In response to members' concerns regarding the declining state of the travel industry, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) introduces the "BE THERE" ad campaign to clearly demonstrate the advantages to traveling to exhibitions and events.

"This ad campaign combats the inclinations for corporate exhibitors to cut travel expenses to the point that they miss out on exhibitions," notes IAEE President Steven Hacker, CAE. "The message being that if you are going to cut travel, be smart about it. Consider the savings of doing business under one roof as opposed to out on the field. Exhibitions allow you to make contact with multiple new - and potential - customers in a single trip."

Important points emphasized in the ads include:

*The undeniable power of face-to-face marketing that plays a major role in exhibitions and events.
*The benefits of being on the show floor such as cutting expenses, generating revenue, creating profit, securing multiple contracts, meeting new leads and justifying Return on Investment (ROI).
*The cost-saving aspects of reaching multiple clients and leads in a single location versus making multiple trips for each.

"We understand that travel has become increasingly difficult, but we urge those considering decreasing their participation in exhibitions and events to consider the long-term business benefits they might be losing as well," adds Hacker. "These ads get straight to the facts in an entertaining and eye-catching manner. We invite all our members to use them in their programming and marketing collateral."