Current and future influences of COVID-19 on the knowledge management function of conventions and exhibitions

This study presents a new perspective on conventions and exhibitions (termed “C&E”) as places of knowledge exchange and conversion in which participants acquire, create, and disseminate tacit and explicit knowledge. C&E is defined as a temporary cluster promoting tacit knowledge exchange, which cannot be conveyed without meeting in person. However, C&E has been forced to convert to online/virtual events owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now changing to a hybrid mode of on-site and virtual events. This phenomenon is expected to continue post-pandemic, as long as socialization for tacit knowing is still the primary concern for people attending events.