According to a new study, the American Bus Association’s (ABA) Marketplace 2012 in Grapevine, Texas generated a total of $78,790,000 worth of booked business for show participants.

The study was conducted by John Dunham & Associates (JDA). JDA arrived at the results by surveying more than 2,500 Marketplace attendees, representing all six delegate types (Receptive Operator, Lodging, Direct Marketing Organizations (DMOs), Buyer, Attraction and Associate.) Respondents were asked to list the amount of business they booked in three categories: business booked at Marketplace 2012, business booked immediately following Marketplace 2012, and the total amount of business that the respondents’ expected to generate due to their Marketplace 2012 contacts.

The results of the survey showed that attendees across all member types had a significant amount of sales successes at Marketplace 2012. Some members earned from $500,000 to $5 million in booked business as a result of the show.

And those companies that did book business made a substantial return on their investment, with many respondents reporting that the income they expected to generate from Marketplace 2012 would be 30 times what they spent on the show.

“Marketplace is all about generating business for our members, and this study proves that we were very successful at accomplishing this goal during the 2012 show,” said ABA President & CEO Peter Pantuso, CTIS.
The study results also revealed that many companies expected to book a large amount of business after Marketplace thanks to the contacts they made at the show. Respondents reported that they anticipated generating an average of $58,065 worth of business after they left Grapevine.

“We pride ourselves on delivering more than just a great return on investment to the folks who attend Marketplace. We also help them build relationships with their colleagues that will allow their business to grow in the future,” said Pantuso. “It’s also clear that the relationships are important to business development. That’s why Marketplace gives you the best Relationships and Return on Investment in the industry.”