Sometimes known as trade fairs, trade exhibitions, or expos, trade shows are exhibitions organized for the purpose of allowing companies and businesses in a specific industry to highlight and demonstrate the latest products and services, to facilitate networking opportunities with industry partners and clients, to view the products and activities of competitors, and to become apprised of recent market trends.
Some trade shows serve a dual purpose: introducing new products to the consumer market and allowing company representatives to interact with customers, but others are open only to company representatives and perhaps members of the press. Therefore, trade shows are classified as either public or trade-only.
Trade shows are believed to have begun in Europe during the late medieval period, when producers visited towns for trading fairs to showcase and sell their products. With the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th century, industrial exhibitions became common in Europe and North America, and by the 20th century, specialized companies were formed for the sole purpose of managing the growing trade show industry, and permanent trade show grounds and convention centers were built to provide venues for large trade expos, and larger cities began vying for such venues as a means of economic development.
The World AG Expo and Conexpo/Conagg are the two largest shows by square footage. By attendance, four of the five largest trade shows are auto shows. Trade shows and exhibitions became common throughout Asia in the 21st century, with China dominating the industry.
In recent years, virtual trade shows have become common, largely because they greatly reduce the expenses incurred by participating industries.
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Recommended Resources
10 Times is a global directory of trade shows and conferences. The site's index page features featured events, while users can search the database by city, country, industry, or event name. Other options include searching by event category or industry, or browsing by city or country. Event planners may submit additional trade fairs or events for consideration. Career, partnership, and advertising opportunities are available, along with competitor tracking, event intelligence, and a blog.
https://10times.com/
Available in multiple languages, EventsEye is a global trade show directory: a large, structured index of exhibitions, conferences, and business events worldwide. Essentially, it is a taxonomy-driven event index, not an event services provider. Events are grouped by location (America, Europe, Africa-Middle East, Asia-Pacific), month, or industry, providing a standardized classification system, industry segmentation, and a global event dataset. Contact details are included.
https://www.eventseye.com/
International Manufacturing Technology Show
IMTS is one of the largest and most influential manufacturing technology events in the world, and the Western Hemisphere's biggest manufacturing-tech showcase, bringing together machining, automation, additive, robotics, digital manufacturing, AI governance, workforce development, and investment trends, concentrated into six days of exhibits, demos, and expert sessions. The Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) runs the biennial mega-event. Schedules are presented.
https://www.imts.com/
Midwest Manufacturers Trade Show & Conference
Hosted by the Missouri Association of Manufacturers (MAM) and held annually at the Branson Convention Center in Branson, Missouri, the Midwest Manufacturers Trade Show & Conference is a major regional manufacturing event positioned as one of the Midwest's largest gatherings of manufacturers, suppliers, and industry experts. It emphasizes networking, industry education, and regional manufacturing growth. The site provides schedules, sponsorship information, and registration details.
https://www.manufacturerstradeshow-conference.com/
Private Label Manufacturers Association
The Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) is an organization that serves store brands food and non-food products manufacturers and suppliers. The website features the PLMA's Private Label Trade Show, an annual trade show and provides information that includes show location and trade show schedules. The website also features sections such as market and press updates, upcoming events, member services information and the PLMA International, Scanner on Line and Idea Supermarket.
https://www.plma.com/
This worldwide directory of trade shows and exhibitions lists trade shows around the world. Featured shows appear on the site's front page, and you can search the database by fair name, country, city, industry, or service provider sector. Additional trade fairs may be submitted for consideration at no charge, and the site also includes a directory of trade show suppliers and hotel information. A tool lets webmasters add a trade fair calendar to their website.
https://www.tradefairdates.com/
Based in Georgia, TSNN is a major media hub for the global trade show and exhibition industry, offering news, data, and analysis for event professionals. Established in 1996, TSNN is a long-running industry news brand covering trade shows, exhibitions, and live events. Organizers, exhibitors, venues, and suppliers use it widely. Owned by Informa, a major global events company, TSNN operates one of the most consulted event databases online. Contact details are provided.
https://www.tsnn.com/
More of a broad, international directory than a curated editorial publication, The Tradeshow Calendar is a global B2B tradeshow search engine that aggregates thousands of exhibitions worldwide and lets users filter by industry, date, city, or country. It provides global event listings and industry-specific filters, city/country search, and direct links to official show websites, each connecting to the organizer's page. It is characterized as broad, fast, and utilitarian.
https://thetradeshowcalendar.com/
