How effective is trade fair participation in marketing

Sriyani De Saram Assistant Director EDB

In line with the increasing level of industrial technology and specific needs for a platform to exchange information, trade fairs have developed from mere fairs to effective marketplaces for buying and selling into vital sources of information and meeting places for trade partners.

Trade fairs are effective instruments for conveying your message as they offer the opportunity for people to meet to talk face to face and to get immediate feedback. They also enable people to use their all senses, sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell.

On the whole, the most effective promotional tools personal (B2B) selling E-commerce, Trade intermediates promotion, Trade Fairs. Trade missions, catalogues on website. The choice depends on various objectives such as the target market and the available budget.

Trade fairs

Trade fairs vary as to consumer exhibitions, trade marts, solo exhibitions, inshore displays, and specialised trade fairs. These fairs offer overseas exporters a most efficient way to communicate with International markets. Most important thing is that the facilities they provide will help you to deliver your message directly to the right people.

The leading importers, agents, wholesalers, retailers, designers regularly visit these fairs. According to recent survey done, fairs and exhibitions in Europe attract 450,000 exhibitors every year.

Trade promotion organisations of developing countries as well as exporters choose trade fairs as their vehicle for entering new markets or increasing their share in traditional markets and making inroads to overseas markets. Some of the main benefits which could be derived from participation at a trade fair are;

* Meet thousands of new buyers and build qualified leads at a minimum cost

* An opportunity to launch a new product and generate media interest

* Let buyers use all five senses to gain a full appreciation of your product

* Show your full product range in real life rather than a catalogue

* Develop personal and direct relationship with your clients

* Get immediate feedback on your product range

* Locate new agents in a collective participation and distributors for your products

Trade fair participation has been Sri Lanka’s main marketing tool since 1980’s. The Sri Lanka Export Development Board, being the pioneer organisation in introducing trade fair participation to Sri Lanka, participation in trade fairs has contributed largely to increase the Sri Lanka’s market share in the International Market as well as to put Sri Lanka in the world map of exporting countries.

* Identifying a suitable trade fair for your products

Identifying a suitable trade fair for the product is a responsibility of both the organisers and the exhibitors. Market research is very important in identifying a target market. The important factors that should be taken in to consideration are demographic factors which includes population, change of lifestyle, trends, opportunities offered to developing countries.

Specialised fairs focus on a single industrial or trade sector or a limited selection of them. Such fairs admit trade visitors only but some specialised fairs allow the general interested public to visit during restricted times. Most of the leading international fairs are held in Europe, mainly in Germany and Italy.

Some of the famous International trade fairs are GDS International Shoe Fair, Premiere Stationery Fair, Ambiente Handicrafts fair, Domotex International fair for Coir products, CEBIT International Fair for Electronic Goods, K-fair for Rubber and Basel world Watch & Jewellery Show.

The Asian Region is also now gaining popularity as a hub of trade fairs. China and India are among the leading countries hosting International fairs in the Asian Region, Canton International Fair in China, International leather fair in India are some of the leading fairs in the Asian Region.

The most suitable way of participating in a trade fair abroad is to take part in a group or collective participation. Collective participating also implies support from the coordinating body, which may include financial assistance. The initiative for this would generally be taken by a branch organisation or a trade promotion organisation in the country.

There is a number of distinct advantages to this one are that costs can be reduced because of a larger scale and more uniform approach.

This also applies to the transport of exhibition equipment and to possible discounts on hotel rates which is most expensive in International markets. It saves the individual exhibitor a lot of preparatory work when organising the exhibits.

In a collective participation, potential SME manufacturers also get an opportunity to participate at a fair at a minimum cost.

By organising national pavilions the country also get the recognition as an exporting country. The Trade Promotion Boards of countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Thailand regularly organize national stands at most of the leading trade fairs.

Exhibitor’s responsibility

The exhibitor has a great responsibility in a trade fair participation because ultimate beneficiary is the exhibitor. Building an attractive stall is the responsibility of the exhibitor. More attractive the stall is more visitors it will attract.

The exhibitor should choose the best type of exhibit display both that meets his promotional needs and budgetary requirements. He should effectively utilise display accessories, banners, graphics, lighting, design and materials to heighten visibility and derive sales, giveaways and promotions complements your company image.

The exhibitors spend lot of money on this aspect in an International exhibition. Most important factor is the follow up activities.

This requires considerable tenacity and perseverance. Every lead generated at the fair has to be followed up. Buying cycle is spreaded for more than six months.

Hi-tech tech display and multimedia presentations are eye catching but expensive and they may not be as cost effective as a couple of well trained staffers armed with fact filled sales brochures.

Role of the organiser

Organising a national stand at a trade involves lot of hard work. Assistance and cooperation of our Embassies abroad is very important. The main responsibility lies with the person of an organisation who is organising the pavilion. Detailed planning is essential to make a Trade fair participation success.

Ordering furniture, entry of catalogue, mailing invitations, pre-publicity arrangements, organising the shipping of the exhibits early, visa arrangements, coordination with the fair authorities, are some of the things the coordinator has to take care of.

Specially in organising a national stand a coordinating officer has a bigger role to play not only in organising the stand but maintaining the discipline at the stand too. Sometimes the exhibitor may not be available in the stand at a crucial time a buyer visits, which will hinder the objective of participation at a fair.

It is very important that the exhibitors to be at the stall all the time, one cannot expect buyers to wait for exhibitors. The coordinator has to look after all these matters.

The organisers and the exporters have to work hand in hand to make a trade fair a success.

Participating continuously at a trade fair is essential to consolidate its position in the market. If participating is irregular, then the creditability is lost in that market.

Present leading exporters of Sri Lanka have at least participated continuously for 4-5 years at trade fairs and got themselves established in the International market.

Most of the exporters, take advantage of these fairs by gathering invaluable information of market conditions, current trends & designs of the international market and develop their products to be competitive in the international market.

If Sri Lanka wants to be recognised as an exporting country, Sri Lanka should concentrate on consolidating its position in the international market by its regular participating at the leading international fairs. For this, the government should provide some assistance to exhibitors to encourage their participation.

The organisers should be provided necessary funds to construct attractive stands to boost the image of the country as an exporting country.

Direct sales should not be a yardstick for trade fair participation.

The qualititative benefits such as exposure in the International market, establishment of business contacts, exchange of information, knowledge on current trends and fashions also have to be evaluated.

With little more added effort trade fair participation could be used for dual purpose, that is not only to promote our exports but to promote the much needed country image at the same cost.

Most of the EDB organised trade fair participations, the Sri Lanka Pavilion distributes promotional material of the tourist board among the visitors and the posters are displayed to promote the image of the country.