--- title: Trade Show Industry Expert Larry Kulchawik on Why a Trillion-Dollar Industry Remains Invisible to the General Public description: After 53 years in exhibitions, Larry Kulchawik co-authored The Invisible Industry to document a sector generating $1.6 trillion in economic impact yet largely unknown to people seeking careers. author: Darie Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-05-05T15:11:57.513Z updated: 2026-05-05T19:36:44.836Z canonical: https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/larry-kulchawik-trade-show-industry-invisible image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/larry-kulchawik-headshot-hq.webp categories: Business content_type: Profile region: United States publication: Sovereign Magazine about: - type: Person name: Larry Kulchawik description: "Trade show industry veteran with 53 years of experience in exhibition design and services. Co-author of The Invisible Industry: The Evolution of Trade Shows, and Trade Shows from One Country to the Next, on international differences when exhibiting abroad. Former president of the Experiential Designers and Producers Association and the International Federation of Exhibition Services. Helped EDPA to launch the first master's degree in exhibit design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC." jobTitle: Trade Show Industry Consultant and Author sameAs: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-kulchawik-bab693ab/ --- The meetings and trade show industry employs nearly 1.8 million people globally. It generates more than $1.6 trillion in total economic impact, supports 32,000 exhibitions a year, and is attended by 303 million visitors. Most people outside the sector have never thought about it. Larry Kulchawik spent 53 years working in it and believes the industry is overlooked and quietly contributes as a marketing engine for the world economy. ### Book: The Invisible Industry *The Evolution of Trade Shows* By Larry Kulchawik & Bob McGlincy A 404-page business history tracing trade shows from their origins as World's Fairs through to their current role as an essential business platform generating more than $1.6 trillion of economic impact worldwide. It profiles more than 50 industry figures and examines how major convention cities, venues, and exhibit suppliers developed across the United States. [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Industry-Evolution-Trade-Shows/dp/B0DPCXM9KT) Kulchawik and co-author Bob McGlincy published *The Invisible Industry: The Evolution of Trade Shows* in November 2024. The 404-page book traces conventions from their origins as World's Fairs through to their current role as essential business platforms, profiling more than 50 industry figures along the way. It has since won multiple awards including first place at the NABE Fall Awards and reached Amazon bestseller status in global marketing. The book is partly a business history. But Kulchawik's stated aim is practical: he wants young people to know the sector exists and to consider it as a career. ## Trade Show Career Opportunities Across 33 Industry Associations The trade show workforce spans a breadth of disciplines that would surprise most outsiders. Kulchawik counts 33 dedicated trade show industry associations in the United States, each serving a specific function within the supply chain that makes conventions happen. The career paths range from skilled trades to creative roles to logistics. Project managers, exhibit managers, and designers each coordinate to pull the pieces together to complete an exhibit for show time. CAD designers produce exhibit layouts and production drawings. Carpenters, electricians, and audio-visual technicians build and wire the physical infrastructure. Graphic designers create branded environments. Shipping coordinators and forklift operators move materials between cities on tight deadlines. Lead management specialists handle post-show data. Even actors work the circuit as booth presenters. Most of these roles are learned on the job rather than through any formal training programs. One industry body, the Exhibitions and Events Workforce Development Federation, exists specifically to address that gap, but Kulchawik argues there is much more the industry can do to open the doors of opportunity within the invisible industry. ## Why the Trade Show Industry Remains Invisible to Young Job Seekers The paradox is straightforward. The US trade show market alone is worth $15.8 billion, with forecasts projecting growth to $17.3 billion by 2028. The global exhibition sector generates economic activity equivalent to every dollar spent producing $1.60 in additional benefits. Yet the industry has had little meaningful presence in career guidance in past years. This has now changed. Kulchawik has had direct experience of trying to change this. During his career he helped a team at EDPA to launch the first master's degree in exhibit design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. He served as president of both the Experiential Designers and Producers Association and the International Federation of Exhibition Services, and sat on the boards of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research and the World Trade Center in Chicago. Larry has been adamantly involved in the industry throughout his career. His co-author McGlincy, a Cornell graduate who started as a stagehand building movie sets and exhibit installations for Fortune 500 companies, rose through operations roles at I&D (now nth Degree) and Exhibitgroup/Giltspur before becoming what Exhibit City News called "the premiere historian of the trade show world." ### Book: Trade Shows from One Country to the Next *Trade Show Differences When Exhibiting Globally* By Larry Kulchawik A practical guide for companies exhibiting internationally, covering the differences in trade show regulations, customs, booth construction, and business etiquette across countries. Now in its third edition with 486 pages, the book helps marketing professionals recalculate their approach when taking exhibitions abroad. [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Trade-Shows-One-Country-Next/dp/B0G1B8CCF5) ## Face-to-Face Marketing and the Business Case for Trade Shows Kulchawik draws a distinction between two value propositions the industry offers. For exhibiting companies, trade shows remain one of the most effective channels for face-to-face selling and relationship building. For workers, the behind-the-scenes roles that make those interactions possible represent stable, well-compensated employment in a sector that weathered even the pandemic's worst effects. The industry lost 2.8 million workers to furloughs and layoffs during COVID-19 lockdowns; 2.5 million returned once events resumed. Face-to-face marketing has proven to be the most effective. The book documents how major convention cities and venues developed across the United States and how the supplier ecosystem grew to support them. It examines the transition from spectacle to commerce, tracking how exhibitions moved from showcasing groundbreaking products to functioning as structured marketplaces where deals close and supply chains and relationships form. ## Event Management Careers and What the Sector Pays The trade show industry is growing rather than contracting. Nearly half of exhibition supply and service companies plan to increase staffing, according to recent industry surveys. For those considering event management careers, the range of entry points is unusually wide. Unlike sectors that require specific qualifications, the trade show industry's learn-on-the-job culture means that candidates with transferable skills in carpentry, electrical work, design, logistics, or project management can enter without dedicated credentials. The tradeoff is that career paths are often unclear from the outside precisely because the industry has not invested in making them more visible. Kulchawik studied design at Southern Illinois University under Buckminster Fuller before entering the exhibit industry in 1971 at Mertes Design in Chicago. He spent 27 years at Exhibitgroup, rising to president of the Chicago office and then vice president of sales and marketing for the corporation. He later served as general manager at Derse Exhibits and international vice president at 3D Exhibits. His trajectory illustrates one version of a trade show career: entry through design, progress through project management and sales, then industry leadership. But he is the first to acknowledge that his path was unusual in its visibility. "Most employees within the industry fumbled into it to begin a career. Most then developed a passion for what they do and have remained doing it for 20 to 30 years," says Kulchawik. "The career opportunities in this industry are broad and exciting. Many of my associates are equally passionate about the careers we discovered and grew to love. Each of the 33 associations within this industry are now aggressively stepping up to create training programs to attract the future workforce." ## How Trade Shows Generate Billions in Local Economic Impact Convention spending does not stay within venue walls. The economic multiplier effect means host cities benefit from delegate spending on hotels, transportation, restaurants, and retail. A single major trade show can generate tens of millions in local revenue for the host cities. The sector supports 52,624 trade show businesses in the United States alone. Globally, it sustains between 1.4 and 1.8 million direct jobs. These figures exclude the secondary employment generated through supply chains, hospitality, and local services. Kulchawik and McGlincy argue that this economic contribution has been consistently reported in different ways. This is because industry groups measure the segments differently. Some surveys include all business meetings and conventions globally, while others measure only B2B shows and exclude B2C events. Any way you look at it, it is a significant contribution to the world economy. Their book is one attempt to create greater awareness, even if the immediate audience is limited to industry professionals, marketing managers, and business students. The question is whether a single book, however well-researched, can shift perceptions of an entire sector. Kulchawik's answer is that it represents a start, and that the 33 associations, US government involvement, and the workforce training bodies within the industry are now more actively supportive than ever about the economic impact of the sector and the need for training and awareness that can point college graduates and vocational learners toward an exciting career in trade show marketing. **About Larry Kulchawik** Trade Show Industry Consultant and Author Trade show industry veteran with 53 years of experience in exhibition design and services. Co-author of The Invisible Industry: The Evolution of Trade Shows, and Trade Shows from One Country to the Next, on international differences when exhibiting abroad. Former president of the Experiential Designers and Producers Association and the International Federation of Exhibition Services. Helped EDPA to launch the first master's degree in exhibit design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. ## FAQ **Q: Is the trade show industry growing or shrinking?** The global trade show industry is growing. The US market alone is forecast to grow from $15.8 billion to $17.3 billion by 2028. Nearly half of exhibition supply and service companies plan to increase staffing, according to recent industry surveys. **Q: How big is the trade show industry?** The meetings and trade show industry generates approximately $1.6 trillion in total economic impact annually. It supports 32,000 exhibitions per year, attracts 303 million attendees globally, and directly employs between 1.4 and 1.8 million people worldwide. The United States alone has more than 52,000 trade show businesses. **Q: What are the economic benefits of trade shows and expositions?** Every dollar spent on trade shows generates $1.60 in additional economic benefits through delegate spending on hotels, transportation, restaurants, and retail. Major conventions generate tens of millions in local revenue for host cities. The sector also supports a diverse workforce spanning skilled trades, design, logistics, and management. **Q: What is the highest paying job in the event industry?** Senior roles in the exhibition industry include vice presidents of sales and marketing at major exhibit services companies, general managers of regional operations, and international vice presidents overseeing global programs. The industry also supports specialized high-value roles in CAD exhibit design, project management, and strategic account management for Fortune 500 exhibitor programs.