Friday, November 14, 2008

Expanding Overseas

Today’s trade shows are not yesterday’s junkets

International exhibit and trade show opportunities are not the luxury business junket of the past. They have become an extension of the daily challenge to build market share worldwide. Formerly far-flung destinations such as Barcelona and Dubai are now mainstream venues drawing more attention and marketing effort than anyone imagined just a few years ago.

The common oversight for many American exhibitors outside the U.S. is not realizing that trade show expectations may be completely different in foreign lands. What works in the U.S. may not work in China. Anyone can find an exhibit vendor overseas and rent a small booth, which is where the pitfalls begin. The challenge is to build a presence that melds with cultural differences, navigates logistic entanglements, and understands the different way that foreign exhibits work.

In Europe, for example, a trade show means just that: they are held to conduct trade. In the U.S. we often focus on product demonstrations and build exhibits to deliver information. But the focus in Europe is about projecting an image and closing deals. European shows revolve around pre-arranged schedules to meet with ready buyers, so hospitality at the booth is more important than the product specialist. Exhibits are built with a reception desk and waiting lounge backed by a high-end kitchen with silverware, dishwashers and a fully stocked bar.

Many U.S. companies build trade show properties to be amortized and re-used for several years. Companies in the rest of the world do not. They work with exhibit houses that use an inventory of rental properties to create ever-changing custom exhibits. The design in one country may use laminates for a more economical facade, whereas rentals in another country might call for high-end hardwood joinery and solid marble. While branding efforts of U.S. tech companies tend to focus on products, many foreign cultures build a display to emphasize corporate identity in simple, striking eloquence.

Construction also differs overseas. The core structure may include raised flooring to accommodate electrical and plumbing distribution, which the exhibitor’s own crew will install. Your hired crew may handle everything from screw guns to unloading crates. There are none of the union regulations that put carpenter-electrician requests in the way of getting a job done domestically. Show setup is less stressful when staging is handled by people you have hired to understand your requirements.

The most important success factor is the quality of partnerships that a company relies on for local expertise.  Planning long-distance with vendors is difficult and costly. The better strategy is to leverage an exhibit design house in the states, one that understands foreign venues. Their expertise will streamline logistics and reduce extraneous costs such as value-added tax  schemes.

The idea is to achieve a turnkey program using a partner who can leverage industry connections to save time and money. Work with a partner who understands foreign arenas and has established the cultural bridges and business alliances to carry your branding into new lands.

Reinforcing brand image can be a challenge. If the design house works with an unknown foreign vendor, the local firm could take liberties with the design and not recreate properties as developed.

Your design house must reinforce branding and imagery and make sure it is conveyed to foreign partners. They become advisors and ministers of foreign affairs, accounting for cultural differences and avoiding the mistakes relating to local customs.

One caveat: International exhibitions take longer to plan. There are more layers of organization involved. Work with a partner who has the expertise and a network of foreign vendor relations, and your place in the global market will be a success.

 

Sabine Weigand is international director for Elevation Exhibits, an exhibit design firm based in Shrewsbury.