The history of exhibitions in the city of Riga dates back to 1901, when a massive industry and crafts fair was held on the Esplanade fairgrounds in the city centre. This exhibition was of great importance in the history of economic development in Riga.
Today the Latvian capital city can provide all of the necessary infrastructure for specialized exhibitions, conferences, congresses, fairs, concerts and other major leisure events. High quality is ensured, and the best traditions from the past have been maintained and developed.
In the centre of the city, alongside Old Town and the city’s business zone, a major exhibition complex - one of the largest in the Baltic States - has been built on an island in the Daugava River. The Ķīpsala International Exhibition Centre conforms to the highest level of international standards, and it offers 17,200 m2 of covered floor space in a single building. Conferences of up to 5,000 participants are possible, as are concerts with an audience of up to 9,000 people. The gross exhibition space amounts to 25,400 m2.
International exhibitions and conferences are held in Riga each year, allowing foreign businesses to concentrate their economic interests on the Latvian capital as the most advantageous geographic location in terms of developing co-operation in important economic sectors such as tourism, light industry, the food industry, construction, forestry, transport, logistics, medicine and the energy industry.
Riga’s growth goes hand-in-hand with cultural and trade development - factors which bring together Riga and its partners to the West and the East.