Trade FairsWhat we know, what we don't and what we should

What is a trade show?

• Organized gathering of buyers and sellers

• Periodic (annual, semi annual)

• Self selecting group of exhibitors and visitors

Who goes to trade shows?

Visitors Exhibitors

Buyers Non-buyers Booth workers Show observers

Power to buy at show

Contact for future purchase

Industrial observers Rewardees

Executives Non-Management

Sales people

"Booth Babes"

Immediate Sales

Lead generators

Executives Non-Management

Why go to shows?

•Observe new products•Make contact with suppliers•Establish and strengthen relationships with suppliers•Keep an eye on competitors•Network•Gather info on the future of the industry

•Sell products•Establish contacts for future sales•Generate excitement about new products•Observe competitors' actions•Network•Gather info on the future of the industry

Visitors Exhibitors

Managerial Geographic Ethnographic

Definition

Participants

Conference services

Performance Evaluation

Participant activities

Networ

king

Buzz

Urban redevelopment

Tourism

Competition

Cul

ture}

Consumption of culture

Pipelines

Quantitative methods

Theoretical andcase studies

Ethnographic case studies

Production of cultureImage Making

Customers Final

ConsumersIndustrial End-

Users

Multi-Industry

Specific Industry

General oriented fairs

General trade-oriented

Specialized consumer-

oriented fair

Specialized industrial fair

General fairs

Exhi

bito

rs

Types of trade fairsfrom Boukersi, 2000

Types of shows

• Lack of theory

• Lack of cross-comparison

• Little attention paid to non-industrial shows

Problems with the existing research

Other kinds of shows

• Current literature is aimed at industrial oriented fairs

• Only Penaloza (2001) has examined consumer oriented shows

General oriented fairs

General trade-oriented

Specialized consumer-

oriented fair

Specialized industrial fair

General Fairs

Consumer Industrial

Research Agenda

• Does the knowledge base of the industry change the nature of the show?

• Can we use existing theories for non-business shows?

• How does the buzz happen?

• What is the importance of design for encouraging interaction?

The knowledge base of shows

• Are conventions for artistic-types fundamentally different from those for engineers?

• Are there problems with making this kind of distinction between industries?

Analytical Synthetic SymbolicCreation of new,

scientific knowledge

Recombination of existing

knowledge

Creation and recombination of

cultural knowledge

Creation of knowledge

through deductive processes

Recombination of knowledge

through inductive processes

Reuse and contention of

existing conventions

Dominance of codified

knowledge

Dominance of tacit how-to knowledge

Dominance of tacit knowledge and craft-skills

Knowledge base typologyadapted from Asheim et. al (2007)

Consumer oriented shows

• Shows where majority of visitors are consumers

• What is their economic impact?

• Does buzz exist at them?

How does buzz happen?

• Networking is fundamentally different at trade shows

• How important are random encounters - how much interaction is pre-planned?

• How can planners encourage contact

Design of conference center

• What kinds of spaces to people interact in?

• Does the nature of space alter the nature of the interaction?

• How can the design of a conference center be made to encourage interaction or contact?

• Asheim, B., Coenen, L., and Vang, J. (2007). Face-to-face, buzz, and knowledge bases: Sociospatial implications for learning, innovation and innovation policy. Environment and Planning C, 25(5):655–670.

• Blythe, J. (2002). Using trade fairs in key account management. Industrial Marketing Management, 31:627–635.

• Borghini, S., Golf, G., and Rinallo, D. (2006). Ongoing search among industrial buyers. Journal of Business Research, 59:1151–1159.

• Bradley, Andrew, H. T. and Harrison, M. (2002). Selling cities: Promoting new images for meetings tourism. Cities, 19(1):61–70.

• Breiter, D. and Hahm, J. (2006). International participation at association meetings and conventions report. Report, Professional Convention Management Association - Industry Issues Committee, Chicago.

• Cuadrado-Roura, J. and Rubalcaba-Bermejo, L. (1998). Specialization and competition amongst european cities: A new approach through fair and exhibition activities. Regional Studies, 32(2):133–147.

• Dekimpe, M., Francois, P., Gopalakrishna, S., Lilen, G., and Van den Bulte, C. (1997). Generalizing about trade show effectiveness: A cross-national comparison. Journal of Marketing, 61:55–64.

• Godar, S. and O’Connor, P. (2000). Same time next year - buyer trade show motives. Industrial Marketing Management, 30:77–86.

• Havens, T. (2003). Exhibiting global television: On the business and cultural functions of global television fairs. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 47(1):18–35.

• Jones, C. (2005). Major events, networks and regional development. Regional Studies, 39(2):185–195.

• Kijewski, V., Yoon, E., and Young, G. (1993). How exhibitors select trade shows. Industrial Marketing Management, 22(4):287–298.

• Oppermann, M. (1996). Convention destination images: Analysis of association meeting planners’ perceptions. Tourism Management, 17(3):175–182.

• Penaloza, L. (2001). Consuming the American West: Animating cultural meaning and memory at a stock show and rodeo. Journal of Consumer Research, 28:369–398.

• Is it difficult to market a city as a convention destination? the case of Thessaloniki. Journal of Convention and Event Tourism, 7(2):87–92.

• Rinallo, D. and Golfetto, F. (2006). Representing markets: The shaping of fashion trends by French and Italian fabric companies. Industrial Marketing Management, 35:856–869.

• Rosson, P. and Seringhaus, F. (1995). Visitor and exhibitor interaction at international trade fairs. Journal of Business Research, 32:81–90.

• Rubalcaba-Bermejo, L. and Cuadrado-Roura, J. (1995). Urban hierarchies and territorial competition in europe: Exploring the role of fairs and exhibitions. Urban Studies, 32(2):379–400.

• Sanders, H. (1998). Convention center follies. Public Interest, Summer(132):58–72.

• Sanders, H. (1998). Convention center follies. Public Interest, Summer(132):58–72.

• Seringhaus, F. and Rosson, P. (1998). Management and performance of international trade fair exhibitors: Government stands vs independent stands. International Marketing Review, 15(5):398–412.

• Sharland, A. and Balogh, P. (1006). The value of nonselling activities at international trade shows. Industrial Marketing Management, 25:69–66.

• Tanner, J. J. (2002). Leveling the playing field: Factors influencing trade show success for small companies. Industrial Marketing Management, 31:229–239.

• Wilkinson, T. and Brouthers, L. (2000). Trade shows, trade missions and state governments: Increasing fdi and high-tech exports. Journal of International Business Studies, 31(4):725–734.

• Wilkinson, T. and Brouthers, L. (2006). Trade promotion and sme export performance. International Business Review, 15:233–252.

• Zelinsky, W. (1994). Conventionland usa: The geography of a latterday phenomenon. Annals of the Assocation of American Geographers, 84(1):68–86.