The Panama Pacific International Exposition 1915

PANAMA-PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION classified industries, but merchants come from every clime to view it with an eye to its business possibilities, while mil- lions of home-makers, consumers, in looking upon it, uncon- sciously place it in their own homes, pleased with its appear- ance, impressed with its worth, educated in its use, and, best of all, from the mercantile standpoint, resolved upon its pur- chase at the first favorable opportunity. Should one inadver- tently ask, Does it pay to exhibit at an exposition? the ques- tion would answer itself by asking, Does it pay to create universal demand? An exhibition is enhanced, not only by notability, excel- lence and selection, but by artistic display. It is recorded that “at the Chicago Exposition it was generally considered sufficient if goods themselves were installed in a manner answering commercial necessities.” At St. Louis, owing, it is believed, to an advancement due to show-window display, exhibits were made much more forceful by their attractive- ness. Now, a universal exposition is the show-window of the world. And the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, taking thought of this in its carefully wrought plan, has provided not only that general supervision shall be exercised by the management to procure sifted and classified exhibits of the latest and best, but that these shall be adequately and handsomely displayed. This has commercial value to the exhibitor and will be duly appreciated. The advantage this is to the exhibitor is well illustrated by the burden of work it entails upon those who conscien- tiously conduct an enterprise of the magnitude of a univer- sal exposition. It is recorded that at St. Louis eighty thousand letters were dispatched in dealing with five thou- sand firms in the work of determining value educationally, commercially, artistically, and allotting space to firms who gave assurance of the best displays. Increased care will be observed at the Panama-Pacific, rendered all the more arduous by the 1915 limitation. Fifty-one per cent of floor space is reserved for the manu- facturers of the United States, and the remainder distributed [ 18 ]