It is generally believed that one can achieve very positive results by participating in a trade fair. But it has been observed that achieving successful results at the trade fair is not guaranteed; it requires lot of planning and hard work. To ensure successful participation in a trade fair, certain conditions need to be satisfied by the exporter. That is to say, he/she should:
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1. Ensure that the products selected for display are competitive and have been developed keeping in view the requirements of the buyers in that market.
2. Define clearly the objectives for participation.
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3. Select the right fair.
4. Prepare the plan for participation in advance including the financial budged.
5. Take all possible steps to invite as many visitors to the fair as possible.
6. Ensure effective people to handle the visitors at the stand.
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7. Follow up on the points/queries generated during the fair and
8. Plan for repeated participation at the fair, not just once.
Preparations before participation in the fair
The exporter should make careful preparations to ensure successful participation in the fair. The preparations should cover the following aspects:
a. Collection of desired information
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b. Planning and budgeting
c. Booking of the stand
d. Planning for stand design
e. Developing sampling range
f. Deciding prices
g. Promotion of visitors
h. Arrangements for display and literature
i. Arrangements for travel, stay and transportation
j. Staff briefing
k. Applying for visa
l. Purchase of foreign exchange
Planning for stand design
Design of the stand and the presentation of individual exhibits have a strong bearing on the degree of success achieved at the fair. It is obvious that an attractive stand will make positive impression on the visitors and that an unattractive one will have the opposite effect. This, in turn will influence the conscious or subconscious attitudes of the visitors about the exhibitor and his products.
The design of an exhibition stand can very often be a decisive factor in determining how many visitors to an exhibition remember or even notice an exhibit, or how much time they spend on its stand.
Golden Rules of Good Design
The following rules should be observed to create an attractive exhibition stand design.
1. Keep it simple and minimize cluttering
2. Create focal points, that is, pinpoint the most important or most representative products.
3. Establish a clear theme, that is, basic message that an exhibitor wishes to convey about himself or his product, or both.
4. Attract attention.
5. Design through the eyes of the visitors.
6. Suit the design to the number of people expected
7. Plan the traffic management in the stand.
The exhibitor (exporter) should take the following steps for an effective display of the products at the stand:
1. Group the products.
2. Feature what is most important.
3. Present the products from the point of view of the buyer, not the seller; appeal to the buyer’s interest.
4. Show products in use, or in their natural setting.
5. Give the products space, and avoid clutter and
6. Strive for dramatic visual impact.
While designing the stand, the stand lay out should be given due attention. The lay out should be decided keeping in view its impact on the required image of the products and the export firm. The lay out should also facilitate easy flow of traffic, discussions with the visitors, proper grouping of the products and so on. Besides, the dressing of the stand should be so attractive that it will make the visitor want to look at it more closely; the basic point is that the stand needs STOPPING POWER and the stand dressing should be planned keeping this fact in view.