The complex, colloquially referred to simply as the Sajam, is located in the municipality of Savski Venac, on the right bank of the Sava river, and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city.

[1] Originally, an exhibition space was first built as modern complex in what is now the neighbourhood of Sajmište in Novi Beograd, across the Sava, and was opened on 11 November 1937.

Pantović had worked in New York, Paris, and London prior to World War II and the Sajam was his first project to be realized in Yugoslavia, so he was charged with visiting European trade fairs and proposing something completely different from the architecture seen in Belgrade up to that point.

This brought to the ending the period of Socialist realism in Yugoslav architecture and the state sought to present itself as modern, progressive and open to the world.

Architect Olga Divac [sr] was appointed as the head of the company "Belgrade Fair in Construction" which built the complex.

Basketball player Radivoj Korać set the EuroLeague's all-time single-game scoring record of 99 points on 15 January 1965, when the match OKK Beograd-Alvik Basket was held in Sajam during the FIBA European Champions Cup 1964–65 season.

[8] In October 2021, deputy mayor Goran Vesić announced relocation of the fairs from the complex, and demolition of all structures except the protected Hall 1 due to the expansion of the Belgrade Waterfront project.

[11] Urbanist Iva Čukić said that this means nothing as numerous structures were declared "creative centers" which were never built, especially given the fact that "Belgrade Waterfront...from day one dictates the plan...and can do literally whatever it wants, even outside of the jurisdiction already handed over to them", concluding that the Sava's bank becomes a location of exclusive residence, inaccessible to all citizens.

[10] Architect and former chief city urbanist, Đorđe Bobić, said that "Belgrade Waterfront is metastasizing...spreading in the Fair's direction" He, and other experts stated that all four large halls should be kept.

Čukić noted that the new complex, on 113 ha (280 acres) with high construction costs due to the lack of existing infrastructure, will be unprofitable "already from 2028", as there is no content that could keep it financially viable.

[10] Bobić said that the old fair could host EXPO 2027, too, that construction of such magnitude for the three months long manifestation is u8necessary, and that facilities will probably end up mostly abanodned, like similar complexes in Italy and Germany.

They described it as an extension of the Belgrade Waterfront's Sava promenade and as the "world class cultural-ecological destination" with artistic center, parks, redesigned Old Railway Bridge, and Ferris wheel.

[14] Construction of the new fairground in Surčin was awarded, also without competition, to the Spanish bureau "Fenwick Iribarren Architects", which also already worked with the Serbian government.

[16] By the time it became public that Belgrade Fair was stripped of everything, the venue was already sold on 16 March 2023, as disclosed by the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić in August 2023.

Total area is 33 ha (82 acres)[17] Serbian branch of Transparency International said the fairground was sold via an unknown procedure, non-transparently and without publicly given reason for it.

"Boulevard of Vojvoda Mišić" which runs next to the complex is a major route which connects outer neighborhoods like Banovo Brdo, Čukarica, Žarkovo, Košutnjak and Topčider, and thus one of the busiest single streets in Belgrade, well known for daily traffic jams.

Biljana Mašić on Pantović's design [4] The fairground was built as the contemporary urban complex, with the accent of the entire composition of object being on three exhibition pavilions under the domes which are interconnected via enclosed walkways.

International fair "BG CAR SHOW – MOTOPASSION" is one of the eighteen registered centers for presentation of European automobile industry by OICA, Paris.