Commercial and Industrial Displays

Spokane's Expo 74 was unusual among large international expositions: it didn't lose money. That accomplishment was due in large part to the participation of multiple large sponsors from the commercial and industrial worlds. In fact, these sponsors provided some of the most eye-catching elements of the fair, such as the Northwest Orient junk boats with their red sails and the vivid red-and-yellow Kodak bubble.

After more than a century of fairs themed to “progress,” many of these commercial and industrial exhibitors did not pivot particularly well to delivering an environmentally-themed message. Some threw in a bit of conservation messaging as an afterthought to their usual presentation, while others, like the automobile manufacturers, adopted a slightly defensive tone.

Most of these companies have survived to the present day, with a few notable exceptions. Bell Telephone System was broken up in 1982 and Burlington-Northern Inc. merged into BNSF Railway in 1995.