A Study of Exhibitor Firms at an Arabian Gulf Trade Show

Abstract

Abstract The 11th Joint Exhibition of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States provides a focus for a study of emerging market firms' behavior at a trade show. The exhibition industry continues to grow around the world. The purpose of the article is to expand the knowledge about exhibition behavior in different regions. Factor analysis is applied to investigate the underlying dimensions of the exhibition goals, the exhibition selection criteria and firms' perceived problems. Few differences were found between Gulf firms and firms previously studied in the USA, Canada and the UK. Implications for exhibitors, exhibition organizers, and researchers are presented. Key Words: Trade showsexhibitionstrade fairsArabian GulfGulf Cooperation CouncilArab management practice