• Folio, Tuesday, June 24, 2008 10 AM

Soaring gas prices, airfare and hotel rates are affecting a large growth areas for publishers: magazine events. Such events have eclipsed print as the largest revenue stream for publishers, but attendee travel costs for business publications and host travel costs for consumer pubs are dampening the party.

According to a recent trade survey, 41% of shows expect to see a 10% reduction in expo attendance over the next 12 months. Buyer-seller events--in which the publisher recruits a select audience for a sponsor--may no longer be economically viable. "We pay our attendees' way, so it's hurting our budgets dramatically," says one publisher.

To cut costs, publishers are offering bigger discounts for early registration, securing cheaper hotel prices with aggressive room blocks and opting for more airport venues.

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