Any company looking for new ways to extend its brand or access overseas markets has a whole range of options. One route that has become increasingly popular in recent years, with the move towards experiential marketing, is live events; in particular, exhibitions.
Whilst striking out into the great unknown of an overseas event can be fraught with danger and unexpected obstacles, it can also offer fantastic opportunities and open new markets with incredible speed.
Assisting companies with their overseas exhibiting activities is a speciality for Stratford on Avon based event management company Mayridge. The company has helped hundreds of companies over the years, including many blue chip organisations, in places as diverse as Boston, Dubai, Sydney, Shanghai and Berlin.
Thorough research and a great deal of planning right at the start of the campaign is essential. There is red tape such as import licences, local laws and health and safety legislation, compulsory venue services and eccentricities of local suppliers all to be taken into consideration, so it’s vital that you are organised and well-informed before you even think about taking one step out of the country.
For companies organising their own international event such as a road show or a corporate hospitality day, the venue is key to its success. It’s easy to assume that exhibiting overseas is the same as exhibiting in the UK but in a foreign language, nothing could be further from the truth. Every country and in some cases every city will have its own culture and idiosyncrasies, not just in terms of the way exhibitions work but also in terms of how they are run and put together. Understanding the detail about the location where you are exhibiting is essential for success. Key action points to consider when looking at overseas exhibiting include:
– Obvious and hidden costs
– Local transport, leisure and business infrastructure
– Venue facilities and organiser support packages
– Hotel location and quality
– Local customs, laws and practises, e.g. Unions
– Proximity of prospective visitors and willingness to travel
– Appeal of location for visitors, e.g. city or tourist destination
Many of these points are common sense and are relevant regardless of country. However, it is easy to lose sight of, for instance, where target visitors are located and whether it is in their nature to travel when you are bowled over by a fantastic facility or a stunning location and are personally attracted to a trip there.
Organising an effective overseas marketing campaign is just as important, and it is worthwhile working with a company that has a strong track record in this area. Mayridge provide event-linked marketing services to ensure their clients reach is extended as far as possible.
To help new international exhibitors and event organisers, Mayridge has also devised a checklist of activities:
– Draw up an installation schedule with timelines, action points and roles and responsibilities
– Make a site visit (more than once if required)
– Research compulsory venue services and add them into your schedule and expenses
– Appoint appropriate suppliers and partner organisations that know the local market or have worked at the venue before
– Read and understand the venue’s rules and regulations and treat the event organiser’s exhibitor manual as your bible
– Research local taxes for imports and exports, what visas are needed and incorporate these costs and timings into your schedule
– Take advantage of all help offered by the event organiser and appointed contractors
– Arrive early and allow extra time for everything
– Plan your event break down in as much detail as the build-up
– Be aware of emergency procedures
– Put a date in the diary for the team debrief.
One major issue to be taken into consideration when working overseas, and especially in the US, is the strength and reliance upon unions. Drayage’ means that recognised unions claim jurisdiction over movement of goods from their point of delivery, known as the dock’ to the stand. Vehicles are weighed in and out of the marshalling yard to assess the exact weight of goods being transferred, and costs are apportioned accordingly.
In the UK we are used to a specific type of shell scheme – the design of exhibition stand supplied by the organiser. In the US the most common type of stand is a pole and drape 10″ x 10″ booth and this feels very different as the side walls between exhibitors are only 3″ high. In addition, furniture is very expensive to hire in the US and Internet connections can be significantly higher. It is therefore important to check that the price tariff includes these costs as it is common for a 25 – 30 per cent surcharge to be added to list prices. Also if you are thinking of having give-aways for visitors, or are going to be giving away company brochures, consider buying or having them printed in the same country as the event, as you could avoid import duties as well as additional shipping costs.
Give yourself enough time during the planning process. Consider adding between 6 – 8 weeks to your normal project time to allow for shipping your products and stand components. Also, select appropriate materials for the overseas exhibition environment. In some highly humid countries, paint finishes can take a long time to dry out so it might be a good idea to work with materials such as aluminium. Make sure as well, that whatever you choose has a good international supply network.
In some countries, such as China, it is advisable to work alongside a locally-based partner organisation that understands what can and can’t be done. There is a world of difference between what is acceptable in Shanghai and what you are able to do in the sophisticated Hong Kong exhibition environment. Consider all of the different outcomes and possible emergencies and carry out some background research to find local companies such as an electrical contractor or a nearby Ikea for last-minute extras.
With all of the planning done, it’s time to pack everything and head off to the show. Long-haul travel is tiring, particularly if you are having to work long hours as well, so arrive on-site early. Giving yourself a few extra days to find your way round and to acclimatise can often pay huge dividends. Carrying cash is also advisable, as this can often unblock a log jam’ or get you that important service before everyone else!
Clearing up after the show is much more rigorous overseas that it is in the UK, although this is beginning to change here too. You will need to remove all of your stand rubbish, stand materials and carpet tape as some overseas venues charge as much as £7.00 per metre to remove this.
Many venues also now require exhibitors to recycle as much as possible, so it is important to fully understand your responsibilities and to comply with these rules and regulations, otherwise you could risk a hefty fine.
Finally, after a busy and tiring event it is tempting to just pack everything into boxes to be shipped back to the office by your freighting company. Remember, however, that your boxes could take weeks to arrive and might even get lost. If you’ve collected lots of hot leads and important business cards, bring them back yourself. They are too important to the future success of your business to be left to the whim of your shipping company and, at the end of the day, they are the sole reason you undertook this project in the first place.
By Malcolm Briggs, Mayridge Performance Development
