Are you exhibiting in a country outside your home country? Anxious about how the expo market works there and how your brand will be received? Want to get fully prepared? Then you should know the roadblocks you might stumble upon. This article will detail the challenges commonly faced by international exhibitors.
Whatever you can control in your home country you have taken care of: Messestand design, giving expo graphic on time, sending out invites to your customers, booking of hotel, flights, and meetings for the show. In some cases, arrange a customized booth! However, feeling nervous about exhibiting in a new geography is normal.
Below is a small checklist that will calm your nerves:
Language Barriers:
Not knowing the host country’s language can create language barriers at the Messestand Design. An easy way of preparing for this beforehand is to hire a person for the exhibition stand who speaks at least 2 of the region’s local languages. Also, do a background check to make sure the person has relevant work experience or is knowledgeable of your industry. This way they can understand the attendees and explain the show displays to them, while also translating for you.
Manning the expo Counter:
Typically, while exhibiting for the first few years, 8-10 people travel from any company for a expo exhibit. Many-a-times, all of them are busy with meetings and hence there is no one at the expo counter. The person hired to communicate doesn’t know the other staff’s role and potential leads. Thus, face-to-face meetings are lost in the process. To solve this challenge, you need to:
- Have your visiting cards with photos on display. That way the translator can associate a name and photo quickly.
- Provide the translator with a chart, explaining, in brief, each member’s role. This will help them direct the guests to the correct person.
- Fines from organizers: This is often faced by companies exhibiting in other countries. Since they do not know the rules, post-show, they get fined for small or big things. The most common of the lot are:
- Leaving waste material on the aisles: Exhibitors often carry their marketing collaterals in cartons and once they are done they leave the cartons in the aisles. The expo organizers take photos of these and fines the exhibitor after the show. To overcome this and other probable fines, ensure that you act consciously. Do not dirty space inside and outside your stand booth.
- Not following show rules, such as common wall height regulations: Generally, when there is a common wall between 2 or more booths, it is mandatory to cover the backside of the wall in white color. This is to ensure that the person whose Messestand Design is shorter does not suffer by having an exposed or unfinished wall facing inside their expo booth. You should ensure that your agency properly covers any exposed back wall with white paint or fabric.
Keeping small things in mind can go a long way in making your expo a successful one. Be prepared in advance in case you have to think on the spot. Remember that each challenge can be addressed with some presence of mind and initiative from your side.
Happy Exhibiting!
