You must consider how long humans have been trading goods with one another when thinking about the origins of trade exhibitions and the idea of exhibiting in general.
In this article, you will learn the History of Trade Shows in the 1940s and 1950s. You will also learn about History of Trade Shows in the 1930s
Clauses from Secret Meeting
The basis of our current financial system is the result of an agreement signed on an island in the North Sea on August 24, 1941. The Atlantic Chart Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Atlantic Charter.
The first of 8 clauses dealt with the immediate problem of war and the Nazis. Because of what people learned from the Great Depression, economic goals were added to the list. That tit-for-tat retaliation just resulted in more economic hardship, which made war inevitable. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund were made possible by the Atlantic Charter. They understood that with flourishing economies, the desire for war diminishes.
Clause 4. They will endeavour, with due respect for their existing obligations, to further the enjoyment by all States, great or small, victor or vanquished, of access on equal terms, to the trade and to the raw materials of the world which are needed for their economic prosperity.
Clause 5. They desire to bring about the fullest collaboration between all nations in the economic field with the object of securing, for all, improved labour standards, economic advancement and social security.
You may be wondering what that has to do with trade shows, fairs, exhibitions, etc. Of course, the event industry is a direct reflection of its time – the current perspective of what is happening in the world, trends etc. But I think they also provide a theoretical aspect that can and should influence the future to act as a catalyst for people to dream of new ideas etc.
Word War II Era
World War II greatly impacted Europe, the Far East and the States with regard to events. However, there were a few pockets where events continued which we will discuss as well as reflect on their importance moving forward into the next decade.
The last two Fairs held in the States prior to the war in 1940 were in San Francisco, which celebrated the opening of two bridges – the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937 and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in 1936. The Fair ran from February 1939 to October 1939 and opened again in May 1940 and September 1940. Some $3 million was donated by Government as part of the New Deal to build the bridges as well as further extend an island that became The Presidio. The subsequent building works created 3,000 jobs, with a further 10,000 employed for the Fair.
Many artworks were also created especially for the Fair, most notably by Mexican artist Diego Riviera the Pan American Unity mural, The Fauna and Flora of the Pacific mural by Miguel Covarrubias, as well as sculptures by Dudley C. Carter and Frederick E. Olmsted. The other Fair was the New York World’s Fair held in 1940, where an enterprising entrepreneur from Japan had cultivated the first semispherical cultured pearls. Mikimoto used the pearls to cover a replica of the Liberty Bell. It was ironic that just a year later, Japan would attack America at Pearl Harbour, hastening America’s entry into World War II.
Life in the Southern Hemisphere continued with not much interruption except for sending men and materials to assist the conflicts in North Africa, Italy, Turkey etc.
Regional History of Trade Shows: 1940s-and-1950s
South Africa
South Africa ran the Empire Exhibition in Johannesburg at a purpose-built event venue in 1936. This event would evolve into the Rand East Show, and later still, the buildings would become part of the University of the Witwatersrand West Campus.
New Zealand
New Zealand celebrated its centennial celebration with a Fair that ran from Nov 1939 till May 1940. It celebrated the progress of the nation of New Zealand. Just over 2.5 million people attended.
Europe
Portugal was a neutral country during World War II. It held the Portuguese World Exhibition to celebrate 800 years since the founding of Portugal and 300 years since its independence from Spain. It ran from June to December 1940, with an attendance of 3 million visitors. Parts of the fair remembered the famous Portuguese explorers Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama, and Ferdinand Magellan. Even though Christopher Columbus was Italian, the Catholic Monarchs of Spain paid for his trip.
Post World War II
After the World War, the economies of Europe were shattered, with major rebuilding required, especially in Cologne, Berlin, London, Warsaw, Dresden, Rotterdam, and Coventry, which were particularly badly hit.
But there was hope.
Wars act as innovation generators. So many inventions were created during World War II that we still use today including:
Flu Vaccine
The US Military developed the vaccine in direct response to the Spanish Flu outbreak that spread because of returning soldiers from World War I where millions died.
Computers
Alan Turing created the first computer that cracked Germany’s enigma code.
Penicillin
Even though it was discovered in 1928, it only became mass-produced during the war by the US, which dramatically made a difference and saved lives on the battlefield.
Jet Engines
Despite the fact that the first jet engine was invented by a British inventor in 1930, the Germans were the first to conduct a flight test weeks before the invasion of Poland. With its entry into the War, in 1941, Britain launched its first jet-engine planes.
From 1946 onwards Governments were eager to jump-start their economies; events formed a major part of this strategy by sharing innovations, spreading patriotism, educating the vanquished etc.
The Allies learnt lessons from World War I that Germany should not repay, but rather they should support their economy to rebuild itself. Fairs played an important role in introducing prospective buyers to German companies, large and small, throughout the 1950s.
With women playing a major role in manufacturing for the War effort, they were less inclined to return to their previous role of homemakers.
General Motors was very smart when it came to making changes that appealed to women. For example, they made a special place for a handbag, a light for the mirror so women could touch up their makeup, and adjustable seatbelts, which are now standard in all cars. These innovations were introduced at the 1958 Feminine Auto Show.
In 1952 the Western Union Co. launched the first fax machine called the IntraFax, which was launched at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Las Vegas Convention Centre opened its doors in 1959. The first convention held was the World Congress of Flight. 51 nations and over 200 exhibitors showcased their innovations from space helmets to rubber planes. Part of the convention included a demonstration outside of the convention at Indian Springs to watch napalm being dropped and missiles being launched.
Post-war Japan was occupied by the US from 1945 until 1952. In 1950, The American Fair was held in Osaka to familiarise locals with the American lifestyle, which included replicas of the Liberty Bell, New York’s iconic skyline, and Mount Rushmore, where the eyes were given Asian features. This was built on the winner of the war, America’s very effective spreading of its culture, values, and democracy, and the American Dream using movies.
However, things were to change with Toyota exhibited its first vehicle at the Chicago Auto Show in 1959 as a no-frills easy to maintain car that only sold 976 cars that year.
Building on new technology created during the war, the Atomic Energy Conference was held in Chicago in 1956 to discuss “nuclear politics.” The acronym MAD, “Mutually Assured Destruction”, was coined to describe the stalemate between the US and USSR. However, the “Duck and Cover” programme that ran from 1950 to 1952 was launched at American Schools where drills were carried out for children to hide under their desks in case of a nuclear bomb. A series of animated films were used with Bert the Turtle to get the message across.
The Cold War between the USSR and America was a living, breathing fact of life for two decades as the USSR built up its nuclear arsenal after World War II.
This stalemate and fight between democracy and socialism lasted for the next 50 years, but it was felt most acutely in Germany between East and West. Both engaged in espionage and exhibitions around the world in order to win the hearts and minds of nations to their cause. One of these exhibitions was held in Egypt in 1954. Egypt was strategically important because of its access to the Suez Canal.
In West Germany, Hoechst AG created a new synthetic fabric called Trevira, which was launched at the oldest fashion fair in the world, the Berliner Durchreise. Designer Jil Sander launched her first clothing line at the fair using Trevira.
Germany, in 1907, recognised the value of exhibitions to the economy; it called itself the Permanent exhibition commission of German industry. In 1934, the association changed its name to what it is today: the Ausstellung- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft, or AUMA. In the 1950s, it represented the entire continuum of events, from venues to organisers to exhibitors to visitors. It created and recognised the profession of exhibitions.
In the aftermath of the War, West Germany understood the value of the trade fair industry to boost the economy; however, traditionally, Leipzig had been the centre for exhibitions in Germany, but after the War, it became part of East Germany. This led to fierce competition between the two Germanies as well as for Frankfurt, Hanover, and Cologne to capture the legacy that Leipzig had held.
This decade also saw how through AUMA, the creation of exhibitor committees for the major trade fairs that still exist today.
At the Vatican exhibition stand at Expo 58, which was held in Brussels, the CIA distributed copies of Doctor Zhivago to around 3000 Russian visitors, including the great-grandson of Tolstoy.
The message of American values and democracy was spread even further, with Buckminster Fuller designing a geodesic dome that was assembled in Afghanistan as part of the American exhibition at the 1956 Jeshyn International Fair in Kabul.
The first Fair Trade shop opened in the US with Oxfam in the UK, selling crafts made by Chinese refugees. This would evolve into the World Fair Trade Organisation in the next decade.
Conclusion
Post-war saw the spread of the ideals of democracy, capitalism, and socialism being effectively communicated through innovation, film, events, fairs and exhibitions around the world.
Governments, both local and state, began exhibitions and fairs throughout the previous century, motivated by economics and the spread of their ideologies. In the 1950s, this started to change with more consumers, booming economies, and inventions, and the role of government started to take a back seat to corporations and companies.
