TextB  Exhibitions

Theword “exhibition” is normally used to describe an organized public display ofmanufactured goods and works of art. Here the word is used to describe thetemporary display of sample goods in a specialized exhibition.

Theadvantage of an exhibition is that sellers and buyers are brought together andbusiness can be easily transacted (处理、执行). Firmsselling goods can send representatives to potential buyers, but it is not alwayspossible to take the goods with them, particularly if they are large or thereis a wide range. Buyers can visit manufacturers, but may be disinclined (不愿的)to do so because of the need to visit several to compare products. Printedmaterials such as brochures can be sent, but the purchaser may wish to see theproduct before purchasing. The exhibition thus serves a very useful purpose forboth sellers and purchasers, particularly in the area of materials, machineryand goods which firms buy from each other.

Contactsmade at exhibitions can be followed up by agents. All industries will use a mixof selling techniques, and in some industries and some countries exhibitions maybe more important than in others. In 1990，industryin Germany spent 25 percent of its advertising budget on exhibitions, in Franceand the USA the comparable figure was 14 percent and in Britain the figure was8 percent. Figures showing the floorspace leased by exhibitors reveal steadyincreases in recent years, and suggest that exhibitions are becoming a morepopular way of selling goods and services to other firms and the generalpublic.

Exhibitionscan be classified into trade only, trade and public, and public. Trade showsare for goods sold to other firms and cover articles such as machinery.Consumer goods may also be displayed for the retail trade. The modern tradeshow has developed from the trade fairs of the past. These displayed a widerange of goods. In the post-war period these general fairs evolved into specialistexhibitions covering a particular industry. Some trade fairs showing consumer goodsmay be open to the public, often the first few days are trade only, followed bypublic days. An example of this type is the Motor Show. Public exhibitions areconcerned with consumer goods and services. Public shows can have very largeattendances, while trade-only shows will have smaller numbers, although this willdepend on the size of the industry and the extent of the area from whichparticipants are drawn. A very specialist exhibition which is the only one of itstype attracts exhibitors and visitors from all over the world, and may have avery large attendance.

Exhibitionsgenerally last from three to five days, but their duration can be anywhere fromone day to a month. Many exhibitions are held every year, but some of the morespecialist ones may occur in a cycle of every two, three, four or five years.In general, the specialist exhibitionswill occur on the same site on every occasion, but some rotate (循环)between sites, often with different organizers. Exhibitions are held throughoutthe year but, as with conferences, there are few over the major holidayseasons.

Exhibitionsmay be organized by a trade association, by a company associated with anexhibition centre, or by a company which specializes in organizing shows.Frequently the trade association works with both types of companies. Firmslinked with exhibition centres have been deliberately established to fill thespace available and seek out industries and services which are not yetadequately catered for by the existing calendar of exhibitions.

Exhibitionsare held in large halls, and an exhibition centre usually consists of a seriesof linked halls which can be used either independently or in combination. Verylarge exhibition centres may host more than one event at the same time. Todaymost exhibition centres are purpose-built, and they also have space outside. Aspecialist type of showground is the agricultural fair ground, which is mainlyoutdoor display space. Exhibition centres also require catering facilities and perhapsoffice space. In recent years exhibition centres have begun to provide roomsfor meetings, since conferences often take place in association with shows.Sometimes these conferences take place in hotels which have been built nearby.To be viable (能生存的), an exhibition centre should be usedas much as possible, but as has been seen, this is difficult during the summerand Christmas-New Year holiday periods, and because of the inevitable gapsbetween shows. To overcome these seasonal lulls, halls may be let out for otherevents such as product launches.

At thelevel of the urban region there is often a debate as to best location for anexhibition centre. A central site near the city centre provides the facilitywith good accessibility by public transport, and access to the varied amenities(便利设施)of the downtown zone, including hotels and night life, and assists with therevitalization (复兴；复苏) of the inner city. Inner city sitesmay have problems with insufficient car parking and congested (堵塞的，拥挤的)road access. Frequently it has been necessary to choose a site on the periphery(边缘、外围)where undeveloped land was available with good communications and at low cost.

Trendsin the exhibition industry can be measured in various ways: the number ofshows, the number of exhibitors, the amount of space rented, the number ofvisitors, the foreign component, and figures relating to income andexpenditure,

Theimpact of an exhibition centre can be measured in terms of differentcomponents. First, there are the number of jobs in the centre itself. Typicallythese are not large. These comparisons are not as straightforward as theyappear since some centres contract out most of the services they require.Second, there are the jobs in ancillary (辅助的)activities, such as display construction and exhibition organization, these mayor may not be near the exhibition centre. Third, there are the jobs created bythe visitor，both the exhibitors and the attendees. Thesepeople can be divided between those who visit for one day and those who stayovernight. (999 words)

 

Exercises:

A. Readthe passage and answer the following questions.

1. What is the meaning of the word “exhibition”in this passage?

2. What is the advantage of anexhibition? Why?

3. What are the changes to exhibitionsin recent years?

4. What is the difference between publicshows and trade-only show?

5. What are the specialist exhibitions?

6. Who can organize the exhibitions?

7. What will be an ideal location for anexhibition?

8. What are the impacts of an exhibitioncentre?

 

B.Translate the following sentences into Chinese.

1. The exhibition thus serves a veryuseful purpose for both sellers and purchasers, particularly in the area ofmaterials, machinery and goods which firms buy from each other.

2. Figures showing the floorspace leasedby exhibitors reveal steady increases in recent years, and suggest thatexhibitions are becoming a more popular way of selling goods and services toother firms and the general public.

3. Firms linked with exhibition centreshave been deliberately established to fill the space available and seek outindustries and services which are not yet adequately catered for by theexisting calendar of exhibitions.

4. Exhibitions are held in large halls,and an exhibition centre usually consists of a series of linked halls which canbe used either independently or in combination.

5. To be viable, an exhibition centreshould be used as much as possible, but as has been seen, this is difficultduring the summer and Christmas-New Year holiday periods, and because of theinevitable gaps between shows.