Demand Analysis of Visiting Space in Large Exhibitions Based on Efficiency and Comfort

The trend that the pedestrian flow density attracted by exhibitions rises is obvious in China. The visiting space around different exhibits is the same, which causes huge differences in pedestrian flow density for great-attraction exhibits and weak-attraction exhibits, and it will influence the efficiency and comfort of visiting. However, there are few studies that deal with the exhibition planning and design theories that consider the efficiency and comfort of visiting. The paper screens the most common exhibit forms and exhibition modes, and three kinds of common exhibits: "model+video," "model," and "video" as research objects. Based on unobtrusive observation, the data of visitor's viewing time of the exhibit was collected. Visitor's visiting preference is defined as the percentage of visitors' viewing time at the exhibits with similar exhibition modes and content, same exhibition area, but different locations to the total viewing time. Different locations of exhibits represent the order of exhibits in which visitors encounter them during their visiting. The definition helps to eliminate the deviation in the analysis results caused by visitors' individual differences. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z test was adopted to make an in-depth analysis of visitors' visiting preferences. Finally, based on the analysis, advice is given on arranging the space around the exhibits, it proposes that the exhibits with greater visiting preference should be given more visiting space, which perfects exhibition planning and design theory with the efficiency and comfort of visiting.