In the business world, trade shows are an essential platform for suppliers to come face-to-face with prospective buyers, make meaningful connections, sell goods, and gain brand awareness. The industry is thriving, with exhibitor budgets increasing by 70% since 2022! Though trade shows offer a fantastic current platform for business, they actually date back centuries. The first trade shows took place in Ancient Rome. Read on for more insights on the history of trade shows and how they have grown into the successful platforms we see today.
What is a Trade Show?
A trade show is defined as “an exhibition at which businesses in a particular industry promote their products and services.” Trade shows can be open to the public, but some require tickets to enter. In modern trade shows, businesses purchase a specific floor space in the exhibition hall and use this to display products and services, raise awareness, and sometimes make sales.
Ancient Rome
Some of the earliest recorded trade fairs were in Ancient Rome. Regular markets were called Marcella, offering a permanent trading space. Temporary market fairs that resembled today’s trade shows were called Nundinae. These fairs were designed for trading luxury foods, especially meats, fish and spices. As well as luxury goods, a few records suggest that the markets were also used for sharing ideas and knowledge! This insight closely resembles the trade shows we see today, where knowledge is shared through exhibitors and experts in seminars.
Medieval Fairs
Trade fairs were also prevalent in the Middle Ages and were largely related to the church. Buyers and sellers would assemble on a set date, sometimes seasonally, to show off, purchase and trade wares.
The church actively sponsored trade fairs and hosted them, especially Feast Day fairs as they made a great deal of profit from the events. To encourage more visitors, trade and sales, the fairs often included fun activities like archery, singers, music and dancing, making cultural and social hubs!
The Industrial Revolution
Moving on from these earlier fairs, trade fairs became more organized and valuable in the Industrial Revolution, playing a momentous role in today’s business market and economy. During this time, industries expanded rapidly, and businesses started to seek platforms to showcase their innovative inventions and products.
One notable exhibition during this period was The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, which took place at Hyde Park in the Crystal Palace. The exhibition was launched by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to showcase the wonders of new technology and industrial success. The show hosted over 100,000 exhibits with steam-powered machines, the finest fabrics and even artefacts from Russia. Other countries were invited to show off their innovations, but the exhibition was designed to prove that Britain was leading in technological advancements.
The 20th Century
The 20th Century saw the rise of industry-specific trade shows, as businesses sought out relevant audiences. Rather than general fairs, trade shows began focusing on specific sectors. Fairs surrounding culture and values also became more prominent. For example, the New York World’s Fair has been dedicated to Building the World of Tomorrow, Peace Through Understanding and Man and His World. Around this time, the word fair was more commonly replaced with expo.
The 21st Century
The 21st Century saw an even greater increase in value, propelled by greater global participation and international attendance. This participation increased the value offered by trade shows, opening more doors to international markets.
With an ever-growing value, trade shows became more competitive. This encouraged bigger and more impressive displays as exhibitors found new ways to stand out in competitive markets.
The COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to digital trade shows.Businesses wanted to continue to gain the benefits of the shows, without travelling, and this shift also allowed continued global participation.
Additionally, sustainability and eco-friendly practices have become much more prominent in modern trade shows, with many events focusing on showcasing environmentally friendly products. Speaking of sustainability, one of the greatest shifts in trade shows has been the use of modular exhibition stands. These stands are reusable, reconfigurable and sustainable. Modular exhibition stands became more popular as trade shows continued to grow in value, size, and therefore waste.
Quadrant2Design, a UK-based exhibition stand design and build contractor, pioneered the use of modular stands with custom elements. The stands are completely reusable, even with the customised features, featuring high-impact, large-format graphics, that visually communicate the brand story. These stands continue to grow in popularity, as exhibitors and visitors now push for sustainable exhibiting, reducing the use of traditional custom-build stands.
Summing Up
The history of trade shows demonstrates the continued value of business events, from the current reach to the potential business connections and international opportunities the shows bring. The newfound value proposition of sustainability is prominent in the industry, alongside the evergrowing decision to use Modular exhibition stands.
