Abstract
The subject of this paper is the transition of exhibition activity from physical to digital and hybrid exhibitions, with particular emphasis on how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the future of trade fairs. According to the literature, the COVID-19 global pandemic health crisis has shown that technology has contributed to the flexibility of trade fairs, as digital trade fairs have been an effective means of adapting to the adverse conditions imposed by the pandemic. Nevertheless, it seems that exhibitors continue to show a preference for physical trade fairs, while recognizing the benefits of digital ones. In the context of the present paper, the case study of Thessaloniki was examined, conducting primary research with the method of the questionnaire to exhibitors of TIF—HELEXPO SA in order to investigate the views of the participants toward the physical, digital and hybrid trade fairs, but also the investigation of their views on the future of exhibition activity in the post-COVID era. The results show that exhibitors recognize the benefits of digital trade fairs and digital tools that can be used, but do not want to replace physical trade fairs.
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Kostopoulou, E., Avdimiotis, S., Kourkouridis, D. (2023). The Trade Fair Industry in Transition: Digital, Physical and Hybrid Trade Fairs. The Case of Thessaloniki. In: Katsoni, V. (eds) Tourism, Travel, and Hospitality in a Smart and Sustainable World. IACuDiT 2022. Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26829-8_25
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