Module 3: Preparing for and Participating in a Trade Fair in China

1.1 Preparing for and Participating in a Trade Fair in China

1.2 Objectives

In the next five years, China is expected to import over $10 trillion in goods and services.
This is a historic opportunity for enterprises across the globe to expand their business in
the country’s market.
In this module, we will assist you in preparing for a trade fair in China and, more
specifically, to participate in the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai from 5
-10 November 2018. Although international trade fairs share many things in common,
we believe that participating in a trade fair in China has specific elements and features
that deserve some extra attention. Some of the ideas and suggestions that we will
provide here may be obvious, but others may be rather new to you. By the end of this
module, we expect you to understand how to perform a pre-departure check and
maximize the benefit of your participation in an international trade show.
https://youtu.be/PVCb_jJAC08

1.3 Introduction

After completing this lecture, participants will be able to:

 Grasp the main issues involved in participating for a trade fair/expo in China;
 Effectively set up and manage an exhibitor booth/stall at a trade fair/expo in China;
and
 Perform post event follow up activities
1.4 Preparing for a Trade Fair in China

1.5 Answer the question

This exercise is not available in the offline version of this module.

Leading Question Script:
You have decided to spend time and money to participate in a trade fair because you
expect that something good and useful may come out of it for your business. You have
set your objectives. You may wish to have a better understanding of the Chinese market,
to compare your product with the ones of your competitors or to find new customers for
your products and services. Whatever the objectives, it is obvious that if you are
serious in achieving your goals you need to be organized and ready.
Do you expect the preparation for a trade fair in China to be any different to other trade
fairs?
https://youtu.be/C7tFDHDycmE
Response Script:
To answer this question, we would like to walk you through some important steps and
activities that you need to consider, such as logistical matters, pre-expo research, a
selection of the samples of the products you would like to promote and the preparation
and selection of relevant marketing material.
https://youtu.be/r9oARFMc4Us

1.6 Preparing for a trade fair in China: Logistical matters and registration

Let’s imagine that you have found a trade fair in China in which you would like to
participate. Once you have made sure that it covers your product/service sector and
that participating in it would be interesting for your company, you will need to register
as an exhibitor. Usually, this can be done online, but make sure that your registration is
accepted and confirmed by the fair’s organizer. Sometimes, you will be requested to
submit other supporting documents in addition to your application as proof, not just of
your interest, but also of your business’ actual existence.

Travel and accommodation

Once your participation at the trade fair in question has been confirmed, making travel
arrangements and booking your accommodations as soon as possible is paramount.
Especially for large events attracting a lot of people, good accommodation options will
tend to quickly become unavailable.

Getting a visa
Don’t delay in contacting your local Chinese embassy to find out how to obtain an entry
visa for the duration of your stay in China. Make sure to check how much time you will
need to obtain the visa to avoid any potential complications and extra charges.

Facilities and requirements

As a crucial part of your research into the event, make sure to carefully consult the
event’s website and, especially, the Exhibitor Manual to learn about the facilities and
their requirements. This will not only help you prepare your booth or stand, it will also
enable you to deal with any participation formalities quickly and efficiently.
When it comes to the China International Import Expo (CIIE), you can find the Exhibitor
Manual here: https://www.ciie.org/zbh/ExhibitorManual

1.7 Before you attend: research and promotion

Especially if you are a first-time exhibitor at an international trade fair or expo in China,
you will need to do some homework in advance to maximize the benefit of your
participation.
First, make sure that you are clear on your objectives for attending. Ask yourself: why
are you participating in this trade fair? What would “success” look like?
Then, once you are clear on your objectives, you can start doing some secondary
(desk) research to find out more about the situation for your sector in China.
A good starting point is to check ITC’s market analysis tools, available here:
http://www.intracen.org/itc/market-info-tools
You will note that we already mentioned some of these tools in Module 2.
Another option to obtain information on the Chinese market is by contacting the
economic counsellor or trade attaché of your country’s embassy in China.
In the end, you will need to decide on your own what is important for you to research,
as well as what sources are the most relevant and up to date for your needs.

A few things to do before you attend:

Before you attend a trade fair, you should confirm the various rules and regulations that
apply to your business sector in China. You should also try to find information on your
competitors, such as the prices that they charge for specific products/services in the
Chinese market. You should also have a look at the preferences of Chinese consumers.
Ultimately, though, you should try to identify potential buyers with a specific interest in
your product/service. Start by looking at the trade fair’s list of attendees and, if language
is an issue for you, try contacting those buyers that have an English website and/or
English-speaking contact person. Contact them directly, explain how you found them
and that you would like to know more about their company. Try to attract their interest
(price, quality, design, particular selling points, etc.) and mention that you will be
attending the fair/expo. Tell them where you will be, and invite them to pay you a visit.

A few relevant websites

Some relevant websites that you can use to conduct research in preparation to
attending a trade fair in China include:
 https://en.china.cn
 http://www.alibaba.com
 https://www.banggood.com

In addition, if you are attending the CIIE, make sure to regularly check its website and
updated buyers list here: https://www.ciie.org/zbh/en

Pre-show promotion
Doing some pre-show promotion for your company is an excellent idea. Create a
communications plan for your company, and slowly build up your promotion activities
until the fair or expo. Consider using social media and advertising through relevant
channels for your business area in order to reach your target audience.
The more pre-show promotion you do the more visitors you are likely to attract to your
booth, stall or exhibition space.
1.8 Selecting samples and creating an exhibit

When selecting samples to bring to the trade fair or expo, it is important to carefully
select the products/services that you think will do the best job of attracting visitors to
your space. Of course, they should also be competitive and interesting for the Chinese
market! You should also make sure that your company has the current capabilities to
quickly ship any products that you exhibit as samples to China in large quantities,
should you actually get serious prospects or even orders at the fair.
When selecting samples for your exhibit, you also need to take your booth or stall into
consideration. How much space will you have? Will you be able to place the samples in
an attractive manner? If the fair you will be attending has a “standard booth” that you
will be using, try confirming its layout and dimensions.
Depending on your business sector, your booth could require additional equipment
and/or supporting facilities. If this is the case, make sure that you contact the trade fair’s
recommended service providers; they should be able to rent you whatever you need.
Usually, the Exhibitor Manual has their contact information.
1.9 Shipping your exhibit

When you have chosen what products you would like to exhibit at the fair/expo, you will
need to contact the event’s recommended service provider to organize the transport of
your samples and materials.
Make sure that you receive all of the instructions necessary to ensure a smooth and
timely delivery of your exhibit to where it needs to go. The service provider should give
you a list of all of the documents required, such as a detailed list of what you will be
shipping, a packing list, a bill of lading, a declaration of fumigation and any specific
certificates. If the event’s recommended service provider does not have an agent in
your country, you will need to identify and contact a local service provider yourself. If
you do, make sure that this company communicates directly with the event’s
recommended service provider and keeps you informed of all relevant exchanges. This
is important to avoid any confusion and misunderstandings.
1.10 Marketing materials

When deciding on the marketing materials and give-aways that you will bring, make
sure that you are clear on your objectives. What are you hoping to accomplish with your
give-aways? What feelings do you want your materials to evoke?

What kinds of materials should you create?

 Business cards
 Flyers
 Brochures
 Catalogues
 Technical documentation
 Business stationery (e.g. letterhead paper, pro forma invoices and order books)
 Audio-visual tools
 Banners
 Posters
 Reference lists
 Price lists
 Conversion tables for weights and measures
 Operating instructions
 Press releases
 Translation aids (e.g. for Chinese/English technical terms)
1.11 Managing your booth

Here are a few tips to effectively manage your booth.

1.Make sure to keep records of all of the visitors to your booth. This will allow you, not
only to gauge the effectiveness of your marketing materials, but also to follow-up with
any prospects or leads.
2.Be prepared to lead discussions with visitors to your booth. Have a speech ready, and
practice your “pitch” before arriving.
3.Keep a ring binder or file nearby, and keep copies of all of your marketing and other
materials in it. This is useful in an emergency if you need to produce additional copies.
4.Prepare a “thank you message”, and maybe even a small gift for relevant business
visitors.
5.Print all of your materials well in advance and make sure that you don’t make any
mistakes. Imagine how unprofessional it would look if you gave your business card or
flyer with an incorrect e-mail address, website or phone number!
6.Consider translating as many of your materials as possible into Chinese.
1.12 Ask the expert

1.What should a pre-departure checklist include in order to capture all necessary

activities and ensure a timely execution?
https://youtu.be/pOVFhyB80cw
2.Why is it important to carefully study the exhibitor manual and follow the instructions
in it?
https://youtu.be/51agDpxinks
3.What did you do to segment, identify and attract potential business visitors?
https://youtu.be/7c_AquhN8Hc
1.13 In sum, “How should you prepare to attend a trade fair/expo in China?”

 Carefully consult the fair/expo’s website and Exhibitor Manual to make sure that this is
an event that you would like to attend.
 Do the necessary primary/secondary research on your business sector and conduct
some pre-show promotion for your company. Try contacting some prospects before
the event and invite them to visit your stall or booth.
 Select representative samples and organize their transport to China, preferably using
the event’s recommended service provider.
 Create all of the necessary marketing materials to advertise your presence at the event.
Make sure that they do not contain any mistakes. If possible, translate them into
Chinese.
1.14 Answer the question

Feedback
1.15 Participating in a Trade Fair in China

1.16 Answer the question

This exercise is not available in the offline version of this module.

Leading Question Script:
Imagine that you have arrived in China a couple of days before the opening of the expo.
You passed customs, arranged for transport to your hotel and checked in. You are most
likely excited that, after so many months of preparation, the real action is about to start.
What are the different things that you should do to start your participation in the expo
well and attract business visitors?
https://youtu.be/gkxe4Wiecds
Response Script:
Of course, you need to know how to get to the expo and how to obtain your registration
badge that allows you to get into the expo. You also need to find out how to get to the
expo grounds and how to obtain your samples and, possibly, other materials to
decorate your booth. Last but not least, you should get ready to attract and interact
with business visitors to explore new opportunities and establish new business
relationships.
https://youtu.be/5mDP_Td5HxA

1.17 Setting up your booth: equipment and services

Once you have received your registration and entry badge, you can get into the event’s
grounds to start setting up your booth. By now, you should have already contacted the
service provider responsible for transporting your samples and materials that you sent
to China. You should also have agreed on the delivery of these items to your booth.
If you have a standard booth, check to see that all of the equipment and other
supporting assets are in order. If you have rented additional equipment and services
from a third party, make sure that everything is delivered.
You will also need to check that the event’s board correctly displays your company
information, based on what you indicated to the event’s organizers on the booth
information form.
1.18 Setting up your booth: decoration

Less is more
When decorating your booth, you need to realize that visitors will generally make their
decision whether or not to stop at your booth in 2 to 5 seconds. Most visitors will only
take time to stop at your both if they immediately see that you are likely to have what
they are looking for. As such, your booth should both be attractive and clear. Here,
remember: less is better! Rather than going for too many bells and whistles, go for a
minimalist, organized and clean approach. Trying to display too much information on
your booth at the same time will often create confusion, and this will drive potential
buyers away.
Make sure your booth is open
Have the booth open and welcoming for visitors. Avoid shelves or tables that might
hinder visitors from entering your booth. Take into consideration the direction from
which visitors are likely to come and display your most eye-catching products as
prominently as possible. Visitors need to see a kind of structure in your product or
service offering, and this should be reflected in your booth’s display. For example, you
could use one shelf or display area to showcase the same category, flavour, colour
range, dimension or technique of your offering.
Try to have something unexpected!
If possible, try to have something unexpected, something that would makes people
stop and look at your booth. A cultural touch, a tasting session, a full experience of
senses (smell, touch, taste, feel), something that triggers a “WOW” in your visitors!
1.19 Setting up your booth: finding qualified personnel

It is one thing to attract visitors to your booth, but it is another thing for your booth to
live up to expectations with friendly, qualified and experienced staff. The people at the
booth will be the ones representing your business, talking to the visitors to the booth
and, perhaps, even closing deals. As such, they not only need to know all of the “ins-
and-outs” of your products or services; they also need to be briefed on the event itself.
At a minimum, the personnel staffing your booth should be able to demonstrate the
technical qualities and unique selling points of your products or services. They should
also be well informed on your company’s production and shipping capabilities, delivery
time, export packaging, storage and transport, point of delivery, price (fob, cnf, cif), and
payment terms. They need to be positive, ready to help, professional, organized,
punctual, and willing to “go the extra mile”.

Skills needed by the staff at your booth

The staff that you hire to operate your booth need to be able to communicate easily in
English. It would be even better if they had a good command of Mandarin as well. They
need to be able to make a good first impression. When engaged in a conversation, they
need to be able to listen, ask questions and understand the potential buyer’s situation
in order to come up with a solution to help them achieve their objectives.
Your staff needs to be proactive and easily able to answer questions about your
company, product or service such as, “What is your company”, “What are you selling”,
“How do you manage your quality”, “Why would I buy from you”, and “What should I do
to place an order”?
1.20 The importance of communication

An important advantage of trade fairs and expos is that they allow you to engage in
face-to-face communication with potential customers. When a new visitor comes to your
booth, you first need to gauge whether they should be given a little time to look around.
Try to initiate communication by asking them a question (i.e. “Is there anything in
particular that interests you?”) and briefly introducing your company.
When communicating with visitors, ask questions, listen and try to form an idea of what
interests them about your business. Provide them with solutions that show that you
understand their needs and challenges. Aim for results by reaching an agreement on
follow-up activities. Value your solutions by asking questions such as “If I offer you……,
how does that answer to your needs?” or “Will it be of help if…..?” or “Imagine if we …..,
would you be interested? While an immediate sale is, of course, a good result, do not
be disappointed if you do not manage to close a deal then and there. Sometimes,
successful negotiations can be those that establish a basis to build a longer-term
relationship of trust.
1.21 Managing your leads

Often, company personnel are very happy with the amount of attention that their booth
gets at a trade fair. However, if you ask them how many deals were actually concluded
or initiated, things get much less positive. Even worse, if you ask them for details on the
visitors that they received, the positions of these visitors within their respective
companies, the topics that they discussed and the specific interests that they displayed,
you will often be met with blank stares.
In short, the personnel staffing trade fair booths are too often unfocused and do not
keep track of what happened during the event. As a result, they could not effectively
initiate follow-up activities or manage their leads.

Create a visitor record log

In order to stay abreast of what happened during the event, you need to make sure that
you or your staff keep track of all the contacts that you made. To do this, you should
create and maintain a visitor record log. This can be either electronic or paper (i.e.
binder or file)-based and should allow you to record the names and company details of
the visitors to your booth, their areas of responsibility, their economic activity (i.e.
distributor, end-user, trader, technology provider, investor etc.), whether they are a new
or existing customer for your company, the language(s) in which the conversation took
place, the main topics of discussion and the general impression of the meeting (positive,
neutral, negative).
1.22 Ask the expert

1.What should you keep in mind to attract business visitors to your booth?
https://youtu.be/vWTaaJMNFyc
2.How should you present yourself, your company and your products?
https://youtu.be/E4kCUmRsZLE
3.For what kind of product or service characteristics would a buyer be interested and
prepared to pay extra?
https://youtu.be/ML4OTK0OMcs

1.23 In sum, “How should you set up and manage your booth at a trade fair/expo in China?”
 Contact the service provider that you hired to transport your samples and materials to
China once you have registered and received your entry badge for the event to
arrange for a delivery.
 Less is more! Make sure that your booth is clean and clear. Organize your samples in
a logical manner and avoid clutter. Make sure that your booth is open and that visitors
are not blocked from approaching it
 Make sure that the staff members that will be manning your booth are knowledgeable
about your company and its offering. Make sure that they keep track of what happens
at the event, preferably through a visitor record log
 Try to work proactively to see how your company could solve your visitors’ issues.
Show that you understand what problems they need solved, and demonstrate how
your company should be the one to solve them.

1.24 Answer the question

Correct Choice

You will be asked to provide a valid What should I expect when I arrive at the
passport with an entry visa. Then, you will airport in China?
need to arrange your transport to the
hotel, check-in, and be ready to provide a
(credit card) guarantee deposit. After that,
you should contact the event’s
coordinating team.

First, contact the event organizers to I would like to set-up my booth, but to do
receive your registration and entry badge.
Then, contact the relevant service
providers as soon as possible to arrange
for the delivery of your samples and other
materials to the event’s premises.
this I need to first get my samples and the
other materials I had shipped to China.
When and how should I do this?

Less is more! Make sure that your booth is What are the main things to consider to
clean and simple. Visitors should be able attract visitors to my booth?
to understand what you are offering in less
than 5 seconds.

Generally, business visitors at international What should I do if a Chinese visitor starts

trade fairs and expos should be able to talking to me in Chinese at my booth?
speak English. However, you should also
expect some Chinese businesspeople to
prefer communicating in their own
language. Hiring the services of an
interpreter is definitely a good idea.

Make a good first impression and I am starting to engage in a business

accurately present yourself and your discussion with a potential buyer. What are
company. Ask questions and listen to their important things to remember?
issues. Provide solutions that show that
you understand your visitors’ needs. Try to
reach an agreement on follow-up actions.
Keep a record of your discussion.
1.25 Follow-up Activities

1.26 Answer the question

Leading Question Script:

Once the expo is over, you go back to your office and find a backlog of things to do.
However, it is important to realize that this is the moment of truth for translating the
identified opportunities into actual new business deals.
How will you cope, upon your return, with the extra work alongside your company’s
normal work, and what actions do you think would be required?
https://youtu.be/bbfVTELWL40
Response Script:
You will have to quickly follow-up on the leads identified during the expo. You should
personally contact the most promising contacts, preferably by phone, to thank them for
their visit and to confirm that you have sent additional samples and information. Re-
confirm what you have discussed by email and indicate next step.
https://youtu.be/b8uq7iVv13Q

1.27 Follow-up activities

Returning from your exhibition, you are probably exhausted. Hopefully though, you are
also satisfied and excited! But this is not the time to rest quite yet, because this is
another moment of truth! Don’t miss the chance to consolidate the achievements that
you have worked so hard for during the expo. Within a week after you get back,
dedicate some time and focus on contacting the most promising leads, preferably by
phone.
Thank them for their visit and refer to your discussions. Advise them that you have
already followed up on what you promised to do for them, for example, by sending
representative samples adapted to their specific wishes or technical requirements. Ask
them if it would be possible to set up another meeting to make sure that they received
the samples or information. This is an excellent moment to answer any possible
questions they might still have and try to set-up an in-person appointment or close a
deal.
Make sure to follow-up on all leads, including the less promising ones. Continue to do
so for at least 24 months after the end of the event. While you might not think you have
much chance after the first few weeks, economic research indicates that sales made
within the first 3 weeks to 1 month after the end of an event represent only one third of
ultimate results.
1.28 Evaluating success

When you decided to participate in a trade fair or expo, you set yourself some goals
that you wanted to achieve. To assess whether your participation was successful, you
will need to evaluate how close you came to your goals, both quantitatively and
qualitatively.
Quantitative measures: How many serious leads/customers (both new and existing)
visited your booth? How many deals did you initiate/conclude? How many new ideas
did you bring back from the event? How many new contacts did you make in China?
Qualitative measures: How did you develop your understanding of the Chinese market?
What did you learn about your competitors? How did your participation at the event
change the way you approach doing business in China?
1.29 Evaluating the event

Once the event is done and you have conducted all of the necessary follow-up activities,
it’s time for you to decide whether you would like to participate again.
The main element in deciding this will of course involve evaluating your own success,
as we mentioned in the previous slide. If your participation was a great success, it is
probably a good idea to attend again next year. But what should you do if your
participation’s impact was below your expectations?
Simply put, you need to find out why your expectations were not met. At your own
company level, you need to find out what worked, what didn’t, what you could improve,
what you could add/remove, whether you need a smaller, larger, or different booth for
next year, etc. However, you also need to evaluate the event in itself. How many
business people attended? Was your target audience well represented?
1.30 Ask the expert

1.What are the most important things to do once you have returned from the evet?
https://youtu.be/neL-yOMIxj8
2.What did you get from your participation to the event?
https://youtu.be/JX8h9PgAUS0
3.Would it be useful for your company to participate in the event again?
https://youtu.be/RAC_cBjOCGk

1.31 In sum, “What follow-up activities should you perform upon your return?”
 Contact your most promising leads within a week after your return from the event. Ask
them if it would be possible to set up another meeting, and try to close a deal.
 Continue to contact leads, even the less promising ones, for up to 2 years after the
end of the event. Research has shown that more than two thirds of sales from an event
take place more than 1 month after the event’s end.
 Evaluate your participation at the event, both quantitatively and qualitatively. To what
extent did you manage to meet the goals that you set for yourself?
 Evaluate the event itself to see if you would like to participate again. Was your target
audience well-represented?

1.32 Answer the question

Feedback

1.33 Thank you for completing the lecture