The up-to-date fair as information centre

Abstract

The fair in its ancient form is a real market where goods exchange is taking place. Since the end of the 19th century it is an economic market where transactions are made by samples. Beginning with the middle of the 20th century it has become an "information centre".
The today's fair - through concentrated exhibition of supply of goods - informs on: general technical level and development trends; technical novelties including licences and projects elaborated for solving complex problems; market tendencies originated from demand and supply; production potentials of exhibiting firms; exhibiting countries moreover economic groupings of exhibiting countries.
Fairs are informing persons interested in production, marketing and consumption: manufacturers, traders, industrial users, technical experts, Sometimes also consumers. Among these the proportion of industrial and technical experts participating in decision making on purchase as well as that of foreign exhibitors and visitors is constantly increasing. Fairs are informing by goods, audio-visual means used for demonstrations and argumentations, and orally. The role of the personal information exchange is constantly growing and so the fair is transformed into a forum of passing-on of scientific and technical experiences, a place of market research.
The character of the Budapest International Fair /BNV/ is also transforming according to these tendencies. Starting with 1974 it will function in a new place as two fairs specialized into investment and consumption goods,
Hungarian - official collective and individual company - exhibitions abroad are carrying out also marketing and information functions. Presently they could be considered as exhibitions used for commercial propaganda actions.