First the market, then the format: And the market launch is a learning process

Organizers developing a new format or further developing an existing trade fair must first understand what exhibitors and visitors actually need. Only then can the question of the right format arise.

By Patrick Sägesser, Business Development & Growth Leader* || August 19, 2026

This insight is not new. However, in the day-to-day operations of a trade fair, it is quickly overlooked. Programs are expanded, sales packages adjusted, and additional activities launched before the fundamental question is asked again: Is our product still relevant to its market?

The crucial question should therefore not be: Which format do we want to organize, but rather: What problem are exhibitors and visitors facing, and what needs to happen between the right people to create added value? Only then should the format be developed.

A product problem cannot be solved through sales.

A sales problem can be addressed in sales. A product problem manifests itself there, but cannot be solved there.

Warning signs are well-known: price discussions become more dominant, discounts and special solutions increase, the effort required to explain things rises, and important companies no longer see a compelling reason to participate.

Increased sales pressure, more discounts, and more package embellishments can stabilize a trade fair for a while. However, they do not replace clear market relevance.

Market proximity therefore means more than geographical proximity or a good network. It begins with a consistent understanding of both customer sides: What do exhibitors really need? What motivates visitors? And why should these specific people come together at this trade fair?

While exhibition space is still frequently sold, exhibitors are primarily buying market access, relevant contacts, visibility, and business opportunities. Visitors, on the other hand, are seeking guidance, knowledge, solutions, and the chance to connect with the right people.

This benefit increasingly needs not only to be promised, but also made verifiable.

Switzerland wins through precision

For Swiss trade fairs, the opportunity hardly lies in copying leading international trade fairs and replicating them on a smaller scale. Switzerland's success is not based on size, but on proximity, trust, and precision.

Short distances, closely networked industries, strong trade associations, research and educational institutions, and direct access to decision-makers provide good conditions for this.

Furthermore, there are specific characteristics of the Swiss market. Laws, standards, approval procedures, and procurement regulations can determine whether and how products and solutions can be used or sold here. International trade fairs, by their very nature, cannot address such national issues in the same depth for every market.

This presents an opportunity for Swiss trade fairs: they don't have to cover everything. They need to bring together the right players to address the issues relevant to their market. Not every fair needs to get bigger. Some need to become more focused.

Curation begins with the desired effect.

Curation means more than just providing attractive content, stages, or special areas.

The first question is what a trade fair should achieve in its market.

Should knowledge and experience be exchanged? Do providers and users need to discuss new solutions together? Is the focus primarily on business development, orientation, technology transfer, or connecting stakeholders who have previously had little interaction?

Only when this desired effect is clear can the product be meaningfully designed: Which exhibitors and visitors are needed? Which partners? Which content? Which forms of interaction? And which business model fits?

Precision is achieved not through offering as much as possible, but through clear decisions about relevance and what to forgo .

Additional topics, target groups, or exhibitors can generate short-term revenue while simultaneously weakening the profile of a trade fair.

Curating therefore also means deciding what does not take place .

The same applies to the encounter itself. A community is not created through a newsletter distribution list, and a platform is not created simply by calling it that.

A good trade fair isn't just about visitors. It's about building relationships.

Its quality is demonstrated by whether the right people come into conversation with each other, resulting in orientation, trust, knowledge or business.

The market launch is a learning experience.

New formats do not begin with certainties, but with assumptions.

Therefore, structured discussions with exhibitors, visitors, and other market participants are needed from the outset, along with a clearly defined pilot project to test the most important assumptions. This market validation is not a preliminary stage to the actual development; it is an integral part of the development process.

The goal is not to gather as many positive opinions as possible. The crucial point is to constantly and critically examine one's own assumptions.

Is the identified market problem actually relevant? Are the desired target groups reachable? Is there a willingness to pay? Do trade associations and multipliers support the project? Are there credible industry representatives who will co-develop the format and facilitate market access?

A professional advisory board can be invaluable. It contributes market knowledge, opens doors, and helps to regularly compare the internal perspective on one's own concept with the reality of the market.

But trade associations, multipliers, and advisory boards alone do not guarantee success. Neither does a positive business case on paper.

A new format also requires an organization that understands its logic and can implement it.

New trade fair concepts often function differently than established events. This requires the right skills, clear responsibilities, sufficient resources, and the willingness to truly manage a pilot project as a learning process.

Good approaches don't necessarily fail in the market. Sometimes an organization lacks the consistency to allow a controlled test, accept the findings, and derive the next steps from them.

The decision to launch on the market is therefore not a final confirmation. It is the go-ahead for the next controlled learning phase , with the willingness to adapt, discard, or start anew.

First the portfolio strategy, then the individual product

The question of relevance does not end with the development of individual trade fairs.

Every format needs a clear purpose in its portfolio. But first, an organizer must determine in which markets and subject areas it actually wants to be active.

Without this strategic framework, exploiting short-term business opportunities can quickly lead to a lack of focus.

Broad market penetration can be useful under short-term sales pressure and can certainly generate business. In the long term, however, a portfolio strategy is needed that defines where resources should be deployed, competencies developed, and market positions cultivated.

Such a strategy does not prevent business. It ensures that business and strategic direction are aligned.

A portfolio should not be conceived solely from in-house trade fairs.

Proprietary trade fairs, guest trade fairs, and collaborations can fulfill different functions within the same portfolio strategy. Depending on the market, a joint venture, a licensing model, an equity investment, or a jointly developed format might also be the better approach.

What matters is not who owns a trade fair outright. What matters is its contribution to the market, location, brand, profitability, and future development.

A smaller format can, for example, provide access to a strategically important industry, test a new market, or foster a connection between a relevant community and a location. Its strategic value can therefore be higher than its immediate contribution to the bottom line might suggest.

Conversely, a trade fair can still be economically viable while simultaneously losing strategic importance.

Portfolio work therefore requires more than just looking at sales, area and comparisons with the previous year.

The crucial question is not just: Is this format still relevant today?

But also: What task should it fulfill in three years?

The trade fair market doesn't necessarily need more formats. What organizers need are clear decisions about which markets they want to target, which people they want to bring together, and which product is right for that.

Not every trade fair has to be large. Not every one has to be international. And not every one has to call itself a platform.

But everyone should know why they exist.

Relevance doesn't come from more space. It comes from bringing the right people together in the right connections.

*About the author

Patrick Sägesser is a Business Development & Growth Leader with over 28 years of experience in developing and advancing trade fairs, platforms, and exhibition portfolios. His professional experience includes management positions at Olma Messen, the MCH Group, BERNEXPO, and the Swiss branch of Messe Frankfurt.

His milestones include the development and launch of Gastia and didacta digital, the market validation of preXcon, and the successful launch and subsequent overall development of SINDEX. In addition, he has developed, validated, or supported approximately 15 other trade fair and platform projects.