Different exhibition themes, different exhibitor compositions, different participant and visitor compositions, and different market conditions of regional exhibitions in China will result in different target markets, which requires enterprises to choose the exhibition that best suits their own enterprises.
According to the exhibition content, it is divided into two categories: comprehensive exhibitions and professional exhibitions. Comprehensive exhibitions refer to exhibitions that include the entire industry or several industries, also known as horizontal exhibitions. For example, many self-organized exhibitions that have emerged now are such multi-industry comprehensive exhibitions. According to statistics from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, in 2014, Chinese exhibition organizers reported 146 separate exhibition projects held abroad. Professional exhibitions refer to exhibitions that showcase a certain industry or even a certain product, such as clothing exhibitions and watch exhibitions. One of the prominent features of professional exhibitions is that they often hold seminars and report meetings at the same time to introduce new products and new technologies.
According to the exhibition time, it is divided into regular and irregular types. Regular ones include twice a year, once a year, once every two years, etc. Most large-scale trade fairs are held once a year or every two years, but there are also some famous exhibitions that are held every few years, such as the Hannover International Fire Equipment Exhibition (INTERSCHUTZ) and the European International Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITMA), which are the largest exhibitions in their corresponding industries and are held every four years; the world’s largest trade fair – Munich International Construction Machinery, Building Materials Machinery, Mining Machinery, Engineering Vehicles and Construction Equipment Exhibition (bauma) (according to the “Import and Export Manager” 2019 Top 100 World Trade Exhibitions Ranking), the Paris International Construction Machinery Exhibition (INTERMAT), and the Düsseldorf International Packaging Machinery, Packaging and Confectionery Machinery Exhibition (interpack) are all held every three years; the Hannover International Agricultural Machinery Exhibition (AGRITECHNICA) and the Paris International Building Materials and Equipment Exhibition (BATIMAT) are both held every two years; the American International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the Hannover Industrial Fair (HANNOVER MESSE), the Cologne International Furniture Fair (imm cologne), and the Cologne Games Show (ga-mescom) are held once a year.
Among the world’s trade fairs, there are many exhibitions held once a year, and most of them are mainly consumer goods. However, for example, although the Hannover Messe is held once a year, there are big and small years, and the exhibits and scale are different. 2017 is a big year for the Hannover Messe, which is the world’s largest international industrial event, while 2016 is a small year for the exhibition, without themes such as power transmission and control. There are also some exhibitions that are held twice a year, such as the Italian International Home Fair (HONI), the Paris Home Decoration Fair (maison &objet), and the Las Vegas Fashion Show (WSA&MAGIC). These exhibitions are often consumer exhibitions with seasonal characteristics.
Irregular exhibitions are held according to needs and conditions, and are divided into long-term and short-term. Long-term exhibitions can be 3 months, half a year or even permanent, and short-term exhibitions generally do not exceed 1 month.
According to the exhibition venue, it is divided into indoor venues and outdoor venues. Indoor venues are mostly used for exhibitions that display regular exhibits, such as textile exhibitions and electronics exhibitions. Outdoor venues are mostly used to display large exhibits, such as construction machinery exhibitions and aviation exhibitions. Cities in many countries around the world have exhibition halls. The indoor area of the Hannover Exhibition Center in Germany is more than 460,000 square meters, and the indoor area of the Frankfurt Exhibition Center in Germany is more than 360,000 square meters, both of which are giant-level. These cities are also world-famous exhibition cities, and many industry-leading exhibitions are held here.