Exhibition

An exhibition fills a hall with stands where exhibitors show what they sell and visitors come to look, compare and buy. Most are business to business and last a few days, with build-up and breakdown days either side when the hall belongs to the contractors. Registration has two sides: visitors, who usually register free, and exhibitors, who book stands and register their staff. Mix the two lists up and the exhibitors' own sales teams end up counted as visitors.

Exhibition is the UK word, with expo used loosely; US English says trade show, expo or exposition. The Events Industry Council's glossary treats exhibition, exposition and trade show as the same thing, and German speakers call the big ones a Messe. Where an exhibition opens to the public, both sides of the Atlantic call it a consumer show.

An exhibition on eventcloud keeps visitors and exhibitor staff in separate ticket groups in one event, with badges printed ahead of the doors or on arrival at the Badge Kiosk. Exhibitors get lead retrieval on their own phones.