Effect of virtual exhibition characteristics on the exhibitors’ perceived value and re-participation intention

This study attempted to understand the characteristics of virtual exhibitions, attracting attention as a new form of trade shows, from a theoretical level and to understand how the perceived value of companies participating in virtual exhibitions affects their re-entry intention. The primary research purpose of this study was to suggest implications for what marketing methods organizers can use to hold them effectively.
Questionnaires were distributed to companies with experience in virtual exhibitions as a methodology. Of the 205 collected questionnaires, 200 valid samples, excluding five invalid sample responses, were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and Smart PLS 3.0. The characteristics of the virtual exhibition derived from the exploratory factor analysis were classified into four categories: convenience, information, technology, and interactivity, and the perceived value of exhibitors was classified into economic and social value. First of all, in terms of economic value, convenience, technology, and interactivity were found to affect the perceived economic value of exhibitors, whereas information was analyzed not to have a significant effect. In the case of social value perceived by participating companies, the three factors of information, technology, and interactivity were found to have a substantial impact. Still, convenience was analyzed to have no effect on perceived social value. Finally, it was found that all of the exhibitors' perceived value had a significant effect on their intention to re-participate.
This study not only looked at the characteristics of virtual exhibitions academically in the exhibition industry that had to be switched to non-face-to-face due to COVID-19, but also reviewed the intention to re-participate through the perceived value by exhibitors in virtual exhibitions as practical implications.