Introduction
Trade fairs provide access to an international market at the best price and constitute a genuine platform in the internationalization strategy of companies.
International trade fairs have become a truly effective tool for communication and market research. The short duration of these events, the limited physical space, and the concentration of numerous buyers and sellers from around the world are decisive factors when considering participation, whether as an exhibitor or a visitor.
Why attend a trade fair?
Today, companies are aware of the environment in which they operate. They need to promote their products in different markets, especially international ones. That's why trade fairs are key to boosting the competitiveness of every business.
Trade fairs are considered the most powerful way to gather information compared to other methods, such as consulting firms, conferences, sales representatives, or industry associations.
If we decide to attend an event as a visitor, once we have selected the one that best suits our needs, we must find out about the cultural aspects (if it is held in a foreign country) and other aspects such as business, transportation, city reference maps, as well as the current state of the visitor sector in the host country.
There are two major advantages to attending a trade fair. One is the opportunity to connect with potential clients that would have been impossible to find through other means. And the biggest advantage, without a doubt, is the presence of company representatives at these events, who are usually from management or have the decision-making power to close deals.
Objectives as a visitor
The objectives of visitors can be grouped into five categories: selling, buying, studying the competition, searching for new products, comparing production technologies…
– Selling: the visitor selects distributors, sales agents… who will be in charge of marketing our products.
– Buying: compare purchase prices, delivery times, merchandise characteristics…
– Study the competition, analyzing it, knowing its prices and operating policies.
– Search for new products to market, or products that complement the current range.
– Compare production technologies, which may reduce the costs of manufacturing our products.
Objectives as an exhibitor
There are several reasons to be an exhibitor at a competition, some of them are:
– The possibility of establishing a direct interaction between buyer and seller.
– Obtain a high volume of information in a short period of time.
– To take the pulse of the market and understand the trends.
– To connect with other professionals in the sector to discuss problems and new trends.
– To acquire a clear idea about the competition in order to position our entity in relation to others.
– It is possible to participate in conferences and parallel events that help to assess the evolution and trends of the market.
And after a fair…
Among the tasks to be carried out after attending a trade fair, following up on the contacts made during the event is crucial. Furthermore, we will analyze both the level of interest shown by the companies with whom we held meetings, as well as the expectations and likelihood of success.
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