Trade Fair Promotion: What Towns Did NOT Do to Attract Visitors

Historically, towns competing for trade fair traffic used every carrot—except one.

What They DID

• (a) Invite celebrities – Minstrels, jesters, famous merchants, nobility; later: performers, dignitaries.
• (b) Offer free transportation – Subsidized wagons, river barges, special train excursions (19th c.), shuttle buses.
• (c) Organize cultural events – Mystery plays, tournaments, concerts, exhibitions, festivals.

What They Did NOT

(d) Charge high entry fees – Counterproductive. Fairs relied on volume: merchant fees, tolls, taxes, lodging, food/drink sales. High gate fees deterred the masses who generated revenue. Free or nominal entry was standard.

Economic Logic

Fair profit = (visitors × per-capita spend) – costs. Entry fee reduces visitors non-linearly (elastic demand). Smart towns subsidized access to maximize the multiplier.

So: Celebrities, free transport, culture = YES. High entry fees = NO.