How small is too small when it comes to delivering profit, impact, and industry value? According to CEIR’s 2025 Performance Benchmark Playbook for Small B2B Exhibitions, the answer might surprise you.
For event organizers managing shows under 50,000 net square feet (NSF), this report isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a must-read roadmap to profitability, audience retention, and strategic growth. Whether you’re running a niche regional show or a new industry launch, these findings challenge assumptions, validate scrappy success stories, and most importantly, beg some tough questions about where we go next.
Let’s dive into some key insights, interpretations, and the provocative “what ifs” every small organizer should be asking.
Profitability Isn’t a Size Game—It’s a Strategy Game
Average Net Profit: 31%
Median Gross Revenue: $875,000
67% of events reported positive net profits
Here’s the headline: small shows make money. In fact, many are outperforming their larger cousins when it comes to ROI. The CEIR report shows that profitability is less about scale and more about financial discipline, strategic pricing, and wise investments in attendee and exhibitor experience.
Interpretation:
If you’ve been using size as an excuse for smaller revenue, it’s time to think again. Small shows don’t need massive show floors to deliver real value to their association or organization. But they do need clarity on margins, a strong exhibitor pricing strategy, and streamlined operations to protect the bottom line.
Questions to consider:
- Are you setting stretch goals based on 2019 figures—or stuck in “good enough” mode?
- What would a disciplined cost-to-value audit of your show look like?
- Are you pricing non-exhibiting sponsor packages at a premium—or leaving money on the table?
What You Don’t Track Will Hurt You
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most small organizers aren’t tracking their expenses effectively.
- Only 18% track exhibitor NPS
- Only 22% track attendee NPS
- Only 27% track attendee retention
- Only 43% track new attendee acquisition
Yet the report is crystal clear—tracking correlates with growth, stronger exhibitor retention, increased sponsorships, and higher booth rates.
Interpretation:
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by event data. In many cases, the data you aren’t collecting is costing your show revenue through lower retention and rebooking rates, as well as missed opportunities for sponsorship and add-on revenue sources. While Net Promoter Scores (NPS) are fairly common in corporate America, association and event organizers are underutilizing this to provide deeper insights.
Questions to consider:
- What’s preventing you from tracking sentiment? Lack of tools? Time? Fear of the feedback?
- Are you using your registration or event management systems to track first-timers vs. returners?
- If you had to present three KPIs of your event to your association board today, would they be meaningful or merely measurable?
New Audiences Are Knocking—Are You Opening the Door?
The average new attendee rate is 37%, yet only 43% of shows are tracking it. For exhibitors, 22% of the base is new, and 57% of organizers track this metric.
Interpretation:
Growth isn’t just about relying on existing companies and attendees who participate year after year; it’s also about attracting new ones. Suppose you’re not understanding why those who attrit versus those who engage for the first time. How can you design content, networking, onsite activations, and build meaningful exhibitor and sponsor opportunities that convert them into loyal returners?
Questions to consider:
- Have you surveyed new attendees to understand their expectations and needs, thereby justifying the ROI?
- Are your exhibitors and sponsors aware of the new and qualified buyers coming to your event?
- What are you doing post-event to convert first-timers into next-year champions?
Location: Strategic Choice or Costly Mistake?
71% of small events rotate cities. The CEIR data, however, highlights the potential risk if organizers are not intentional and strategic in planning. The data highlights poor location choices with:
- 74% of low-profit events
- 81% with lower sponsorship
- 76% with declining attendance
Interpretation:
Organizers have cities they love and love to hate. It’s also easy to forget how our audiences view these cities. With rising costs, changing legislation and other factors, it’s a constantly shifting challenge. For larger shows, there is less opportunity to make a change. For smaller shows, it’s still crucial to consider accessibility, cost trends, and other realities before making a decision.
Questions to consider:
- Are you rotating for audience growth—or to check a destination box?
- What does your geographic attendee heat map or data comparisons say about optimal locations?
- Could staying put every few years provide a more stable base for rebooking and community building?
Digital Tools are a Must
93% of small shows provide their audiences with various digital event tools, including the most common:
- Mobile apps
- QR codes
- Lead retrieval
- Exhibitor support tools and event management solutions
And the reality, digital integration and tools correlate with higher net profits, more satisfied attendees and exhibitors, and less staff time.
Interpretation:
Small events are not exempt from tech-driven expectations. Even lean shows need basic digital scaffolding to support wayfinding, lead generation, and marketing engagement.
Questions to consider:
- Are you offering digital tools that solve problems—or just checking boxes?
- Have you asked your exhibitors what tools they actually use?
- What percentage of your app usage occurs before the show versus on-site?
Sponsorship Pricing Needs a Reboot
- 50% of shows do not require booth purchase for sponsorships
- Yet nearly half don’t charge a premium to non-exhibiting sponsors
Interpretation:
That’s lost revenue. Pure and simple. Non-exhibiting sponsors aren’t bad—they’re an opportunity. But they shouldn’t get the same deal as full-floor supporters.
Questions to consider:
- Do your sponsorship tiers reflect exhibitor investment—or ignore it?
- Have you bundled online digital exposure with on-site visibility to drive perceived value?
- Are you tracking who sponsors but doesn’t exhibit—and why?
Closing Thought: Small But Mighty, or Small and Stuck?
This report isn’t just a snapshot—it’s a mirror. For many organizers, the reflection reveals both potential and areas for improvement. Small events have a unique advantage: agility. But agility without data is just guessing.
So here’s your challenge:
If you could only improve one area for your upcoming event—NPS, location data-driven strategy, new attendee outreach, or event management tools—where would you start?
The CEIR 2025 Playbook reminds us that small shows can—and do—deliver substantial revenue, especially for many associations that depend on them as their primary revenue source. But only when associations and organizers are willing to ask hard questions, track smarter, and stop playing defense.
Want more insights like this? Visit Center for Exhibition Industry Research – Business Intelligence for Better Events for research reports, playbooks, and tools designed to help you maximize your show’s impact—no matter its size.
