DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRADE FAIR AND EXHIBITION

INTRODUCTION

Exhibition and trade fair are two words that refer to temporary public events. Although both of these events can inform and entertain the public, there is a difference between exhibition and trade fair. An exhibition is a public showing of works of art or items of interest. A fair is a gathering of people for various entertainment or commercial activities. This is the key difference between exhibition and fair.

Trade Fairs

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. They are held on a continuing basis in virtually all markets and normally attract companies from around the globe. Trade fairs often involve a considerable marketing investment by participating companies. Costs include space rental, booth design and construction of trade show displays, telecommunications and networking, travel, accommodations, and promotional literature and items to give to attendees. In addition, costs are incurred at the show for services such as electrical, booth cleaning, internet services, and drayage (also known as material handling). Consequently, cities often promote trade shows as a means of economic development.

Functions of Trade Fair

Business function: Of all the marketing instruments trade fairs easily have the widest range of functions: they serve to develop and the cultivate customer relations, search for partners and personnel, and to position the company as a whole. Trade fairs are test markets for new products and hence also function as market research instruments. Trade fairs also serve to increase public awareness of one´s company, to analyze the market situation and to prepare the ground for selling products and services.

Macro-economic Function: Trade fairs not only benefit exhibitors and visitors, but also the local economy in the region surrounding a trade fair venue. In particular, the hotel and restaurant trades, transport companies as well as companies providing trade fair services for organisers and exhibitors, such as stand construction and logistics, interpreting and hostess services are among those who benefit. 

Social Function: Trade fairs and congresses have always been platforms for the exchanging knowledge. Knowledge means information that is processed, refined and placed in the right context. In today’s knowledge-based society information has become a decisive resource. The production, selection, filtering and channeling of information has thus become one of the most important tasks of a national economy.

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. While many exhibitions are shown in just one venue, some exhibitions are shown in multiple locations and are called traveling exhibitions, and some are online exhibitions.

Categories of Exhibition

Art exhibitions: Art exhibitions include an array of artifacts from countless forms of human making: paintings, drawings, crafts, sculpture, video installations, sound installations, performances, interactive art, etc. Art exhibitions may focus on one artist, one group, one genre, one theme or one collection; or may be organized by curators, selected by juries, or show any artwork submitted.

Interpretive exhibitions: Interpretive exhibitions are exhibitions that require more context to explain the items being displayed. This is generally true of exhibitions devoted to scientific and historical themes, where text, dioramas, charts, maps and interactive displays may provide necessary explanation of background and concepts. Interpretive exhibitions generally require more text and more graphics than fine art exhibitions do.

Commercial exhibitions: Commercial exhibitions, generally called trade fairs, trade shows or expos, are usually organized so that organizations in a specific interest or industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent trends and opportunities. Some trade fairs are open to the public, while others can only be attended by company representatives (members of the trade) and members of the press.

Difference Between Trade Fair and Exhibition.

·        Exhibition is a public showing of works of art or items of interest while trade fair is a gathering of people for various entertainment or commercial activities.

·        Exhibitions may display the work of one artist whereas trade fairs have a variety of products and services.

·        Exhibitions often do not have a commercial aspect as fairs whereas trade fairs have booths that sell different items such as food, accessories, and souvenirs.

·        Exhibition does not have another recreational or entertainment element while trade fairs have carnival rides, games, etc. for recreation.

·        Trade fair is more business-to-client or customer (not only consumer!) type of event. Companies gather not only to showcase their products and services, but also to sell and market them. Trade fairs (or simply Fairs) are open to anyone interested and can cover a few industries at the same time whereas exhibition has the least of sales element in it; the primary objective is to showcase products and services. Usually exhibitions cover one industry at a time and are geared towards building general image of a company/brand.

·        While most fairs contain exhibitions, not all exhibitions are fairs. At a fair, something is usually on display or exhibited, such as a product, service, opportunity, competition or other object, as part of the fair. As well, a fair can have buying, selling, trade, amusements, food and other entertainment too. An event that is called ‘an exhibition’, usually just has something on display for public viewing. Although it can have buying, selling, trade, entertainment and food for the visitors, the focus is primarily on showing off the object or ability being exhibited.

·        An exhibition, especially if it is not associated with the sale of goods (the so-called selling exhibition), is a presentation of especially artistic, cultural, educational, scientific, research, business, leisure, or other activities. Exhibitions document and present the achieved results and findings, level of development, and also future prospects while trade fairs, on the other hand, have a clear commercial focus – they aim at strengthening trade relations and economic cooperation. In addition, trade fairs are also used to sell products, although this aspect has been losing its importance during the last decades.

Conclusion: While most fairs contain exhibitions, not all exhibitions are fairs. At a fair, something is usually on display or exhibited, such as a product, service, opportunity, competition or other object, as part of the fair. As well, a fair can have buying, selling, trade, amusements, food and other entertainment too. An event that is called ‘an exhibition’, usually just has something on display for public viewing.  An exhibition is a public showing of works of art or items of interest. A fair is a gathering of people for various entertainment or commercial activities

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