Introduction

There is no doubt that one of the most exciting aspects of international trade is attending and participating in trade shows and trade missions. It also represents one of the best opportunities to understand world markets as they relate to your industry and product, to evaluate your competition both from here and abroad, and to locate potential agents and distributors to increase your export business. All of this is valuable primary market research information that is very beneficial to your overall marketing efforts. (See "Market Research" chapter of this Export 101 section.)

It also represents one of the biggest (and most expensive) challenges that you will face as an exporter, and it should thus not be done without careful planning. The planning and executing of pre-show, during the show and post-show strategies is extremely important and should be done with the support of export assistance providers, the show administrators, and perhaps even other exporters who have had prior experience at the event. (Note: Food Export Association’s Food Show PLUS! service is available at several overseas trade shows to help companies prepare for this challenge!)

At a minimum, trade show and trade mission planning should include the following elements:

1. Establish your trade show/mission objectives. You should be able to clearly identify why your company is attending a particular show or mission. In order to do this, you will need to research and consider the various options available to you to determine where you should invest your resources. This would not include such aspects as "I need a vacation" or "I love to travel," as there is very little time for leisure if you are really working at the show. Your reasons for attending trade shows/missions should include one or more of the following: increasing sales and market share by obtaining sales leads and qualifying potential distributors; introducing your product into the market for the first time; and competing with other firms in your industry that are already in or attempting to get into the market.
   
   
2. Prepare your trade show materials, staffing, and logistics. Make sure that you have the proper products on display, as well as sales collateral and appropriate product literature (translated at a minimum into the local language, and ideally into 2 - 4 of the major international trade languages). You should also have your booth appropriately staffed for the show. If you don’t have access to a translator, you might consider bringing at least one bilingual person to the show, fluent in the major language of the country. You also need to follow the instruction of the show’s logistics guidelines. Strongly consider using the freight forwarder appointed by the show, if available, since they can efficiently guide your materials in and out of the country.
   
   
3. Market research before, during and after the show. During the planning stages, you should thoroughly research the market to determine the costs and benefits of attending the show. You should learn about the requirements that exist for the importation of your product with regard to labeling and packaging, ingredients, certificates, etc. You should be aware of tariff and non-tariff barriers, growth patterns, the destination’s economy, and exchange restrictions. You’ll want to familiarize yourself with the pricing structure for similar or comparable products in the market, both for local and foreign products. Finally, be prepared to quote container and air rates on the spot between your facility and the destination ports. You should have an "EXW" quote sheet as well as some variables of other INCOTERMS, such as "FOB" and "CIP."
   
   
4. Measuring and evaluating the results. Although it may take some time, you will need to determine the benefits of having exhibited at the show before considering whether to continue investing your time and resources in that market. This is the main reason why you need to have clearly defined objectives in advance of attending. If your goals were to locate qualified distribution channels, obtain sales leads, research the market, assess the competition, introduce your product to market, and determine future growth potential, then you should make every effort to achieve those goals before, during and after the show/mission. Granted, some surprises will obviously occur while you are there, but they should also be measured against your goals to determine future marketing efforts. It is not considered a total loss to return convinced that your product has little potential, since this would provide you with the opportunity to shift your resources to another country or market.
   
   
5. Follow up. It is at this point that your work really begins. Upon your return, immediate action is required to keep the momentum from the show moving in your direction. Usually, after the trip, you might be distracted by the work that piled up in your absence, the daily rigor of your regular job, and fatigue from jet lag. Nonetheless, you should analyze all of your leads and other correspondence, and obtain a list of companies who attended the show who you may not have met. Prioritize your leads in order of potential and follow up with each one. Use their business cards and your lead card to address them properly; email, fax, phone or write them, thanking them for their time and addressing the issues required to move toward the next step. If you did not meet them, apologize for missing that opportunity and let them know about your company’s products and long-term goals in the market. Don’t be too concerned if you don’t hear back right away, as many countries concept of time is different than our own.