exhibition Statistics Control

1. The main object of the voluntary exhibition statistics control is to confirm its data reliability.

2. The exhibitions, whose organizer voluntarily requires an audit, are inspected in the following parameters:

- Indoor and outdoor space rented by domestic exhibitors (sq. m.)
- Indoor and outdoor space rented by foreign exhibitors (sq. m.)
- Space for special exhibits at the exhibition and on its subject (sq. m.)
- Total indoor and outdoor exhibition space (net, sq. m.)
- Total exhibition space (gross, sq. m.)
- Number of national exhibitors
- Number of foreign exhibitors
- Total number of exhibitors
- Number and the list of participating countries
- Number of indirect national exhibitors
- Number of indirect foreign exhibitors
- Total number of indirect exhibitors
- Number of specialist visitors
- Number of foreign visitors
- Number of national visitors
- Total number of visitors
- Number of national visits
- Number of foreign visits
- Total number of visits

3. Basic Exhibition Terms

EXHIBITION is a market event held on fixed dates at regular intervals to demonstrate products and services of exhibiting companies, science and technology achievements, the best practices of one or more industry sectors, or to inform visitors in order to promote sales.

The exhibition is mainly aimed at specialist visitors.

FAIR is a market event held on fixed dates at regular intervals, showcasing goods and services of exhibiting companies from one or more industry sectors, aimed at direct national and international trade deals based on the exhibited samples.

The fair is addressed primarily to trade and individual visitors.

Special expositions include demonstrations of informative materials, shows, fashion shows, contests, tastings conducted by the exhibition organizers as part of the exhibition on its specific or broad subject.

4. Visitors/Visits: Calculation Rules

4.1 Visitors

a) A visitor is a person attending the exhibition during its operating dates and hours to examine displayed exhibits and/or to participate in the exhibition programme.
b) Visitors are divided into specialists and non-specialists. A specialist visitor is a person who represents the market audience expected by the organizers and the exhibitors, and visiting exhibitions/fairs for business or professional reasons.
c) Exhibitors of accompanying events such as conferences, seminars, congresses and festivals organized as part of the exhibition and on its subject are considered specialist visitors and are included in the total number of visitors, if they have visited the exhibition itself.
d) Visitors are divided into two categories: "national" and "foreign" whereas the term "national" means representing the host country of the exhibition organizer.
e) The visitor is counted only once regardless of the number of visits.

4.2 Visits

a) A visit is the action of a person who during the exhibition operating dates and hours enters the event with an access document and who represents the market sector anticipated by the organizers and the exhibitors.
b) For calculation, "visits" include:
- people who purchased their tickets directly at the exhibition;
- people who purchased their tickets before the beginning of the exhibition AND visited the exhibition;
- people with invitations or reduced tariff tickets AND who visited the exhibition;
- people who attend the exhibition with season tickets.
c) A person can be counted only once per day.
d) From visits calculation are excluded:
- Staff of the exhibition centre and the organizer
- Staff of service providers
- Staff of exhibiting companies/organizations
- Representatives of the media
e) Repeat visits
A repeat visit is each additional visit after the first visit, that can be controlled. Here also only one visit per day is counted.
f) Total number of visits
The total number of visits equals the total number of visitors plus the total number of repeat visits.
g) When organizers indicate in the media or any other promotional materials the number of “visits” to a particular event, they must explain the difference between the terms "visit" and "visitor" in such materials.

4.3. Nationality of Visitors and Visits

a) The "nationality" is determined on the basis of a visitor’s place of residence and must be stated in visitor registration forms by indicating the address.
b) Foreign visits are visits by individuals living outside the country where the exhibition takes place.

4.4 Quantitative and Qualitative Composition of Visitors

a) The quantity of visitors is calculated using the following methods:
- Mandatory electronic registration (maximum accuracy of calculation)
- Mandatory non-electronic registration (high accuracy of calculation)
- Visual counting of visitors (sufficient accuracy of calculation (1))
- Official data on the tickets sold to the exhibition (sufficient accuracy of calculation (2))
b) The number of specialist visitors or trade visitors is determined by a survey as a percentage of the total number of visitors.
c) The qualitative composition of visitors is determined by surveying a group of visitors with a specially developed form (according to marketing research rules).
d) In case of no registration, the qualitative indicators determining visitors’ composition are found by a survey. The survey is conducted by sampling or questioning every visitor.
e) The size of sample survey depends on the total number of visitors and on required accuracy of the analysis:
• For an event with up to 3,000 visitors, at least 8 % of visitors must be surveyed.
• For an event with 3,000 to 5,000 visitors, at least 250 visitors must be surveyed.
• For an event with 5,000 to 10,000 visitors, at least 5% of visitors must be surveyed.
• For an event with 10,000 to 25,000 visitors, at least 500 visitors must be surveyed.
• For an event with 25,000 to 50,000 visitors, at least 2% of visitors must be surveyed.
• For an event with over 50,000 visitors, at least 1,000 visitors must be surveyed.
f) Surveys must be conducted during all exhibition days. All necessary questions and answers must be stated very clearly in the survey form.

5. Exhibitors: Calculation Rules

5.1 Exhibitors (so-called “direct” exhibitors)

a) Exhibitors include main exhibitors and co-exhibitors.
b) The main exhibitor is a company that concluded a contract directly with the exhibition organizer and received on any terms (for a fee or for free) space for the whole exhibition/trade-fair period. Their own or hired staff will work at a stand located at that space to advertise company’s products/services on the subject of the event.
c) Co-exhibitors are organizations/companies present at a main exhibitor’s stand with their own staff and their own goods and/or services.
There should be provided means to clearly identify co-exhibitors: for example, their mentioning in the application form of the main exhibitor, statements about them by official coordinating bodies, or they have to be listed in the exhibition’s catalogues.
d) In case of a collective participation, the space is rented and paid for by the exhibitor who organizes it. The area is shared between several exhibitors that are considered to be co-exhibitors, if they occupy their own space, act on their own behalf and display their own products/services, and involve their own or hired staff.
e) The industry associations/unions, service firms, administrative and other institutions will be considered exhibitors only in case if they rent stands/exhibition space and offer services related to the exhibition theme, and meet the requirements of paragraph 5.1 a, b.
f) If an exhibitor displays goods and services at an exhibition/trade-fair with no clear division into sections, and he/she occupies more than one stand, the exhibitor is counted once.
g) If exhibition space is divided into separate sections under the main subject of the exhibition, and the exhibitor rents space to showcase goods and services in accordance with these sections, such exhibitors can be counted several times depending on the number of their stands.

c) The organizer is not allowed to determine exhibitor’s nationality. If it is impossible to determine exhibitor’s nationality on the basis of the address in the contract, the organizer may accept the nationality claimed by the exhibitor. In this case, such an exhibitor, national/domestic subsidiary, has to provide a letter from the foreign parent company which stipulates that the subsidiary rents space on behalf of the parent company. Otherwise, national/domestic exhibitor representing goods and services of one or several foreign companies can not be considered foreign.
d) The total list of participating countries for the fiscal year is calculated based on direct exhibitors, whereas each country is counted only once including the country of the exhibition organizer.

5.3. Indirect Exhibitors: Calculation Rules

a) If one of the requirements from paragraphs 5.1 a, b, c, d is not met, such exhibitors are considered indirect.
b) Indirect exhibitors must be registered by the exhibition organizer, they can be present in the event catalogue either under the name of the exhibitor where their goods and services are showcased or with a reference to it, or in a separate section of the exhibition catalogue provided for firms represented at the event.
c) An indirect exhibitor can showcase their goods and services only at the stand of one exhibitor.

6. Exhibition Space: Calculation Rules

a. The exhibition space is the total space used for the exhibition during its entire period, i.e. the area of exhibition halls (indoor exhibition space) plus the area of outdoor exhibition grounds (outdoor exhibition space).
b. The exhibition space is classified as net space and gross space, measured in square meters (sq.m.).
c. Net exhibition space (indoor/outdoor) is the area rented by the exhibitor directly from the organizer under a contract on any terms (for a fee or for free) for the whole exhibition/trade fair period.
d. Gross exhibition space is the area of the entire exhibition site, including the space which is not used directly for the exhibition (i.e. the area of the passages between the stands, service area, offices, administrative rooms as well as the area used for conferences, seminars, congresses, festivals, and other related events).
e. Gross indoor space is the area of exhibition halls occupied by the exhibition.
f. Gross outdoor space is calculated as the area 80% larger than the net outdoor space.
g. Net exhibition space also includes special expositions area designated by the organizer such as information boards, display podiums, stands, halls for special events (such as shows, competitions, tastings, etc. conducted at the venue and on its subject).
h. Total net exhibition space is the total amount of exhibition space rented by exhibitors combined with special exposition area.
i. The space occupied by accompanying events (such as conferences, seminars, congresses, festivals) conducted at the exhibition centre during the exhibition/trade fair operating hours are not considered to be special expositions and are not included into net exhibition space. It is included into gross exhibition space.
j. The rented stands space is divided into “national” and “foreign” according to the classification of its exhibitors.