Event accountability: That's what attendee audits are all about, and the tech events industry appears to be gaining momentum on improving accountability with the fall 2003 launch of the IT Event Measurement and Audit Council, led by San Francisco-based Comdex producer Media-Live International.

The independent association's first order of business is the creation of audit standards — similar to those used in the publishing industry — for IT events. It will then promote the standards to the tech industry, with the goal of increasing event accountability and thereby improving the attendees' and exhibitors' success at IT shows.

In addition to MediaLive, inaugural members of the council include BPA International; Carat Business & Technology; CeBIT, the Computer Event Marketing Association; CMP Media; Exhibit Surveys Inc.; the George P. Johnson Co.; Hewlett-Packard; the International Association for Exhibit Management; International Data Group; Microsoft; Quantum; and TechTarget.