INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING EXHIBITION GAUDEAMUS® 2009

The 2nd edition of the Education and Lifelong Learning Exhibition Gaudeamus 2009 was held in the Krizik exhibition hall E of the showground in Prague from the 27th to the 28th January 2009.

Exhibitor's Structure

The exhibition included 101 independent exhibitors (+12 compared to 2008), as you can see in the chart 1 or the diagram 1.

Diagram 1

In 2009 the exhibition achieved a record number of exhibitors in its history, see chart no 1. The expansion of the exhibition in 2009 was especially among Czech exhibitors. Among new exhibitors there were only educational institutions. The majority of exhibitors were from the Czech Republic, Austria, United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Slovakia.

The organization of the exhibition

The organization and development of the exhibition was as usual ensured by the company MP-Soft, a.s., Brno, and Brno University of Technology 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 expert for European cooperation in education, was as usual a professional guarantor and academic advisor of the exhibition. Dipl. Ing. Pavel Mikula, the president of MP-Soft, a.s. Brno, was the organizational guarantor.

The exhibition conception was prepared by the consultative board consisting of representatives of the most important exhibitors. Prof. Ing. Jan M. Honzík, CSc. was the chairman of the board.

The exhibition course

The 2nd edition of the International Gaudeamus exhibition was held in the exhibition hall E of the showground in Prague. The exhibition was opened for the public daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., from 27th to 28th January 2009.

The exhibition was inaugurated on the 27th January 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in the presence of Prof. Ing. Karel Rais, CSc, MBA the rector of Brno University of Technology and other 75 guests of honour - rectors and headmasters of schools participating in the exhibition and other institutions.

The first day of the exhibition culminated in a social evening and discussion meeting of exhibition participants, which took place in the hotel Expo next to the showground in Prague. Rectors of universities and colleges and other guests of honor came to the social evening.

The attendance of the exhibition

The actual attendance was 6 368 visitors. The exhibition attendance distribution into individual days is presented in the chart 2. There were 909 more visitors compared to the number of visitors in 2008 it is 16,6 % more than in 2008.

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

The attendance structure

During the 2nd edition of the Gaudeamus exhibition in Prague the statistical enquiry was carried out among the attendees, as it was done during the first edition. The enquiry was made in the form of a prize draw. 21.8 % (1,388 visitors) of the total number of visitors filled in raffle tickets and returned them. Detailed results are listed in the following charts.

These statistics confirm the quality and high efficiency of applied marketing methods during the exhibition preparation phase. Results reveal evidence of the nation-wide scope of the exhibition activity and information penetration to the whole Czech Republic. The 2nd exhibition edition played a significant role in providing information concerning study opportunities at Czech and foreign universities, higher schools and other educational institutions.

The chart 4 and the diagram 2 show the representation of individual target groups within the total exhibition attendance.

The chart 5 contains the data concerning the regional distribution of attendance. Visitors came from all regions of the Czech Republic; the representation of 238 towns in total was excellent.

Diagram 2

Target groups and their characteristics

Apart from standard compiled data, which are stated in charts 1 to 5, new data concerning the characteristics of target groups have been monitored. 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 - physics
• Sporting
• Other

Students could tick off one or more of the listed subjects, which they would like to study at a university or college. 1 388 students were addressed out of the total number of 6 368 visitors. Results (percentage) of the survey are stated in the chart 6 and the diagram 3. The chart 6 includes values from 2008 and 2009. The diagram 3 shows only the situation from 2009.

Diagram 3

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

Students could tick off which degree they would like to gain. 1 388 students were addressed out of a total number of 6 368 visitors. Results (percentage) of the survey are stated in the chart 7 and the diagram 4. The chart 7 includes values from 2008 and 2009. The diagram 4 shows only the situation from 2009.

Diagram 4

3. Put in order the factors, which influence you in your choice of further studies

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

Students could give a mark in the range from 1 to 5 (1 - the most, 5 the least) expressing the importance of their choice. 1 388 students were addressed out of the total number of 6 368 visitors. Results (averages of marks) of the survey are stated in the chart 8 and the diagram 5. Columns contain arithmetical average of marks for each criterion. The chart 8 includes values from 2008 and 2009. The diagram 5 shows only the situation from 2009.

Diagram 5

Students are mostly interested in social science, management and languages. They prefer a Bachelor's degree with possible follow-up Master's degree. The biggest influence on their decision is personal predispositions, job status and salary.

The exhibitor's lecturers during the exhibition

The lecture theatre has been a part of the standard exhibition facilities. The theatre seated 110 people. It was equipped with a quality sound system, an overhead projector, a data-video projector and computers for presentation projection. The lectures were given by qualified representatives of participating schools.

The total attendance was higher than 1 388 visitors (21.8%), because only visitors who filled in a 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 2008 the attendance of lectures ranged from between 25-30 % of the total number of exhibition visitors, the absolute number is in the range of 1 600 to 2,200 visitors.

After each lecture, the organizers drew lots and drew out the names of 5 participants, who then got raffles with the exhibition logo or prizes donated by MP-Soft, a.s. company 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 2nd edition of the exhibition, lecture theatre was the most attended place and the lecture attendance has been the 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 the entrance hall was overcrowded.

The exhibition catalogue

Each visitor received the printed 52 pages catalogue of the exhibiting schools and the detailed electronic catalogue on CD ROM. The catalogues contained detailed information about 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 examinations, students’ statistics at individual faculties and departments, etc. Each exhibitor has a free-of-charge four-line advert in the catalogue.

Information About Fields of Study and Information Stand

In 2009 visitors had at their disposal three sources of information about study opportunities, fields of study, universities and colleges:

• The interactive index of fields of study on the website www.gaudeamus.cz. The index was subdivided into Czech and foreign parts. Each exhibitor could provide its own list of fields of study. It was included into the index free of charge.
• The interactive version of fields of study index which was put into the CD catalogue.
• The advisory service about study opportunities, selection of future studies, fields of study and so on. This service was free of charge for visitors and future students. A special stand was built for the service next to the lecture theatre. Advisers were mainly answering four typical questions:
  • Where can I study a chosen field of study?
  • Which field of study can I study at a school?
  • Where can I study at a faculty?
  • Where can I study after graduation?
  • Can I study abroad and in which countries?

The organizers are going to expand new ways of information sources based on our experiences from 2008 to 2009.

The Exhibition Development in 2008 and 2009

The exhibition development is stated in the chart 9.

In the column 'Exhibitors' there is the total number of individual exhibitors, which mostly represent other subjects. For example, in 2009, the exhibiting universities and colleges represented 212 faculties in total. The column 'Area in m2' states the range of the basic exhibiting area only. The common base for all exhibitors, stores, lecture theatre and other back-up space is not included. The column 'Attendance' states the total attendance in the individual years.

The 3rd edition of the exhibition in 2010

The 3rd edition of the Gaudeamus exhibition is planned from 26th to 27th January 2010 and we are expecting to hold it in the exhibition hall E of the Prague showground. The term of the exhibition was chosen with respect to requirements of the exhibiting schools. The exhibition will be extended to include the new international part named “Job fair”.

For 2010 we are preparing:

• Interactive index of fields of study to be put on the website www.gaudeamus.cz and CD catalogue. It will be prepared on the basis of exhibiting schools. The registration to the index will be free of charge for exhibiting schools.
• Providing a brief glossary of the basic topics of university and colleges terminology. It will be on the website before exhibition and in the printed and CD catalogue as well.
• Attendance encouragement at the exhibitors' lectures as in 2009.
• Continuation of extensive encouragement to attend the exhibition by means of suitable media promotion.
• Continuation 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.
• Revision of new overviews in printed catalogue for better retrieval, for example the index of fields of study.
• The CD exhibition catalogue for each visitor.
• Continuous update of data about the exhibitors on the Internet (www.gaudeamus.cz).
• Preservation of the exhibition promotional catalogue content as in 2008 and 2009.

17th February 2009


Prof. Ing. Jan Maxmilián Honzík, CSc. Academic Advisor

Dipl.Ing. Pavel Mikula, President of the Exhibition