Trade shows in the 1990s saw a significant increase in the number and size of events being held around the world. During this time, there were a lot of new industries and technologies, which led to a lot of trade shows for specific markets. In this article, you will learn about the history of tradeshows in the 1990s.
Read Also: History of tradeshows in the 1980s
In the 1990s, tradeshows became an important part of the business world. They allowed companies to show off their products and services to a larger audience.
It was the time of grunge, hip hop, mobile phones, the end of the Cold War, the formation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995, the dot.com bubble, wars in Rwanda, the Balkans, the First Gulf War, the Caucuses, the Good Friday Agreement bringing an end to more than 30 years of the Troubles, and the start of bombings that included the World Trade Centre in New York and Oklahoma City. White South Africans held a referendum bringing about the end of Apartheid in 1992.
In the 1990s, tradeshows were usually about one industry, like technology, cars, or health care. At these events, companies could show off their newest products and innovations and meet others in their field. Keynote speakers and educational seminars were also a big part of many tradeshows. These gave the people who went valuable insights and knowledge.
The BIE World Fair in 1992 was held in Seville, Spain, with the theme The Age of Discovery which celebrated the 500th year of the discovery by Christopher Columbus of the Americas departing from Seville’s port in 1492. Over 100 countries took part, and almost 42 million people went to the Lake of Spain. The organisers created cooling mists, multiple fountains, and wading pools to ensure visitors were kept cool during the heat of an Andalusian summer.
The European Union, which is made up of 12 countries, built the Avenue of Europe. It is made up of white towers that form a corridor and end in a building covered with flags from different countries.
After the dissolution of the USSR, the newly created Russia took a pavilion, although they showcase aspects of the space race that occurred during the days of the USSR in the 60s.
The United States pavilion was made possible by a partnership between the government and companies like Amway, General Motors, and others. Their stand also included aspects of the space race as well as a mural by artist Peter Max depicting the discovery by Christopher Columbus of America. In addition, an exhibition on the Bill of Rights was included in the many exhibits of the pavilion.
The Moroccan 3-story traditional palace with Arabic fretwork on the external walls and an open atrium containing a garden and fountain in the centre is one of the few remaining pavilions.
All the pavilions from Canada to Israel featured aspects of discovery and the evolution of their cultures.
The Canadian Government donated its pavilion to the City, which was subsequently used as a trade centre.
More development was undertaken at the California Farm Equipment Show and International Exposition when a purpose-built 80,000 sqft dairy centre was opened in 1991. Since the beginning, it has relied on the help of unpaid “Orange Jacket Volunteers” who help set up, run, and take down the show.
I’ve included this show as we progress through the decades to show the development and interest in agriculture and the importance of food security. This was true not only in the US but all around the world. Below are two agricultural histories from Australia and South Africa.
Australia has a well-developed agricultural sector. AgQuip, with more than 3000 exhibitors and more than 100,000 visitors, is the most important show. The show began in 1973 and is still going strong.
South Africa’s Nampo is one of the oldest agricultural shows that takes over the town of Bothaville each year. When it first started in 1967, it used to be hosted on various farms in the area before finding a more permanent location called Nampo Park.
World Travel Market London was built on its beginning in1980 when it opened at Olympia, London, and had 7,753 trade visitors with 350 exhibitors. In 1992 it moved to a larger space at Earls Court and launched the buyers’ club, Meridian Club. I think the importance of trade fairs is shown in Dubai’s development.
Dubai’s move towards becoming a popular business hub in the Middle East with free trade, low tax rates, and zero income tax began in 1990.
You can see the development in the photos below, which show the construction of Sheikh Zayed Road, which began in 1971, and what it currently looks like in 2021. The road is the longest in the Emirates, as it links Dubai with Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates.
Read Also: History of Trade Shows in the 1970s
Only 3 years later, the Arabian Travel Market Expo took place at the Dubai World Trade Centre with 300 exhibitors, 52 countries, and over 7,000 trade visitors exposed to the growing travel hub that Dubai desired.
Another important show began in 1998: the World Travel Market Show bought the International Golf Market. It signified the increasing sponsorships of sports as well as the inclusion of golf in conference schedules across industries.
Germany is unique in Europe in that it recognised the economic value and influence that fairs and exhibitions provided. It has built on that understanding from the War, where it currently hosts two-thirds of the exhibitions held in the world at exhibition-focused cities of Hanover, Frankfurt, Cologne, Leipzig and Düsseldorf.
One of the largest trade show organisers in the world is Deutsche Messe, based in Hanover. They organise over 100 events globally each year.
Other German cities, like Munich, have boosted their attractiveness to the trade show sector. By the 1990s, the Munich trade fair company, or Messe München in German, had outgrown its current location. They moved to the MOC Event and Order Centre, part of the development of an entirely new town called Munich-Riem, which was built on the site of a previous airport. Messe Muchen had already, by the late 1990s, laid the foundation for becoming one of the world’s most successful trade show companies. It started because countries needed to export more goods to get the economy going again after World War II.
Another exhibition hub, but on a smaller scale, is Singapore. Changi Airport, which has won multiple awards as the best airport in the world, is regarded as the gateway to the East. As they have limited natural resources, they, too, have seen the value of developing the business tourism market.
We see the increased dominance of event management groups such as Marcus Evans, and Deutsche Messe, amongst others.
As we saw in the previous decade, new technology spurred new trade shows, conferences, exhibitions, and industries.
In 1996, the value of the internet to the trade show sector was realised when GLOBIS, the first trade fair held on the internet, which Deutsche Messe AG organised, allowed delegates to access information 24/7, which was revolutionary at the time.
The decade saw the rise and rise of Microsoft, Yahoo, Intel, Dell, Yahoo and so many others. It saw consolidation, and as well as many software companies like Lotus Notes, Multimate and others fall by the wayside.
Early in the 90s, the computer shows in the US were still locally based and showcased many garage innovators. The internet would change that later. Apple launched its Macintosh Computer in blue, orange, purple, red and green in 1990. In 1991 Powerbook launched the first version of Apple’s laptop.
These innovations changed the way we worked. You could print out labels for name badges rather than typing or handwriting them. Efficiency also became the buzzword as CDs, floppy disks, RAMS etc., entered our lexicon.
We’ve spoken about computers and the internet but not the major change in our lives in the 90s – the mobile phone. Even though the first mobile phone was created by Motorola in the 1970s, it took more than a decade for the necessary network of 2G to be rolled out in Finland in 1991 and for technology to come along, that would reduce the size of the brick to a Nokia.
Innovation wasn’t only the purview of IT, as many other sectors saw changes. These included the medical sector, buildings, etc.
Hong Kong saw the development of two key pieces of architecture that influenced trade shows in the sector for the coming decades. They were the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Extension as well as the Chek Lap Kok Airport (see image below). This new airport required artificial islands to be created when construction began in January 1995 and was completed in July 1997. It can accommodate 35 million passengers and has an aircraft processing rate of 40 per hour. The airport also included a train terminal with links to Hong Kong. Excellent transportation links are required to develop and expand the trade show sector in a country or city.
The FDA approved the use of Lasik surgery on eyes in 1988 Lasersight Technologies, Inc. was the first manufacturer to receive FDA approval.
Also Read: History of Trade Shows in the 1980s
The first gene therapy was undertaken in 1990 to assist a four-year-old girl’s immune system.
HIV comes to the fore with Magic Johnson and Olympic Diver Greg Louganis announcing they were HIV positive. Freddy Mercury from Queen dies from HIV in 1991.
One aspect of event management began at the Chicago Fair in 1893 with Wrigley’s. The gum was a giveaway with the main product of baking powder. However, it soon became the main product, and the Juicy Fruit flavour of gum was introduced at the Fair and is still going strong.
In 1975, Pepsi used to set up stands and blind tests to see whether Pepsi or Coke was better. For most people, Pepsi stood out. It is thought it was because it was sweeter than Coke. However, what the exercise achieved was to solidify the Pepsi brand amongst shoppers.
Adidas unintentionally copied Pepsi in 1986, when sales were falling, and the company’s market share was shrinking. Run-D.M.C., a band, wrote the song “My Adidas”. At a concert that several managers of Adidas were attending saw the power of experiential marketing when Rev. Run held his trainer over his head, and the crowd followed suit. They were the first group to be signed with an endorsement deal from a sportswear company.
The first retail pop-up, the Ritual Expo, created a new shopping experience in 1997. Two years later, Harvard Business Review published an article, “Welcome to the Experience Economy.”
What is becoming clear is that events do not just trade shows and exhibitions but essentially every touchpoint a brand has with potential and current consumers.
In the 1990s, exhibitions might have had both traditional displays, like things in cases or on pedestals, and more interactive or immersive experiences, like installations, demonstrations, and performances. Depending on the theme and focus of the exhibition, visitors may have also had access to educational materials, lectures, or other programmes.
Read Next: History of Trade Shows in The 2000s
