Why it is important to participate in International Business Fairs

Although we have many ways to prospect business partners or contact our consumer thanks to the tools that technology offers us nothing replaces human contact, especially in the B2B.

That is why it is so important to participate in fairs and exhibitions, which are visited by local entrepreneurs and from other countries, since in these we show the "face" of our company, even when we are not there as exhibitors we are being observed, and the concept that we build still weighs much at the time of closing the deal.

One of the recommendations that we at Syntony Trade give to people here in Brazil who seek our consulting, training and capacity building, import and export services, is to participate in international fairs and go to Business Trips abroad, along with other commercial activities carried and disseminated by agencies similar to CIN (International Business Center) and the Federation of Industries here in Brazil.

Why should we take the initiative and search business outside of our Country?

When we limit the exposure of our company and products / services in our country alone we are assuming that our competition is local only, and that kind of thinking in today's globalized world can be fatal for the business

Foreign trade offers us many opportunities and it is important to travel abroad because those trips allow us to explore potential markets, have direct contact with importers, exporters, manufacturers and consumers in other countries.

What do we find in an International Business Fair?

An International Business Fair, whether it takes place in Brazil or in other countries, offers numerous opportunities for a business, it is the window in which the world is seeing your company and it is the meeting place for several brands, organizations and people sharing the same goal, to do business.

The biggest advantage of these fairs is the personal contact ... It's our chance to look at the person with whom we will make a deal in the eye, shake their hand, to talk and get to know them a little bit more.

In this era dominated by the digital in which we are living, in many organizations seem to have forgotten that when we do business it isn’t with companies, but with people. Humans are a social being and for any type of business, regardless of the industry, one thing is important, and that thing is to be able to trust in the other party.

Are we able to fully trust someone that we have never met in person or talked only through e-mails, messages or Skype calls?

3 moments of an International Business Fair:

Lays with the company the responsibility of its suitability to the fair, the inclusion of the event in its budget projection and to decide in which fair it is going to participate and, for that, it is a must the definition of the objective of this participation.

Overall, the usual costs that we have an international business fair are the registration of the company and its employees, either in the official catalog of the business fair or just as a visitor, the airfare, hotel, meals and personnel locomotion costs, among other expenses.

Note: in cases where the company is there as an exhibitor a more detailed strategic planning and budgeting must be made.

A successful participation in an international business fair depends greatly on the company´s preparation and planning, with that in mind we suggest some precautions to be taken in the three times when the business fair must be experienced: before, during and after.

Before:

It is important to learn about the functioning and the rules of participation, such as:

Data on previous editions of the event;
The starting and ending dates;
The promotional material;
The guest list;
Business cards for the team that will attend the fair;
Opening and closing hours;

Also, we recommend checking the services offered, such as cleaning, security, parking and food.

During:

The opening and closing hours must be observed, be strictly punctual;
Use the ID badge at all times;
Establish a system for the recording of the inquiries, business contacts, actions that need to happen later and submission of any materials after the fair.
In times of little movement, take the time to observe your competitors, their strengths and weaknesses as well as their performance during exposure.

After:

It is important to keep up with the contacts made during the fair and plan your future actions, such as personal contacts, sending of promotional material or scheduling visits to your company.

Analyze the statistical data, evaluate how many closed and ongoing negotiations you got and discuss with your team the overall impressions.

It is also worth to do a self-criticism, reflect on what could have been done to achieve more success at the fair and then write down suggestions for the next one.