International and Export Trade Shows

Don't know where to start selling abroad? Go to a show!

By Greg Brown

Convention centers around the world buzz with business deals getting done, from local morning meet-ups to week-long extravaganzas featuring rock bands, celebrity speakers and international press roaming the halls. Event experts know why: They calculate that it takes twice the resources to close a cold call from the office compared to a hot trade show lead.

No surprise there. If you meet a potential customer on the show floor, they were already shopping, right? Getting business through international shows is no different than in the United States and, in some ways, more common since industries abroad can be spread across challenging geographies.

To get in on the deals, you should:

First decide if shows will work for your small business
Budget for the opportunity
Then hit the road.

Calculate if your business can benefit from attending trade shows

Understanding the economics of show budgeting and selection can make or break your plan. Go to irrelevant shows, and you waste time. Overspend, and the return won't be there.
Try: Exhibitor Online, an industry portal, has specific articles on show selection and budgeting written by experts (some are free, some cost $5), plus an online buyer's guide.

Find a show in your industry and target country

There are hundreds of shows and new ones all the time. But, usually, every industry has one big shin-dig no one misses, often in the same town each year. If you export basketballs to Brazil or cheese dip to China, there's a show.
Try: Exhibitor Online, TSNN.com and the U.S. government's exporting agency Export.gov have detailed directories, sortable by industry, country and date.

Strength in numbers (aka Team USA!)

The U.S. government provides booths for U.S. companies at many international trade fairs. This can take a lot of the hassle out of show logistics in foreign countries, and you'll be co-branding with your own country.
Try: Get market counseling and become part of organized trade delegations through the Department of Commerce U.S. Pavilion program. The government also does matchmaking via an International Buyer Program.

Track your leads

Trade show veterans quickly learn that the problem isn't meeting people, it's remembering them! Turn those contacts into sales with software, or the investment in attending a show might not materialize.
Try: Newleads and SellsWare make products that promise to simply your life, while customer-relationship management giants like ACT! and Salesforce.com offer subproducts that knit trade show leads into your existing systems.

Big foreign shows are often held at peak travel times. If you buy an exhibit space, make sure you can get air tickets and hotel space for your people on show dates — before sending the check.
Is the show right for your company? Call up the management company and ask for a list of attendees from the past few years. Are your competitors and suppliers at this show? If not, why not?
If you don't have the language skills, hire local help. Many public relations and events companies will "rent" bilingual young people, usually college students, to man the booth and handle logistics. Customers likely speak English, but event organizers might not.