II. Historical Development

18th and 19th century in Europe: Change from goods to samples fairs

In the 18th and 19th centuries new types of fairs take shape. Sample fairs and industry-specific fairs were developed. This development is favoured by increasing industrialization, the improvement of the traffic infrastructure and the formation of nation-states which guaranteed certainty of law and transportation safety.
At that time more than 95 percent of national industrial exhibitions were conducted in Europe.

During the process of industrialization, fairs evolved from sites for direct sales to sites displaying a broad range of available goods: only samples of diverse product ranges were exhibited. These fairs were known as "Sample Fairs" (from the German "Mustermesse").

Leipzig was the first exhibition site to organize a sample fair in 1895:

• Pure samples fair: Glass, ceramic, toys, musical instruments
• Dealers only travel with commercial samples
• Also technical fairs carried out in 1918

First international exhibition - EXPO in London 1851
First real international exhibition took place in London 1851 – Tradition of EXPO started. At least 14.000 exhibitors and more than six million visitors attended16)

This development did have an important influence on the American fair tradition17). The London Expo from 1851 was the starting point and model for Horace Greeley and Phineas T. Barnum, organisers of America's first international fair in New York City in 1853.