TRADE SHOW BOOTH HISTORY

Trade has been of high importance throughout human history. The first trade shows probably started with people informally setting out the products they wished to sell in a public place. Over time, the concept of the trade show has advanced significantly so that exhibiting is now an important global industry.

The tradition of official trade fairs developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Merchants would travel to a town where a trade fair was being held in order to display and sell their goods. With communications at the time being limited, physically transporting goods to a trade fair was often the only way to raise awareness of the product.

In the earliest days of trade fairs, products would be displayed on simple tables or on the ground. As trade has developed to become more global, companies have sought increasingly sophisticated ways of showing off their products. Simple tabletop displays have given way to displays involving panels and banners, which can be used to display advertising to catch the eye of a potential buyer.

For most of the history of trade fairs, it was common for merchants to bring with them any materials they would need to exhibit their product. However, as trade show displays have become more elaborate, a rental market has developed. During the twentieth century, a number of companies were set up with the aim of providing rental trade show booths to those wanting to exhibit at trade fairs. The displays would often be constructed from wood, metal or molded plastic and would be used to display the retailer's logo or brand advertising.

By renting a trade show booth rather than having one manufactured and transported to the trade fair, a retailer can avoid incurring the costs of the raw materials needed to produce the booth as well as the cost of shipping it to the trade show destination. For this reason, the rental trade show booth market has expanded enormously in North America and Europe. However, the reduced price of raw materials and labor in Asia means that many retailers in that area prefer to own their own booths.

Today, the trade show booth industry is a substantial global industry. In the twenty-first century, retailers know that appearance and company branding are important factors in the marketing of any product. With competition between trade show booth providers at an all time high, designers must constantly think outside the box to create new and exciting display products. At the same time, they also need to satisfy demands for affordable, lightweight booths which can be easily packaged and transported. Materials which are commonly used in modern trade show booths include aluminum and plastic because they are lightweight and versatile.

In order to stand out at a trade show, an exhibitor needs to have a unique and eye-catching booth. For this reason, there is increasing pressure on trade show booth manufacturers to keep pushing the boundaries of product display to create booths which capture the consumer's imagination.