Leading cities for attending trade shows

Participating in trade shows can be beneficial in completing various business objectives. These include networking and learning about the newest business opportunities. However, to ensure optimal results from such participation, several steps need to be taken. Apart from learning how to prepare for them, they also include learning which cities have the highest potential. Which are the leading cities for attending trade shows? Here are some of the pre-eminent cities to consider:

Which are the leading cities to consider?

There are many leading cities for attending trade shows. It is due to many urban centers hosting global events. Examples include Paris and Berlin.

Other leading cities to consider also include:

• Dubai;
• Barcelona;
• Milan;
• Cologne;
• Amsterdam;
• Shanghai;
• New York.

Why consider these leading cities?

There are diverse reasons to consider these leading cities for attending trade shows. These include:

Dubai

One of the leading cities for attending trade shows to consider is Dubai, UAE. The urban centre is among the most popular and notable locations due to diverse reasons. These include its strategic geographic location. It allows for easy access from all global locations. One example of accessibility is via the city's airports. In addition, the city has progressive entry processes. Thus, accessing the country and urban centre is easy. The government strongly supports Dubai. One example of this is the Dubai Economic Agenda. The supporting infrastructure is also notable. It is due to its intelligent electronics integration, high-speed connectivity, and time-established hospitality. Examples include the sector implementing hybrid/digital events, data analytics, and automation. Simultaneously, the sector is highly focused on sustainability, security, and comfort. As a result, the city features a notable MICA sector.

It spans hosting events such as Gulfood Exhibition, Arabian Travel Market, and Middle East Energy. Such events are hosted at leading trade venues such as the Dubai World Trade Centre. It results in the city receiving a diverse audience spanning over 2.65 million attendees and generating around 45 billion USD.

Barcelona

Barcelona is also among the leading cities for attending trade shows. It is due to diverse causes. These include its global connectivity due to the city's strategic location. It enables travel by both railway, car, airplane, and sea vessels. Additionally, it is due to the site's globally renowned cuisine and diverse cultural landmarks. In addition, the urban center features a highly extensive business ecosystem. It is due to its popularity as a technology hub, high R&D investments and strong startup culture and support. Additionally, it is due to the city's high-value infrastructure. These include some of the leading event locations that span over 400,000 m2.

As a result, Barcelona is consistently present in the ICCA rankings. It also hosts more than 450 leading conferences and over 300 events annually. These appeal to more than 30,000 enterprises and 3 million visitors. Thus, generating around €5 billion of annual turnover.

Milan

One of the leading cities for attending trade shows is Milan in Italy. This time-honoured, cosmopolitan and vibrant city is pivotal for diverse reasons. Among them is its strategic position between the various sections of the European continent. It enables the city to be accessed from all locations on the continent and the adjacent ones. Additionally, the city features three airports, as many railway stations, and two highway corridors. Thus, it enables access from every location on Earth. In addition, it is highly focused on its further development. It includes constructing new urban districts, subway lines, and skylines. Likewise, the city features a notably extensive financial industry and educational sector. Furthermore, Milano features diverse cultural, business, sports and fashion hubs. The urban center is additionally among the top 40 in the GDS (Global Destination Sustainability) Index.

As a result, Milano is a leading city that provides globally renowned facilities for hosting over 100 events. They appeal to around 5 million visitors and account for 63% of the country's exports.

Cologne

Another time-honoured urban centre that is among the leading cities for attending trade shows is Cologne, Germany. The location is vital due to diverse reasons. Among them is its strategic location and accessibility. It is also due to its focus on investing and innovating, with recent investments exceeding 1 billion EUR. These include supporting diverse sectors. Among them are F&B, media, gaming, interior, furniture, and outdoor wares. They also encompass horticulture, workplace environments, banking, hospitality, creative, insurance, and chemicals.

As a result, Cologne features one of the leading global and time-honoured venues. It also results in a local sector that accounts for turnovers of 365 million EUR. It attracts over 2.1 million visitors and 34,500 exhibitors annually.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam in the Netherlands is also one of the leading cities for attending trade shows. It is due to the city’s strategic location as the gateway to Europe. It is also due to its accessibility via excellent transport connections. These include the Port of Amsterdam, the central train station and the Schiphol Airport. Additionally, its populace is highly cosmopolitan. Over 90% are fluent in English, with many operating in sectors such as fintech, media, maritime and horticulture. It results in Amsterdam serving as a key industrial hub. Completing it further is its supporting business ecosystem. Additionally, the city places a high focus on sustainability and innovation.

Recent statistics regarding the MICA industry in Amsterdam confirm its position. The sector appeals to millions of visitors and hosts 40% of the Dutch exhibitions. Of them, 40% are B2B and 29% are public.

Shanghai

Among the leading cities for attending trade shows is Shanghai, China. It is a pivotal, time-honoured location that serves as the Gateway to the Chinese Market. It is due to the city’s strategic geographic position along the Hongqiao Transport Hub. High-speed railway, port, and airspace paths intersect at the location. Furthermore, the city is China’s economic, financial and shipping flagship site. Thus, the location features over 1,000 regional headquarters. A favourable business ecosystem supports them. It includes nurturing niche sectors such as biomedicine, NEVs, automation, etc. It results in the urban centre serving as one of the pivotal locations for hosting leading international trade fairs and events.

Examples include CIIE and CPhI China. These are hosted at diverse locations, including some of the most extensive global venues such as the NECC and the SNIEC. It results in the city’s event sector attracting more than 4,100 exhibitors, including Fortune Global 500 firms. Over 460,000 visitors examine them. Global transaction volumes at the location's events reach and exceed $83.49 billion.

New York

One of the leading cities for attending trade shows is New York in the USA. It is a premier global destination that features global accessibility. It is due to its extensive transportation network. Likewise, it features highly diverse business opportunities. These include the finance, fashion, technology, and media sectors. Complementing the city is an extensive entertainment sector. Additionally, the city encompasses a globally renowned event infrastructure. It includes the presence of locations like the Javits Centre, which spans over 850,000 ft of event space.

It results in a sector that appeals to half a million or more visitors annually. It also accounts for annual economic impacts of over $100 million.

Summary

There are diverse cities that attendees should consider when attending leading trade fairs. If you would like to learn more about them or prepare for your participation, contact Trade Fair Trips Ltd.