Good Show!

By Carol Webster, Cassel International

If you’ve ever organized participation in a trade show in the U.S., you know how much work it is! Selecting the right show, getting all the paperwork in on time, remembering to make hotel and travel reservations for everyone attending, deciding what your booth should look like…the tasks are seemingly endless! And doing a show overseas is that much more complicated, but the rewards can be great.

Take a look at a few things which can help you prepare for an overseas show:

1) Why Participate in an Overseas Trade Show? What better way to quickly test if there is a potential market for your product? An overseas show can be the first step to uncovering new prospects and geographic markets for your product or service. In addition, you can often find just the right distribution partner who is looking for exactly what you have to offer. If you already have a partner, working together with them to showcase your company and products in an overseas show can help supplement your onground local resources, and demonstrate your long-term commitment to the market.

2) Find the Right Show. Taking part in an overseas trade show is not inexpensive, but the rewards can be great if you choose the right show. Do your research! Find out about the other exhibitors—who they are, what product or service they offer, and what countries they represent. Take a look to see if any of your competitors have exhibited in the past. Ask the trade show organizers to provide you with some information on the number and types of visitors that attend the show. Make sure the attendees at the show match your target market.

3) Establish a Budget. Chances are once you’ve researched possible trade shows; there are a number of them you could choose to attend. At this point it is important to prioritize; decide which shows have the best mix of attendees to suit your purpose, and establish a budget accordingly.

4) Design Your Exhibit with the Region in Mind. Unless you are exhibiting in a 100% English-speaking country, you will need to modify your exhibit to be as culturally-friendly as possible. Consider using multi-lingual displays and marketing materials, review your product line to make sure it is acceptable for the region, and be sure you’ve planned ahead for different electrical requirements if necessary. And by all means staff your booth with multi-lingual personnel who can converse with your products about your
product or service.

5) Plan Ahead. Make your travel arrangements far in advance; for large trade shows, hotel space can fill up quickly. Be sure to check customs clearance issues to make sure your exhibit materials are at the show location in plenty of time for setup. Find out if the show allows on-floor selling; if so, have pricing and order forms available.