If you have an upcoming exhibition in Europe in 2022 then we can help you answer some questions that you may have to enable you to be prepared for an upcoming expo or exhibition in Europe.

At Exhibit Global we have been specializing in international exhibitions for over twenty years, designing and fabricating trade show booths and exhibition stands for some of the world’s best-known brands at exhibitions in Europe and around the world.

What is the biggest exhibition in the world?
What is the difference between an Exhibition and Trade Fair?
What is an Industrial Fair?
Who goes to trade fairs?
Is Tradeshow one word or two words?

What is the largest exhibition in Europe?

With more than 2,400 exhibitors and over 100,000 visitors, Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, is in our opinion the largest exhibition in Europe and arguably in the world (in competition with CES, Las Vegas a major annual consumer electronics trade show in the USA). All of the big tech brands exhibit at MWC each year because it is the most influential event for the connectivity industry. Not only are there a massive expanse of trade show booths and exhibition stands, but there are networking opportunities and conferences throughout the exhibition.

What is the difference between Exhibition and Trade Fair?

Both are temporary public events, however there is a difference between an Exhibition and a Trade Fair.

Trade Fair:

A trade fare is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and customers, study activities of rivals, and examine recent market trends and opportunities. In contrast to consumer fairs, only some trade fairs are open to the public, while others can only be attended by company representatives (members of the trade, e.g. professionals) and members of the press, therefore trade shows are classified as either “public” or “trade only”. A few fairs are hybrids of the two; one example is the Frankfurt Book Fair, which is trade only for its first three days and open to the general public on its final two days.

Exhibition:

An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within museums, galleries and exhibition halls, and World’s fairs. Exhibitions can include many things such as art in both major museums and smaller galleries, interpretive exhibitions, natural history museums and history museums, and also varieties such as more commercially focused exhibitions and trade fairs. The word “exhibition” is usually, but not always, the word used for a collection of items. Sometimes “exhibit” is synonymous with “exhibition”, but “exhibit” generally refers to a single item being exhibited within an exhibition. Exhibitions may be permanent displays or temporary, but in common usage, “exhibitions” are considered temporary and usually scheduled to open and close on specific dates.

In Europe almost every commercial trade show is referred to as an exhibition or expo, with an ‘exhibition stand’ rather than the US better known ‘tradeshow booth’.

What is an industrial fair?

An Industrial Fair is basically the same as a Trade Fair, however it is focused on a specific industrial sector. For instance, one type of Industrial Fair may be attended by oil, gas and petroleum companies for a fair in that particular sector. Exhibit Global have designed and fabricated stands at ADIPEC in the Middle East. The Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference is the world’s largest and most influential event for the oil and gas industry.

Who goes to trade fairs?

Trade Fairs, by their very nature, are an industry-only event, and therefore only open to industry partners and customers in a specific industry. In contrast to many exhibitions, trade fairs are generally not open to the public, and so are classified as either ‘public’ or ‘trade only’. Therefore, trade fairs are attended by company representatives and customers.

Is Tradeshow one or two words?

Officially, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, trade show is two words, meaning:
‘A large gathering in which different companies in a particular field or industry show their products to possible customers.’