Abstract
This study examines the role of trade fairs in promoting entrepreneurial growth and market visibility in emerging economies, through the architectural lens of the Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF), with a particular focus on the 2025 edition held at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos. Trade fairs offer platforms for business exchange, networking, and branding; however, the influence of spatial design and the built environment on entrepreneurial outcomes remains underexplored in architectural research. By adopting a qualitative methodology, this research engages in in-depth observations and analysis of architectural configurations to understand how design attributes at the fair impact economic visibility and business engagement. The LITF 2025, one of sub-Saharan Africa’s most significant trade events, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors and thousands of exhibitors across diverse sectors, offered a dynamic environment where spatial layout, circulation patterns, pavilion design, and venue appropriateness shaped experiential outcomes for entrepreneurs. Architectural features at TBS, including booth arrangements, accessibility of exhibition halls, and visual hierarchies within the fair space, were assessed for their contribution to brand prominence, visitor flow, and interaction quality. Findings suggest that spatial clarity, intuitive circulation, and visually engaging exhibition settings have a positive influence on entrepreneurial growth indicators, including stakeholder engagement, networking opportunities, and consumer attention. This demonstrates that architectural design extends beyond aesthetics to impact market visibility and economic opportunities for emerging enterprises. The study highlights the need for design-centric frameworks in planning trade fairs to optimize their economic and entrepreneurial impact in emerging contexts like Nigeria.