Over a year ago, in my January ’25 column, titled The Future of Tradeshows, I wrote:
“The Department of Defense began funding AI research in the sixties. Today, AI enhances communication and accelerates analysis and content production. It can impact all phases of a tradeshow: from improving security and event planning, to logistics and production.
Before Disneyland and Epcot Center, before travelling carnivals, local amusement parks, and modern-day convention centers, there was the great grandaddy of all entertainment destinations—the Midway Plaisance at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The place was a mile long, 73 acres in size, and “midway” between Jackson Park (home to the Fair) and Washington Park.
The Computer Dealers’ Exhibition (COMDEX) delivered the future to millions of people. As a brand, it became the largest tradeshow in the world, with 185 separate tech events between 1979 and 2006. The shows appeared in 24 countries on six continents, and in eight different U.S. cities.
If you are reading this column, chances are you’ve been involved with more than a few tradeshows. Whether that involvement’s direct, or indirect, how do you define a tradeshow?
A Century of Progress International Exposition The 1933 World’s Fair opened during the Great Depression when times were tough. One-quarter of America’s work force was
Electrify Expo is a different kind of an event It’s a fun, open-air festival with food, music, crowds and attractions. It’s a tradeshow with booths,
(image of McCormick Place) Most people in the meetings and events industry recognize the name, “McCormick Place.” With nine million total square feet, including over
More phones were sold in 2024 than cars, computers, and televisions combined. Over eight billion cell phones exist it the world, and that number is
What do you think of when you hear the name, Thomas Edison? Does a light bulb go off in your head? A visionary, a
The year: 1976. The location: Atlantic City. Apple Inc. became the world’s first corporation with a market capitalization of one trillion dollars. That happened on
Before social media, computers, and the internet, before television and even commercial aviation, one way people learned about the world around them was to
The year: 1959. The location: New York City. On March 9, 1959, a leggy, teen-aged, future fashion model arrived in New York City. It was
