There are far more trade fairs than any company can attend, and not all of them serve the same purpose. Choosing well which ones to attend, and how, saves budget and team time, and puts your meetings in front of the right people.
What kind of fair you need
- International sector fairs, the reference events in a sector, where manufacturers, distributors and large buyers from many countries meet.
- National or regional fairs, smaller and useful for entering a specific market and meeting its distributors.
- Fairs in a customer sector, where your competitors do not exhibit but your customers are. These are often the most profitable.
Criteria for choosing
- Who attends. The profile of exhibitors and visitors: are your customers, distributors or potential partners there?
- Where they come from. Whether the audience is local or international, and from which countries.
- Why you are going. To find partners, find customers, launch a product or get to know the market.
- Total cost. Not just the stand: travel, team days, materials and follow-up.
- Timing. How it fits with your other priorities and with the buying cycles in the sector.
Before deciding, ask your customers and partners which fairs they attend.
Exhibiting or visiting
Exhibiting gives you visibility and makes you easy to find, but it costs more and ties part of the team to the stand. Visiting is cheaper and more flexible, and lets you meet many companies, especially if your agenda is already set. A useful rule: if you are still validating the market, start by visiting; if you already have customers or distributors there, exhibiting strengthens your presence.
Common mistakes
- Going to the “usual” fair without checking whether it still makes sense.
- Exhibiting in a market you do not know yet.
- Choosing by the size of the fair rather than by who attends.
- Not booking meetings before you go.
How we help
With IBD Trade Fairs we help you decide which fairs to attend, prepare the list of companies, and you arrive with your meeting agenda already set. For the full preparation, read how to prepare for an international trade fair.
