Web-Based Channels Gaining Ground as Marketers Focus on Finding New Customers; Questex...

NEWTON, Mass. -- Questex Media Group, Inc., today released the first in a series of Integrated Media Reports, summarizing results of a business-to-business marketing study conducted across five vertical market segments served by the company.

According to the study, tradeshows and conferences

According to the report, "Changes in Business-to-Business Marketing: Objectives, Strategies & Investment," 70% of Questex client-base respondents cited lead generation/finding new customers as their top marketing objective. Tradeshows and conferences were the marketing channels most frequently ranked as extremely important by respondents, followed by print advertising and e-mail marketing, which tied for second place.

Questex conducted a customer survey of 767 business-to-business marketing professionals about their marketing objectives, preferred marketing channels, and investment plans. Respondents were a mix of trade show exhibitors and magazine advertisers across five vertical markets: technology, travel, beauty, home entertainment, and industrial & specialty (including paperboard packaging, aggregates production, propane distribution, roofing, landscape, golf course maintenance, and professional pest management markets).

"We were extremely pleased with the response to the survey," said MaryAnne Sinville, senior group marketing director for Questex, and author of the report. "Respondents across the vertical segments have a fairly consistent set of goals, but the methods for reaching their audience is evolving -- sometimes in substantially different ways across vertical segments."

The report also reveals that while traditional marketing channels such as tradeshows and print advertising remain a primary focus, Web-based channels are poised for new investment. When asked in which marketing channels they planned to increase their investment in the coming year, 47% of the overall sample cited online advertising, and 44% said they plan to increase spending on e-mail marketing.

"This report reaffirms the importance of live events and print advertising to our business-to-business marketing customers, as well as the increasing role that online media channels will play in their integrated media strategies," said Kerry Gumas, CEO of Questex. "We plan to use the research as a guide to our company strategy, and in development of new products and services moving forward."

The survey is part of an ongoing "Voice of the Customer" initiative within Questex, which also included a reader preference study of more than 23,000 subscribers to the company's 23 trade publications. The objective of that survey was to determine readership frequency and editorial quality perceptions, as well as design and readability ratings.

For a copy of the report, "Changes in Business-to-Business Marketing: Objectives, Strategies & Investment," which includes specific results by vertical segment, please visit http://b2b.questex.com.

About Questex Media Group, Inc.

Questex Media Group, Inc. (www.questex.com) is a global, diversified business-to-business integrated media provider, headquartered in Newton. Questex serves multiple industries, including technology, beauty, travel, hospitality, leisure, home entertainment, and industrial and specialty services, through a range of well-established, market-leading publications, events, interactive media, and integrated marketing services. The company's properties include 23 trade publications, 50 websites, and 25 conferences and tradeshows. Questex has more than 400 employees in offices throughout North America, South America, Asia, and Europe.