Exhibiting Abroad: Don’t Pretend It’s the Same! 8 Tips to Adapt U.S. Exhibiting Strategies for the International Stage

By Larry Kulchawik, author, Larry Kulchawik Consulting                                           

The biggest mistake that U.S. companies make when taking their U.S. trade show experiences abroad is assuming that their formula for success in the U.S. will work the same internationally. Marketing tactics and exhibit designs that are effective in one country don’t always work in another.

Exhibiting abroad requires a recalculation of thinking and exhibit strategy for both exhibit design and engagement styles. Here are some tips for American exhibitors when taking their brand and message abroad.

1. Don’t go it alone. Find an experienced partner from the region, or one who is familiar with the venue, culture and the event. Work with them to create an exhibit layout that meets the regulations and expectations for the event. Note that exhibit floor spaces abroad are not necessarily available in tidy 10-foot-by-10-foot increments like in the U.S. Don’t be surprised by odd shapes…