Most of what you want to know already exists, and it's easily accessible. If it's proprietary information, you can usually deduce answers from your knowledge of the industry and how things work. Information sources can include competitors' exhibitor kits, business magazine profiles, investor prospectuses and direct-mail brochures. Home pages on the Internet also have become a key compettive information source, often listing top exhibitors, future show plans and other pertinent details. Competitive information abounds.
Every company has people who came from other show organizations.
It's amazing how small the world is and what those people already know. Personal contacts are always the best sources. Second best may be your existing exhibitors and attendees, who experience your competition on a daily basis. But the competitive information comes, nonetheless, through Chalden's audiences. If someone else in the industry is offering a new educational program or an exhibitor thinks we could strengthen the show by adding some other new feature, then we hear about it directly from our constituents.