Over the past few years, the trade fair sector has undergone a rapid process of internationalization. Competition is no longer limited to events within the same country, but extends to different continents. China, Southeast Asia, Australia, Turkey, the United States, and Brazil have become the major potential markets toward which the trade fair industry is heading. For now, Asia is winning the race.
Currently, the European continent is not the only one immersed in a process of economic integration. In recent years, the Asian market has opened its doors to international markets. The recent entry of countries like China into the WTO (World Trade Organization) has accelerated the growth of their economies.
Given this context of open markets, the Asian trade fair sector has much to offer. Proof of this is that major European venues, including those in Germany, are relocating part of their operations there, forging connections with institutions, organizers, and businesses across the continent.
The main country currently attracting attention is China. The Asian giant boasts the most modern and best-equipped venue on the continent: the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC). This November marks the second anniversary of its inauguration, following the collaboration between Messe Hannover, Messe Düsseldorf, and Messe Munich, along with Shanghai Pudong Land Development, to form the SNIEC joint venture.
Along with Shanghai, the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) is another key player in the industry. Overseas companies use the HKCEC to showcase their products, services, and ideas to the world. The venue doubled its capacity in 1997, making it one of the best on the continent.
Outside of China, another of Asia's most active trade fair centers is Singapore. The trade fair industry in this country generates around $1,3 trillion and indirectly contributes to the development of related industries, which earn a total of $1,8 trillion thanks to trade fair activity.
Within Southeast Asia, we find other important trade fair centers, such as the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), which is the most prominent venue in Thailand, with a capacity of 100.000 visitors per day.
The United States, a separate market
The US trade show market is experiencing a slight period of stagnation, caused precisely by the emergence of new markets such as Asia. Furthermore, its high tariffs pose an obstacle to trade relations with other countries around the world. Nevertheless, the US trade show sector remains one of the most important in the world.
In the latest census conducted by CEIR (Center for the Exhibition Industry Research), this institute counted a total of 11,094 trade shows in the United States. This figure gives an idea of the great diversity of trade shows that exist in the country. New York City alone hosts more than 100 events a year.
The US cities with the strongest trade fair tradition are Los Angeles, Miami, Las Vegas, Chicago, and New York. The Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX) has offices in all of these cities, managed by the Spanish Trade Office. Through these offices, Spanish businesses can obtain information on which trade fair best suits their needs.
Among the most important venues in the country, we can highlight: the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (New York); McCormick Place (Chicago); Sand Expo & Convention Center (Las Vegas); California Mart Exhibit Center (Los Angeles); The Georgia World Congress Centre (Atlanta); San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Centre (San Francisco); and Miami Beach Convention Center (Miami, Florida). All of them offer approximately half a million square meters of exhibition space.
Next stop: Australia
Currently, trade shows in Australia are mostly local and geared towards the end consumer, a model known as Business-to-Consumer (B2C). Therefore, they are a suitable tool once the exhibiting company has a presence in the country. Generally, Australian importers, distributors, and agents attend international trade shows to select their suppliers and do not expect to find them exhibiting at local events.
One consequence of this local focus is the small size of trade fairs, especially when compared to their counterparts in Europe, Asia, or the Americas. Sectors that, due to their small size, do not have a dedicated trade fair, tend to be grouped together in a multi-sector fair.
However, it's worth noting that national and international trade fairs are gradually gaining importance. It's a slow process, but one that has already caught the attention of European, Asian, and North American trade fair organizers.
Among the island's most prominent venues is the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, which boasts six exhibition halls covering 27.000 square meters. Two other equally important centers are those in Melbourne (Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre) and Brisbane (Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre).
Brazil regains its strength
Unlike in other Latin American countries, where the trade fair industry is light years behind Europe, in Brazil the sector is in a recovery phase.
The Brazilian government has recognized that a substantial increase in exports is essential to boost production and create new jobs, which in turn serves as a stimulus for the trade fair and business tourism sectors.
In the words of the president of UBRAFE (Brazilian Union of Trade Fair Promoters), Mr. João Batista de Lima, "the importance of the trade fair sector is rapidly growing due to the country's current and vital need to export and generate new foreign exchange. Several sectors of industry are preparing for this new reality, constantly improving their products and services and adapting them to international demands."
The Government, for its part, is developing a program for this year specifying priority markets, creating trade missions whose goals will be the markets of Mexico, Russia, India and China, in addition to seeking new opportunities.
Internet and the future of the sector
“Trade fairs are no longer exotic events; they now have to compete with other media, such as the internet,” says Dr. Hermann Kresse, executive director of the German Trade Fair and Exhibition Association (AUMA). All the important information about trade fairs in Germany and abroad can be found on their website (www.auma.de). “However, the global network of data cannot replace direct contact,” states Peter Neven, head of the national trade fairs section at AUMA, who believes that “the internet is not a competitor, but rather a valuable complement.”
In this regard, the organizing company of the Frankfurt Trade Fair, the largest in Germany in terms of exhibitors and visitors, offers various online services for trade fairs at www.messefrankfurt.de. Given the positive feedback, it has decided to expand this information service for the trade fair industry to include marketing services, forums, and platforms related to the sector. One of the objectives is also to help visitors better prepare for the event by visiting the corresponding website in advance. This allows users to access exhibitors' websites directly through links.
Furthermore, Deutsche Messe AG of Hanover has an online presence through its Global Online Business Information System. With nearly 20.000 company data points and 40.000 product data points, www.globis.de is one of the leading databases in the industry. As early as 1998, the company began selling tickets, catalogs, and product information online. In the future, the company will offer exhibitors at CeBIT (International Trade Fair for Information Technology and Communications) a new opportunity: the trade fair will be broadcast live worldwide via the internet.
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