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Questex Delivers Record-Breaking Events in the First Quarter of 2023, Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Levels

New Event Activations Connect Buyers and Sellers at the International Beauty Show, the International Esthetics Cosmetics & Spa Conference, Bar & Restaurant Expo, World Tea Expo, Vibe Conference and Fierce Pharma Events

NEW YORK, April 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questex, the leading information and event services company focused on the experience economy, brings people together in the markets that help people live better, the industries that help people live longer and the technologies that enable and fuel these new experiences. In the first quarter, Questex delivered record-breaking numbers of attendees, exhibitors and revenue. Questex’s events now exceed pre-pandemic levels.

“Our mission is to bring the experience economy to life for our communities. With new onsite experiences like the International Beauty Show’s Powerhouse Pavilion, the International Esthetics Cosmetics & Spa Conference’s Healthy You Pavilion, Bar & Restaurant Expo’s Food & Beverage Innovation Center, Japanese Pavilion and NxT Zone as well as World Tea Expo’s Tea Bar, we delivered extraordinary experiences that attendees will remember,” said Paul Miller, CEO, Questex. “During the pandemic we brainstormed new ideas for our events and customer experiences, brought all of our first-party data into one database through our proprietary Q Activate tool and kept our community engaged with high quality digital content – all of this work kept audiences engaged with our brands which allowed our team to deliver first quarter events with the best performance in the company’s history.”

International Beauty Show New York, the longest running professional beauty event in the country, and International Esthetics Cosmetics & Spa Conference New York, the leading spa and wellness event in the country, co-located to bring together over 30,000 beauty and spa professionals. The International Esthetics Cosmetics & Spa Conference New York grew the event over 10% compared to the 2019 event, while revenue grew 25% compared to 2022 event. Combined, the International Beauty Show and the International Esthetics Cosmetics & Spa Conference saw growth of attendees of 22% year over year. New onsite experiences such as the Look & Learn Stage—with cocktails and networking, a graffiti wall and selfie area, a Healthy You Pavilion, a Powerhouse Pavilion that celebrated black beauty entrepreneurs, a Recharge & Hydrate Lounge and a ‘Say Yes to You’ campaign engaged attendees.

Bar & Restaurant Expo, the nation’s largest and most influential gathering of bar and restaurant owners and operators, grew the event 42% compared to the 2019 event. Bar & Restaurant Expo and World Tea Expo grew attendees 19% over 2022. In 2021, Bar & Restaurant Expo was a Trade Show Executive Gold 100 honoree and in 2022, a “Next 50” by total attendance by Trade Show Executive.

Vibe Conference, the premiere on-premises beverage event for beverage executives, grew the event 30% compared to the 2019 event. Vibe Conference attracted attendees from across the industry including chain restaurants, hotels, cruise lines, airlines, distributors, consultants, and agencies, resulting in a 20% increase compared to 2022. Vibe Conference was the largest event in its 14-year history, attracting the largest number of first-time operator attendees, which demonstrates how strongly this industry is rebounding and retooling for future growth.

All Fierce Pharma events experienced a resurgence. Fierce JPM Week, a hybrid event focused on how pharma and healthcare can thrive, experienced the highest revenue in the event’s history. The Business Development and Licensing (BD&L) Summit, designed for business development & licensing executives to gain exclusive insights on new opportunities, grew attendance 13% from 2022 and Fierce Pharma PR & Communications West, the only conference on the west coast dedicated to providing life science communicators with timely industry updates and best practices for successful communications strategies in the healthcare environment, increased 30% year over year.

All of Questex’s 2022 exhibition led events were featured on the Trade Show Executive fastest-growing list. [Press Release].

“We are delighted with how our strategy has come to life at our live events since returning from the pandemic. The forward pacing is extremely encouraging and 2023 is shaping up to be a banner year for the company,” added Miller.

About IBS New York
Produced by Questex and presented by American Salon, IBS New York is the longest running professional beauty event in the country. IBS New York is for professionals only and reaches a wide cross‐section of participants including salon owners and managers, hair stylists, hair colorists, cosmetologists, makeup artists, nail technicians, beauty and hair product manufacturers and distributors. Connecting serious beauty professionals with the best in the industry, the show brings hundreds of top beauty brands together under one roof for free educational classes by industry legends, workshops, and exclusive show-floor discounts. For more information, visit ibsnewyork.com and the upcoming event in Las Vegas at ibslasvegas.com.

About IECSC
Produced by Questex, the International Esthetics, Cosmetics and Spa Conferences (IECSC) are for professionals only and reach a wide cross‐section of participants from spa and wellness product manufacturers and distributors to spa owners, directors and managers, estheticians, massage therapists, medical estheticians, and dermatologists. With dynamic trade show floors, in-depth conference programs, and presented by American Spa, the IECSC events provide the perfect meeting ground for the world’s most elite and qualified spa professionals looking to meet the top skin, cosmetic and wellness companies. For more information, visit iecsc.com.

About Bar & Restaurant Expo
Bar & Restaurant Expo, formerly known as Nightclub & Bar Show, has continued to evolve to mirror the fast-paced, trend-setting nature of the hospitality industry. The event provides the specific tools that bar and restaurant owners, operators, and managers need to grow their businesses, compete, and succeed in this hyper-competitive and dynamic industry. The Bar & Restaurant Group is a division of the Questex Hospitality Group which also produces Vibe Conference, World Tea Conference & Expo, and daily content on barandrestaurant.com.

About Vibe Conference
Vibe Conference is the premier event for chain and hotel adult beverage executives and suppliers. The top on-premises conference is held annually and involves high-level content, tastings and networking opportunities. The 2024 conference will be held at Town & Country Resort San Diego February 26-28.

About Fierce Pharma
Biopharma is a fast-growing world where big ideas come along daily. Our readers rely on Fierce Pharma for the latest news, analysis and data on drugs and the companies that make them. Fierce Pharma covers the pharma waterfront, from late-stage drug development through the entire lifecycle—tracking regulatory approvals, payer negotiations, manufacturing, marketing, patent fights, government investigations and regulation, M&A deals and beyond. Our aim is to analyze the day’s news, showing readers not only what they need to know, but why they need to know it. Beyond the daily, the Fierce Pharma team produces special reports that take stock of the industry’s products and finances and shed new light on industry trends. Fierce Pharma offers a suite of events including Fierce JPM Week, the Business Development and Licensing (BD&L) Summit and Fierce Pharma PR & Communications West.

About Questex
Questex helps people live better and longer. Questex brings people together in the markets that help people live better: travel, hospitality and wellness; the industries that help people live longer: life science and healthcare; and the technologies that enable and fuel these new experiences. We live in the experience economy – connecting our ecosystem through live events, surrounded by data insights and digital communities. We deliver experience and real results. It happens here.

Media Contact
Kate Spellman
Chief Marketing Officer
Questex
kspellman@questex.com
212 895 8488‬

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