EUROPEAN EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING EXHIBITION GAUDEAMUS® 2006
13th EDITION
SUMMARY REPORT

The 13th edition of the European Education and Lifelong Learning Exhibition Gaudeamus® 2006 was held in the exhibition hall G2 of the showground in Brno from 31st October to 3rd November 2006. In 2006 it was for the third time, when Gaudeamus® was a lifelong learning exhibition.

Exhibitors structure

The exhibition included 126 independent exhibitors (+27 compared to 2005), as follows:



Chart 1 Exhibitors in 2006


In 2006 the exhibition achieved a record number of exhibitors in its history, see chart no 1. After the Czech Republic had entered the European Union, the number of foreign exhibitors, which were interested in recruiting Czech students for their courses, increased considerably. Among the foreign exhibitors there were not represented the schools form EU member countries only, but also 1 exhibitor from Canada.

Comparing the 13th edition of the exhibition to the 1st edition in 1994, when there were 27 individual schools, in 2006 the number of exhibitor was almost fivefold. Comparing to the 8th edition in 2001, the number of exhibitors more then doubled in 2006.

Organization of the exhibiton

The organization and development of the exhibition was as usual ensured by the software company MP-Soft®, a.s., 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 Brno University of Technology. Brno University of Technology, represented by Prof. Ing. Jan M. Honzík, CSc., the Vice-Dean of FIT Brno University of Technology, was as usual a professional guarantor of the Exhibition. Ing. Pavel Mikula, the president of MP-Soft®, a.s. Brno, was an organizational guarantor.

The exhibition conception was 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 Brno University of Technology was the board's chairman.

The exhibition course

The 13th edition of the Gaudeamus exhibition was, for the sixth time, held in the exhibition hall G2 of the showground in Brno. The exhibition was open for public daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., from 31st October to 3rd November 2006. The special lecture '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. for experts, educational advisors, headmasters, sub masters, teachers, educational centres and authorities took place on 31st October from 10:00 to 10:40 a.m. More than 350 educational advisors and other experts attended this lecture and approx. 995 educational advisors and other experts attended the exhibition altogether.

The exhibition was inaugurated in the exhibition hall G2 of the showground in Brno on 31st November 2006 at 11:00 a.m. in attendance of Doc. RNDr. Miloslav Švec, CSc, the vice-rector of Brno University of Technology, Ing. Josef Beneš, CSc., the director of MŠMT ČR universities department and other 210 guests of honour - rectors and headmasters of schools participating in exhibition and other institutions.

The first day of the exhibition culminated in the social evening and discussion meeting of exhibition participants, which took place in the VUT Centre Hall in Antonínská Street. Ing. Josef Beneš, CSc., the director of MŠMT ČR universities department, Doc. RNDr. Miloslav Švec, CSc, the vice-rector of Brno University of Technology, rectors of universities and colleges and other guests of honour came to the social evening.

The attendance of the 13th edition of the exhibition

The 13th edition of the exhibition was a separate event held in the area of the showground, which allowed getting rather accurate 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 2006 we expected slightly above-average attendance, approx. amounting to average number of the last five years, which was 27 378 visitors. The actual attendance was 1.7% higher than estimated. There were 27 843 people visiting the exhibition this year, which is 465 more visitors compared to the average number ot the last five years. The exhibition attendance distribution into individual days is presented in chart 2.



Chart 2 Attendance distribution of individual days


The exhibition attendance distribution for the past seven years is presented in chart 3.



Chart 3 Attendance distribution of individual days for the past seven years

Attendance structure

During the 13th edition of Gaudeamus® the statistical survey was carried among the lecture participants, as it was done in the previous years. The survey was realised in the form of prize draw tickets. 21.0 % of the total number of visitors filled in the tickets and returned them for drawing lots. Detailed results are listed in the following charts.

The statistic finding confirms the quality and high efficiency of applied marketing methods during the exhibition preparation. The results reveal evident nation-wide field of activity of the exhibition and information penetration to the whole the Czech Republic and partly to Slovakia. The 13th exhibition edition stamped its significant role as a source of information concerning the study opportunities at the Czech and foreign universities, higher schools and other educational institutions.

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

The chart 5 contains the data concerning the regional distribution of attendance. The visitors came from all regions of the Czech Republic; the representation of 1 003 towns in total was a record. There was a slight decrease of foreign visitors by 2.3%.

Attendance structure

Chart 4 The representation of target groups




Chart 5 Regional distribution of attendance


The selected values of statistic survey compared to 2005 are shown in chart 6.



*) the number of lecture attenders, who took part in ticket drawing and returned filled in ticket; the real lecture attendance was higher and the estimation is about 30 % from the total number of the exhibition visitors

Chart 6 Visitors analysis compared to 2005


The comparison of regional distribution of visitors and representation of target groups in total attendance in past seven years are shown in chart 7.



Chart 7 Regional distribution and representation of target groups in past seven 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 grades of secondary schools. In the column 'Graduates', there is stated the percentage of secondary school graduates. In the column 'H.graduates', there is stated percentage of visitors with higher education graduation.

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

The charts 7 and 8 show that the Gaudeamus exhibition has been gaining stronger position among information sources which are searched by the 3rd and the 4th grade pupils of secondary schools to decide about their further studies. From the point of view of long life education, the exhibition is also the significant information source because this target group is represented by 13,1 % of total number of visitors.



Chart 8 Target groups' representation in the past seven years in absolute visitors' number

Target groups and their characteristics

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

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

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

The students could tick off one or more of the listed subjects, which they would like to study at the university or college. 5 641 students were addressed out of total number of 27 841. The results (percentage) of the survey are stated in chart 9.



Chart 9 Students' interest in academic subjects

2. Would you prefer:

• Bachelor's degree
• Bachelor's degree with possible follow-up Master's degree
• Master's degree (follow-up)
• Master's degree (long)
• Higher Professional School
• Other

The students could tick off which degree they would like to gain. 5 641 students were addressed out of total number of 27 841. The results (percentage) of the survey are stated in chart 10.



Chart 10 Students' interest in the type of further studies

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

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

The students could mark in the range from 1 to 5 (1 - the most, 5 the least) the significance of above stated factors, as they are important for them in the selection of further studies. 5 641 students were addressed out of total number of 27 841. The results (percentage) of the survey are stated in chart 11.



Chart 11 The significance of factors for further studies choice


The students are mostly interested in Economics, Social Science and Engineering. They prefer Bachelor's degree with possible follow-up Master's degree or Master's degree (long). The biggest influence on their decision has personal predisposes, skills, interests and employment prospects; preceding education and job status - the least.

The exhibitor's lecturers during the exhibition

The lecture theatre has been a part of the standard exhibition facilities for several years. In 2006, the theatre seated 300 people. It was equipped with the quality sound system, overhead projector, data-video projector, video recorder, DVD recorder and a computer for presentation projection. The lectures were held by qualified representatives of participating schools.

21.0% of all exhibition visitors - it is the proved number of lecture participants, which means 5 641 visitors. In fact, the total attendance was higher, because only visitors who filled in the ticket and returned it to the organizers were counted. That is why we can only estimate the real number of lecture participants. We believe that in 2006 the attendance of lectures ranged from 26-30% of total number of the exhibition visitors, the absolute number - 7 238 to 8 352 visitors.

After each lecture, the organizers drew lots and drew 5 participants of the lecture, who got raffles with the exhibition logo or prizes donated by MP-Soft company, a.s. or the lecturing school. The first drawn person was given the most valuable prize, the others got umbrellas, CD boxes, T-shirts, peaked caps etc.

During the 13th edition of the exhibition, the lecture theatre was the most attended place and the lecture attendance has been the second highest since the beginning of the exhibition. The lectures have been for a long time the most efficient way of passing 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 the lectures, there were not enough seats and entrance hall was overcrowded.

The exhibition catalogue

Each visitor received a printed, 96 pages catalogue of the exhibiting schools, the index of fields of study (32 pages) and detailed electronic catalogue on CD ROM. The catalogues contained detailed information about higher education at exhibiting schools and educational institutions. Most of the schools supplied information about school, the list of faculties, contacts to studies departments, information about faculties' subjects, entrance examination, student's statistics at individual faculties and departments, etc.

For the 13th edition of the exhibition 32 000 of printed catalogues and CD ROM catalogues were prepared.

Information about fields of study and information stand

In 2006 year visitors had at their disposal four new ways of information sources about study opportunities, fields of study, universities and colleges:

• The interactive index of fields of study on the web site www.gaudeamus.cz. Each exhibitor could provide list fields of study of his school, it was put to the index free of charge.
• The printed version of the index of fields of study which obtained each visitor of the exhibition.
• The interactive version of the index of fields of study which was put into the CD ROM catalogue.
• The advisory service about study opportunities, selection of a future study, fields of study and so on. This service was free of charge for visitors and future students. The special stand was built for the service next to lecture theatre. Advisers were mainly answering for four typical questions:
  • Where can I study a field of study ?
  • Which field of study can I study at a school ?
  • Where can I study a faculty ?
  • Where can I study after graduation ?

The organisers are going to expand new ways of information sources on the base of experiences from 2006 year.

The exhibition development in 1994-2006

The exhibition development is stated in chart 12.

In the column 'Exhibitors' there is the total number of individual exhibitors, which mostly represent other subjects. For example, in 2006, the exhibiting universities and colleges represented 200 faculties in total. The column 'Area in m2' states the range of the basic exhibiting area without common base for 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.



Chart 12 The exhibition attendance development since 1994

The exhibition on the Internet

All the information concerning the exhibition are available on the Internet address www.gaudeamus.cz. Always when the exhibition is finished, at the mentioned address you can find the content of the exhibiting schools printed catalogue. This year it was for the sixth time and the catalogue of the 13th exhibition was released on 4th November 2006. The content of the printed catalogue is available on the Internet till August of the next year. For the exhibiting schools this service is provided for free by the organizer. During that time the exhibiting school can change their information free of charge.

Since February 2002 performed the access observation has been at www.gaudeamus.cz, the result of the observation is stated in chart 13.



Chart 13 Access to www.gaudeamus.cz

14th exhibition edition in 2007

The 14th edition of the Gaudeamus exhibition is planned from 30th to 2nd November 2007 and we expected to hold it in the exhibition hall G2, F or V of Brno showground. The term of the exhibition was chosen with respect to requirements of the exhibiting schools - the information obtained from the survey held during the 11th edition of the exhibition.

For year 2007 we are preparing:

• Interactive index of fields of study will be put on the web site www.gaudeamus.cz and CD ROM catalogue. It will be prepared on the basis of exhibiting schools. The registration to index will be free of charge for exhibiting schools.
• Processing of the basic topics of university and colleges terminology to a brief glossary. It will be on the web site before exhibition, in the printed and CD ROM catalogue as well.
• Attendance encouragement at the exhibitors' lectures as it was in 2006.
• Preservation of extensive encouragement to attend the exhibition by means of suitable media promotion.
• Preservation of so called economy expositions for presentation of Art Academies and Higher Professional Schools in the area of 2.4 and 6 m2 or in the form of board placard.
• Printed catalogue edition for each visitor in the edition of 30 000 copies.
• Replenishment of new overviews in printed catalogue for better retrieval, for example the index of fields of study.
• The CD ROM exhibition catalogue for each visitor in the edition of 30 000 copies.
• Continuous data updating about the exhibitors on the Internet (www.gaudeamus.cz).
• Preservation of the exhibition promotional catalogue content as it was in 2006.
• Continuous information release about the exhibition on the Internet.

11th December 2006 in Brno


Dipl.Ing. Pavel Mikula,
President