A Three-Component Framework for Trade Show Performance Evaluation

The purpose of this study was to propose and examine a three-component trade show evaluation framework on exhibitors’ and visitors’ performance that accounts for the relationships between all three key stakeholders (i.e., visitors, exhibitors, and organizers). After a review of previous literature on stakeholder theory and trade show performance evaluation, the visitor–exhibitor–organizer (VEO) framework was proposed to examine dimensions of overall satisfaction of trade show exhibitors and visitors. Based on the VEO framework, exhibitor and visitor performance evaluation models consist of three components that address three corresponding stakeholders: satisfaction with self-performance and satisfaction with the other two key stakeholders, respectively. To validate the framework, exhibitor and visitor models were tested using data from 514 visitors and 92 exhibitors. The results validated the VEO framework by indicating that the three key stakeholders must be accounted for when evaluating trade show performance. All three dimensions (i.e., satisfaction with self-performance, and the other two stakeholders) contributed to overall satisfaction and positive behavioral intention.