The Trump administration’s tariff policies are sending ripples through global trade, and in the process, they are impacting the global trade show business, said Kai Hattendorf, CEO of HTF Business Events Expertise, and the former CEO of UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.
“If permanent, this isn’t just an economic shake-up, it’s a geographic one,” said Hattendorf. HTF’s new report, How High U.S. Tariffs Affect Global Trade and Redraw the Global Trade Show Map, outlines how these tariffs may cause a global repositioning.
“When trade routes shift, so do the stages where global industries meet,” he said.
For decades, the U.S. has been the dominant player in the exhibition world. As tariffs drive up the cost of doing business in the U.S., companies may look elsewhere to convene.
As a consequence, trade shows in the U.S. might have to rely more on their domestic exhibitor bases. Foreign businesses may scale back their participation at U.S. events, opting instead for local partners to represent them, predicts Hattendorf.
Companies and countries may reevaluate dependencies, pivoting to alternative markets and forging new alliances, said Hattendorf. Trade shows, deeply intertwined with these patterns, will follow suit.
Countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia are investing heavily in exhibition infrastructure, positioning cities like Dubai and Riyadh as trade show centers. Singapore continues to leverage its strategic position to deepen its role as a Southeast Asia meetings destination. China is expanding its tradeshow focus to include African and Middle Eastern markets.
According to Hattendorf, such shifts are being supported by new bilateral trade alignments, including India-UAE, China-Brazil, Japan-Australia, and Canada-Japan.
Using the India-UAE alignment as an example, Hattendorf said a trade agreement has reduced tariffs and introduced an open and non-discriminatory environment for cross-border trade since taking effect in 2022.
“These pairings are more than diplomatic niceties,” said Hattendorf. “They’re built on real, complementary trade flows, and they’re poised to generate their own regional event ecosystems.”
Trade Agreements as Event Catalysts
Two key multinational trade agreements are impacting international trade and, therefore, exhibitions. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is aligning markets across Asia-Pacific, from Japan and China to Indonesia and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) links 12 nations across the Pacific Rim, including Canada, Australia, and Mexico. As goods flow more freely within these blocs, event organizers may respond with exhibitions that reflect these new alliances, said Hattendorf.
As tariffs redraw the global stage, Hattendorf recommends that planners analyze where new bilateral and regional trade flows are forming and align event strategies accordingly.
In addition, Asia, the Gulf, and Latin America are quickly becoming centers of trade-driven event activity. “Scale up now to meet future demand,” he said.
Saudi Arabia is one country that is already investing heavily in the trade show sector. In response, trade show organizers have opened offices there and are hosting new events in Saudi Arabia.
