Second order CFA found that ‘leadership of the host city in the industry’ is the most important indicator to destination attractiveness while ‘host city as a source for exhibitors’ is also an important factor. This suggests that initiation of exhibitions in destinations with cluster effects, or relocation/transplantation of exhibitions to these destinations, is viable. On the contrary, caution shall be exercised to initiate, relocate or transplant exhibitions to destinations without the presence of cluster effects. It also lends support to the proposition that clustering has a positive, significant impact on corporate performance, regional economic development, and national competitiveness (Enright, 2003). This research linked the development of individual exhibitions and the exhibition industry in general with the emergence and development of regional clusters. It also provides a basis for further empirical research on the impacts of clusters on exhibition development, for example, from the perspective of other stakeholders, such as organizers, visitors and destination management parties.