1857-2007: 150 Years of Industrial Exhibitions at Exponor

The Decisive and Pioneering Role of the AEP] is the title of the exhibition opened on the 12th of July on the 3rd floor of the airport lobby at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, in Porto

This exhibition involves twelve panels, filled with small texts in Portuguese and English and illustrated with many images and photographs which portray the 150 years of industrial exhibitions held in the Greater Porto area. The panels cover the following eras: From the foundation of the Porto Industrial Association to the Ultimatum (1849-1889), From the Re-establishment and Affirmation of the Porto Industrial Association to the Estado Novo (1890-1933), From the Estado Novo to Democracy (1934-1973), from the 25th of April to the European Community (1974-1986), from Exponor to the present day (1987-2007).

The date - the 12th of July - is also symbolic, since it was on this day, 150 years ago, that the first industrial exhibition in the North of Portugal was opened. At a time when Porto did not have many large covered spaces, the first industrial exhibition was held in the Asilo de Mendicidade, in Fontaínhas. The industrial exhibition proved to be a huge success, with 206 exhibitors, representing the various industrial sectors in the region and the country.

Encouraged by the success of 1857, the Association - at the time called the Porto Industrial Association and which today is the Portuguese Entrepreneurial Association -, quickly started preparing other industrial and commercial fairs, such as the exhibition of 1861, in the Palácio da Bolsa, and the exhibition of 1865, which inaugurated the Palácio de Cristal.

Apart from this exhibition at Porto Airport, AEP also has plans to launch a book on the history of the fairs, developing the early days of the exhibition, as well as organising an international conference on «Exhibitions in the Face of the Challenges of the 21st Century», to be held in November at EXPONOR.