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Make Trade Fairs Work for You
Taslima Khan
May 2009
May 2009
Page 1 of 4
People returning from a trade fair carry that usual drained out look, eyes aching from the bright lights and your feet tired out of treading across the numerous booths, reluctant to walk any further.
Nevertheless, at one of the trade fairs organized by the India Trade Promotion Organisation at Pragati Maidan, I recently bumped into an entrepreneur from Ludhiana who was the picture of a happy soul. Shamit Takia, who runs a textiles unit in Ludhiana had been an exhibitor at the Tex-Styles India show. As I enquired about his experience at the show he grinned and then exploded, “Well it was amazing. I made a lot of contacts and reconnected with a lot of business people I had known before. “My biggest accomplishment overall was running into a textiles trader from Varanasi who turned out to be a prospective business partner”, he added.
Trade shows have traditionally been one of the most effective means of business promotion between prospective parties and also for direct and face to face engagement between buyers and sellers. Whereas in the virtual world, B2B portals may best serve the purpose, trade fairs are the best alternatives in the real world. The invariably overwhelming numbers flooding the floor of a trade fair and small companies generating brisk business speak volumes about the potential of this medium to give, take and participate. The spectre of the slowdown is lost in the din and commotion of a happening trade fair.
SME WORLD presents you a few handy tips to make the most of trade fairs whether you are an exhibitor or an attendee. Read on…
If You are an Exhibitor
How to Plan for the Show
Do Your Homework Well
The first step is to do your home work well. Do your research to select the best trade show for business development. The trade fair chosen by you should attract your prospective customers or buyers for your products and services. You would do better to find out from your customers and competitors about which trade fairs they attend. Also check if the venue of the trade fair is geographically suited to attract a good section of your potential customers. The show must be big enough to generate business and the promoters should be reliable.
Assess Your Goals
Make a clear assessment of the purpose of participation in the trade show. A small business can have many business goals depending on its own special needs. Your purpose may be to generate leads for future sales, find better or cheaper suppliers, build relationships with current customers or to launch a new product. You should be clear of your purpose before and after you attend the show. This is vital to make the most of the time and energy you invest at the trade show. Remember your goals must be measurable.
Budget Your Expenses:
The next step after you have decided upon the show that would be best for you is to plan your budget so that you can keep costs under control. Your budget should be realistic. Consider your personnel costs, travel expenses, accommodation, space rental, meals, snacks, giveaways, etc. Also assess the cost of being out of office for a few days.
Take Advantage of Early-bird Discounts
Grab the promotional brochures as soon as they arrive. Take advantage of early-bird discounts (if available), on booth space, travel and hotel accommodations.
Work Out the Schedule
Working out your schedule helps you keep in good perspective throughout the show. Plan your time at the booth so that you can afford some time to walk out of the booth to study the competition or say make contacts. Also make arrangements for someone taking charge while you are away.
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