EUROPEAN EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING EXHIBITION GAUDEAMUS® 2004
11th EDITION
SUMMARY REPORT

The 11th meeting of the European Education and Lifelong Learning Exhibition Gaudeamus® 2004 was held in exhibition hall G2 of the Brno showground from 19th to 22nd October 2004. It was in 2004 that Gaudeamus® became a lifelong education exhibition for the first time.

The exhibition included 99 independent exhibitors (+22 compared to 2003), as follows:

Chart 1 Exhibitors in 2004

In 2004 the exhibition achieved a record number and record increase of exhibitors in its history, see chart no 1. After the Czech Republic had entered the European Union, the number of foreign exhibitors interested in recruiting Czech students for their courses increased considerably. Among the foreign exhibitors were represented not only schools from EU member countries, but also 5 exhibitors from Asia.

Comparing the 11th exhibition with the 1st one in 1994, when there were 27 individual schools, by 2004 the number of exhibitors had increased fourfold. Compared with the 5th exhibition in 1998, the number of exhibitors had doubled in 2004.

The organization and development of the exhibition was as usual undertaken by software company MP-Soft®, s.r.o., Brno, and Brno University of Technology, supported by Trade Fairs Brno, a.s., under the auspices of The Czech Ministry of Education and the rector of The Brno University of Technology, Prof. RNDr. Ing. Jan Vrbka, DrSc. The Brno University of Technology, represented by Prof. Ing. Jan M. Honzík, CSc., the Vice-Dean of FIT VUT in Brno, was as usual a professional guarantor of the Exhibition. Ing. Pavel Mikula, the director of MP-Soft®, s.r.o., Brno, was an organizational guarantor.

The plan of the exhibition is prepared by the consultative board consisting of the representatives of the most important exhibitors. Prof. Ing. Jan M. Honzík, CSc., the Vice-Dean of FIT VUT in Brno is the board chairman.

The 11th Gaudeamus® exhibition was, for the fourth time, held in the exhibition hall G2 of the Brno showground. The exhibition was open to the public daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., from 19th to 22nd October 2004. The specialist lecture for experts, educational advisors, headmasters, sub masters, teachers, educational centres and authorities "Current academic conditions at the Czech universities and colleges" by CSVŠ Ing. Helena Šebková, CSc. and director of MŠMT ČR universities department Ing. Josef Beneš, CSc. took place on 19th October from 10:00 to 10:40 a.m. More than 250 educational advisors and other experts attended this lecture and approx. 700 educational advisors and other experts attended the exhibition altogether.

The exhibition was inaugurated in exhibition hall G2 of the Brno showground on 19th October 2004 at 11:00 a.m. Those attending included Prof. RNDr. Ing. Jan Vrbka, DrSc., the rector of The Brno University of Technology, Ing. Josef Beneš, CSc., the director of MŠMT ČR universities department, RNDr. Petr Duchoň, an Euro-MP and 180 other guests of honour - rectors and headmasters of schools participating in exhibition and other institutions.

The first day of the exhibition culminated in a social evening and a discussion meeting for exhibition participants, which took place in the VUT Centre's Hall in Antonínská Street. Ing. Josef Beneš, CSc., the director of MŠMT ČR universities department, Prof. RNDr. Ing. Jan Vrbka, DrSc., the rector of Brno University of Technology, PhDr. Richard Svoboda, the City Mayor, rectors of universities and colleges and other guests of honour came to the social evening.

The 11th exhibition was a separate event held in the showground area, which enabled the organisers to accurately assess the number of visitors. Unfortunately, it was again impossible to find out the exact number of teachers visiting the exhibition because they were given special tickets for unlimited entry.

In 2004 we expected a slightly above-average attendance, approximately amounting to the average number of the last four years, which was 26 000 visitors. The actual attendance was 12.2% higher than estimated. At the exhibition there were 29 161 visitors, which is 1 123 more visitors compared to the highest attendance in 2003. The exhibition attendance distribution for individual days is presented in chart 2.

Chart 2 Attendance distribution for individual days

Chart 3 Attendance distribution for individual days for the past five years

During the 11th Gaudeamus exhibition a statistical survey was carried out among the lecture attenders, as was done in previous years. The survey took the form of prize draw tickets. 19.3% of the total number of visitors filled in the tickets and returned them for the draw. That was 1.8 % more than in 2003. Detailed results are listed in the following charts.

The statistical findings confirm the quality and high efficiency of applied marketing methods during exhibition preparation. The results clearly reveal the nation-wide field of activity of the exhibition and information spread to the whole the Czech Republic and partly to Slovakia. The 11th exhibition confirmed its significant role as a source of information concerning the study opportunities at Czech universities and high schools.

Chart 4 shows the representation of individual target groups within the total exhibition attendance.

Chart 5 contains the data concerning the regional distribution of attendance. The visitors came from all regions of the Czech Republic; the representation of 923 towns in total was a record, which means a 15.5% increase compared to 2003. There was a slight decrease of foreign visitors by 0.4%.

Chart 4 The representation of target groups

Chart 5 Regional distribution of attendance

Selected values of the statistical survey compared to 2003 are shown in chart 6.

Chart 6 Visitors' analysis compared to 2003

*) the number of lecture attenders who took part in the ticket drawing and returned filled-in tickets; actual lecture attendance was higher and the estimate is about 22 % of the total number of exhibition visitors

Comparison of the regional distribution of visitors and representation of target groups in the total attendance of the past five years are shown in chart 7.

Chart 7 Regional distribution and representation of target groups in past five years

The numbers of Czech and Slovak towns from which the visitors attending the lectures came are stated in the columns 'Czech towns' and 'Slovak towns'. In the column 'Lectures' there is stated the percentage of visitors who attended lectures, filled in the tickets and took part in drawing of tickets. In the columns '3rd grade' and '4th grade', there is stated the percentage of visitors from 3rd and 4th grade of secondary schools. In the column 'Graduates', there is stated the percentage of secondary school graduates. In the column 'Others', there is stated percentage of other visitors with higher education.

The comparison of target groups' representation in the total attendance of the past five years in absolute numbers of visitors is stated in chart 8.

Charts 7 and 8 show that the Gaudeamus® exhibition has been gaining a stronger position among the information sources which are consulted by 4th grade pupils of secondary schools when deciding about their further studies. This trend is proved by the constantly growing number of 4th grade pupils who come to the exhibition and attend the lectures. From the point of view of lifelong education, the exhibition is also a significant information source because this target group represents 12.8% of the total number of visitors.

Chart 8 Target groups' representation in the past five years in absolute numbers of visitors

Apart from the standard observed data in the past five years of the exhibition, which are stated in charts 4 and 8, in 2004 new data were recorded concerning the characteristics of target groups. The students answered the following questions:

1. I would like to choose a subject belonging to the group:

• Social Sciences
• Engineering
• Economics
• Education (Teaching)
• Art
• Management
• Law
• Languages
• Medicine
• Computer Science
• Natural Science
• Mathematics
• Other

The students could tick off one or more of the listed subjects which they would like to study at university or college. 5 624 students were addressed out of a total number of 29 161. The (percentage) results of the survey are stated in chart 9.

Chart 9 Students' interest in academic subjects

2. You would prefer:

• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Bachelor's degree with possible follow-up Master's degree
• Tertiary Professional School
• Other

The students could tick off which degree they would like to gain. 5 624 students were addressed out of a total number of 29 161. The (percentage) results of the survey are stated in chart 10.

Chart 10 Students' interest in types of further studies

3. Put in order the factors which influence you in your choice of further studies (1 - 5):

• Salary
• Employment prospects
• Preceding education
• Job status
• Personal predispositions (skills and interests)

The students could mark in a range from 1 to 5 (1 - the most, 5 the least) the significance of the above-stated factors, as they concern them in the selection of further studies. 5 624 students were addressed out of a total number of 29 161. The (percentage) results of the survey are stated in chart 11.

Chart 11 The significance of factors in the choice of further studies

The students are mainly interested in Economics, Social Sciences and Engineering. They prefer a Bachelor's degree with possible follow-up Master's degree, or a Master's degree. Personal predispositions, skills, interests and employment prospects represent the biggest influence on their decision, preceding education and job status, the least.

The lecture theatre has been part of the standard exhibition facilities for several years. In 2004, the theatre seated 300 people. It was equipped with a quality sound system, overhead projector, data/video projector, video recorder, DVD recorder and computer for presentation projection. The lectures were given by qualified representatives of participating schools.

19.3% of all exhibition visitors is the recorded number of lecture attenders, which means 5 624 visitors. In fact, the total attendance was higher, because only those visitors who filled in the ticket and returned it to the organizers were counted. That is why we can only estimate the actual number of lecture attenders. We believe that in 2004 the attendance at lectures ranged from 22-25% of the total number of the exhibition visitors, the absolute number - 6 415 to 7 290 visitors.

After each lecture, the organizers drew lots and selected 5 of those attending the lecture, who got gifts with the exhibition logo or prizes donated by MP-Soft company, s.r.o, Hospodářské noviny Kariéra, or the lecturing school. The person first drawn was given the most valuable prize, the others got floppy disks, CD boxes, T-shirts, peaked caps etc.

During the 11th exhibition, the lecture theatre was the most attended place and lecture attendance was the highest since the beginning of the exhibition. The lectures have been for a long time the most efficient way of passing on information about possibilities of higher education and conditions of entrance examination. Despite the high capacity of the lecture theatre, there was not enough space during some of lectures, there were no free seats and the entrance hall was overcrowded.

Each visitor received a printed, 104 page catalogue of the exhibiting schools and a detailed electronic catalogue on CD ROM. The catalogues contained detailed information about higher education at the exhibiting schools and educational institutions. Most of the schools supplied information about the school, the list of faculties, contacts to studies departments, information about faculties' subjects, entrance examinations, student statistics at individual faculties and departments, etc.

For the 11th exhibition 26 000 printed catalogues and CD ROM catalogues were prepared. The stated number was too small and not every visitor got the catalogue, so for the last day of the exhibition so-called provisional, 8 page catalogues were prepared. The provisional catalogue contained basic information about the exhibiting schools and a form to fill in the visitor's address. The visitors who had filled in the forms got by post the additionally printed catalogues and CD ROM catalogues for free. 2 890 visitors filled in the forms.

Chart 12 Exhibition attendance development since 1994

In chart 12 we can see the increase in the number of exhibitors, which is not proportional to the increase of the exhibition area. The situation was the same in 2001 to 2003. In 2000 each exhibitor got on average 11,52 m2 of the exhibition area, in 2004 it was only 8,47 m2. The increase was mainly in terms of 2 to 4 m2 exhibition area economic expositions. Every year the adverse economic situation of the exhibiting schools is a feature which affects the choice of exhibition area, which for many schools is not sufficient and should be bigger.

In the column 'Exhibitors' is stated the total number of individual exhibitors, which mainly represent other subjects. For example in 2004 the exhibiting universities and colleges represented 220 faculties in total. The column 'Area in m2' states the extent of the basic exhibition area without the common base of all exhibitors, stores, lecture theatre and other space necessary for exhibition organization. The developed area was almost tripled. The column 'Attendance' states the total attendance in the individual years, not counting teachers, who have special entrance tickets and visitors coming to the exhibition from other parallel events.

All information concerning the exhibition is available at the Internet address www.gaudeamus.cz. Always after the exhibition is finished, you can find at the stipulated address the content of the exhibiting schools printed catalogue. This year it was for the fourth time and the catalogue of the 11th exhibition was released on 25th October 2004. The content of the printed catalogue is available on the Internet till September of the following year. For the exhibiting schools this service is provided free by the organizer. During that time the exhibiting school can change their information free of charge.

Since February 2002 access to www.gaudeamus.cz, has been recorded. The results are stated in chart 13.

Chart 13 Access to www.gaudeamus.cz

The 12th Gaudeamus® exhibition is planned for 1st to 4th November 2005 and we expect to hold it in the exhibition hall G2 of the Brno showground.
For the year 2005 we are preparing:

• Continuity of prices for rent of exhibition area and exposition construction for accredited exhibitors, provided that there is price stability for the organization of the event.
• Encouragement of attendance at the exhibitors' lectures as it was in 2004.
• Continuation of extensive encouragement to attend the exhibition by means of suitable media promotion.
• Continuation of so-called economy expositions for the presentation of Art Academies and Tertiary Professional Schools in area of 2, 4 and 6 m2 or in notice board form.
• Increase of the printed catalogue edition to 28 000 copies.
• Individual CD ROM exhibition catalogues in an edition of 28 000 copies.
• Continuous data updating about the exhibitors on the Internet (www.gaudeamus.cz).
• The exhibition and exhibiting schools promotion at the teletext pages in the education column.
• Promotion of the exhibition and exhibiting schools on teletext pages in the education column.
• Continuation of the exhibition promotional catalogue content as it was in 2004.
• Continuous information release about the exhibition on the Internet.