Information Based Decisions

We pride ourselves in making “information based decisions.” When it comes to the Seattle Boat Show we conduct qualitative research each year of our exhibitors and attendees. Every other year, we conduct a significant quantitative research through a Vancouver, B.C. based company called Event Corp.

We started the Event Corp survey in 2000, which was the first year we moved into the new building which is now known as Qwest Field Event Center. Some of the questions in the survey have remained year after year so it’s possible to see trends developing on some issues while others remain fairly constant. The goal of collecting this data is to help us better understand who are current customers are and thus to help us market better to that target audience in the future. Some examples:

• In 2000, 34% of our attendees were woman. In 2008 that number had risen to 37%.
  
  
• In 2000, the mean age of our attendees was 41.4 years of age. In 2008 that number had risen to 46.
  
  
• Over the years, the number of attendees who are married has ranged from 70-78%. On average 73% are married but there is no particular trend.
  
  
• The household income has risen some, but maybe less that one might expect. In 2000 the average was $91,000. By 2006 it was up to $112,000 but there was no increase for the 2008 show.
  
  
• Most of our attendees are repeat customers. It ranges from 73–80% with the average at 76%; again no particular trend.
  
  
• The average attendee attends the show 1.5 days and spends about 3.4 hours each time they visit.

Finally, I want to share the results from one of the most telling questions we have been asking since 2000. Please review the chart at the bottom of this page.

I draw the following conclusions from the results:

• Accessories are a vital part of a show. We know that more than 75% of our attendees are current boat owners, so having a wide array of accessory exhibitors is critical to the show’s success. As you can see, the number of people who come to the show for the accessories has risen. I assume that is in part because of our failure to attract as many non-boaters as we would like.
  
  
• The public wants us to have everything under the sun at the show. They expect us to offer a wide range of boats both indoors and afloat, and every imaginable accessory both for existing boat owners and those purchasing a new boat. Our success in the future depends on all 600 exhibitors working together and maintaining the diversity of exhibitors who are currently in the show.
  
  
• The number of attendees either “planning to buy a boat in the future” or “interested in buying a new boat” has declined since 2000. One has fallen from 20% to 14%, while the other fell from 20% to 10%. This is a very disconcerting trend and something we need to reverse by attracting more non-boaters to our shows who are looking to get into boating for them and their families.

The results above are a tiny fraction of the information we gather from the Event Corp survey. The results from the last three surveys are on our website in the Members Only Section. Call the office 206-634-0911 if you need the member password. I just wanted to give you a taste of what is available to you. When you look at the results, you will find detailed information on how many people own boats, how old they are and their size. You can find out how many days a year they used their boat last year and how many days they plan on using their boat this year. The data is very comprehensive and I would encourage you to scour the results to see if you use the results to make good information based decisions in your business.

With warm regards,

Michael Campbell
President
michael@nmta.net