The Geography of the Trade Fair Industry in Europe: Infrastructure, Events, and Economic Impact

Dimitris Kourkouridis () and Asimenia Salepaki
Additional contact information
Dimitris Kourkouridis: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Spatial Planning and Development
Asimenia Salepaki: Business & Exhibition Research and Development Institute

A chapter in Synergizing Management, Culture, and Arts for Tourism Development - Vol. 2, 2026, pp 577-599 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter investigates the spatial and economic geography of the trade fair industry in Europe through a multidimensional analytical framework. Trade fairs are conceptualized as hybrid infrastructures: simultaneously knowledge platforms, economic engines, and symbolic urban arenas. Drawing on empirical data from the UFI Exhibition Centre Database, the Euro Fair Statistics (2001–2022), and the UFI Global Economic Impact Report, the study maps the distribution of venues, examines event dynamics over time, and assesses the economic contributions of the sector. Results show a pronounced spatial concentration of exhibition infrastructure in Western and Central Europe, with cities such as Frankfurt, Milan, and Barcelona acting as global hubs. However, emerging regional venues and postindustrial cities are also leveraging fairs for economic repositioning. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted event activity but also accelerated digital innovation and hybridization. The chapter argues for recognizing trade fairs as territorial assets integral to regional innovation systems, and concludes with policy recommendations for more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient exhibition landscapes. The findings contribute to economic geography, urban studies, and cultural economy literature by offering an integrated model for analyzing trade fair geographies.

Keywords: Trade fairs; Economic geography; Urban infrastructure; Regional development; Event economy; Spatial concentration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-032-17534-2_36

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783032175342

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-17534-2_36

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().