Attending trade fairs and promoting products internationally is an important part of business. However, participation in missions and trade fairs abroad is a major logistical and financial undertaking, for which good preparation is required. Only well-considered participation in trade fairs is a guarantee of success.
What to look out for, what to bear in mind before you set out to conquer foreign markets?
Adequate measures, including promotional measures, already need to be taken a few weeks before the event. Be sure to do so beforehand:
- explore the market in question;
- prepare promotional material (different language versions, legal and ethical correctness, e.g. in Arab countries);
- send invitations to meetings during the fair to identified potential partners;
- book appointments with potential business partners at trade fairs.
A very important element is the logistics involved in going to the fair. This includes, among others:
- purchase of stall space and construction,
- purchasing air/train tickets or taking the car route,
- Booking a hotel for the duration of your stay at the fair,
- planning the route from the hotel to the fair venue,
- hiring a credible service, with sufficient time for transport,
- preparing a presentation or short video to be shown at the stall,
- print catalogues in English or the language of the target country,
- preparing an offer for a given market,
- hiring an interpreter (if necessary).
Organising a trip to a trade fair is not an easy thing. For this reason, many companies, especially small and medium-sized ones, are afraid to take this step towards internationalisation.
Substantive pre-departure preparation is key; correctly identified export objectives should meet the criterion referred to by the acronym SMART:
- Specific – should be concrete
- Measurable – should be measurable
- Acceptable/ambitious – should be acceptable, achievable, ambitious
- Relevant/realistic – should be realistic, achievable
- Time-bound – should be achievable within a certain time frame.
