Almost three-quarters of show visitors believe live events are the best form of marketing as they allow face-to-face interaction, according to research.

A survey conducted by FaceTime, the newly-launched promotional body for the industry, found that before a show, just 32 per cent of people back live events but afterwards 74 per cent advocated them.

The study, conducted by Cog Research across four major events in the final quarter of 2009 and the first two months of 2010, also found that there was an uplift in positive subconscious feelings for one in five people after they had experienced a live event.

Event organisers and businesses alike will be pleased to learn that 28 per cent more visitors indicated they would purchase from a brand after experiencing it at a trade show.

"This research authenticates what we have always known and believed to be the multi-faceted power of live events," commented Austen Hawkins, chief executive of FaceTime.

The body was launched this month at Confex by the Association of Event Organisers, the Association of Event Venues and the Event Supplier and Services Association.

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