A third of companies with a turnover in excess of EUR 50 million intend to spend more on trade fairs, whereas only a quarter of smaller companies plan to do so, and furthermore, significantly more companies exhibiting capital goods (32 %) intend to increase their trade fair budget than exhibitors of consumer goods (23 %). At the same time 17 % of smaller companies plan to reduce their trade fair budget by one-tenth. Companies continue to maintain tight control of trade fair spending. Exhibitors pay close attention to which trade fairs really benefit their aims, and want to be in control of costs when sales recover after the lean period in the last recession. +++ Of the exhibitors aiming to increase their trade fair budget almost 50 % plan larger stands, 42 % want to invest more in stand construction, and 26 % intend to take part in extra trade fairs. Additional spending benefits core trade fair business, that is to say trade fair organisers and the stand construction sector. Relatively few exhibitors plan to spend more on hotel and transport expenses. Nearly two-thirds of those exhibitors who are planning to reduce their trade fair budget want to cancel their participation in individual trade fairs. Furthermore, companies which exhibit at numerous trade fairs intend to cut back on stand space. By contrast, they rarely see any need to reduce the quality of construction and staff on the stands.