Quote Originally Posted by MasterAdmin
"Конкурс показал интерес" is quite different. You can't change it to "Конкурс проявил интерес..." Maybe better to say something like this "Участники конкурса проявили интерес..."
I do not think it's better. It's just I should've added that "проявлять интерес" can animate objects and "показывать интерес" can inanimate ones.