International exhibiting is more than conquering unfamiliar markets. It’s about bridging gaps and forging ties with your target clients right on their own turf. But before you roll up your sleeves and start packing for your event, check out these valuable tips and advice:

1. Know different forms of business etiquetteKnow your audience and how to greet and address them. Formality is the norm for most cultures, using titles rather than first names.
2. Treat business with respectThe business card is like a passport showing status and identity. Give the same respect to a person’s card as you would the person. Study the cards you are given. Never write notes on them, fold or even shove them in your pocket.
3. Be prepared for foreign visitorsEnglish is the language of international business, but decide whether you need to have an interpreter available.
4. Understand the decision-making processWhen one exhibits internationally, one must also realize that the way decisions are handled can differ greatly from region to region. For example, in Asian countries, decision-making starts from the lower levels in an organization and works its way up the ladder. Decisions are usually made collectively and the process is often slow and thorough. In Europe, top-level management attends shows expecting to place orders. They want to deal with their counterparts in your company. They expect to discuss technical details and will often want to close major deals at the show.
5. Build relationshipsTake time to build relationships through personal contact. It may take several appearances at trade shows before your company is taken seriously.

Mabel Kenyon
Marketing Communications Coordinator

If you could only summarize the look of your exhibit in one sentence, event planning would be a breeze. After all, a "design brief" should be brief and nothing could be briefer than a single sentence. However, the reality is that it’s not possible.

No matter which way you look at it, a good exhibit design largely depends on how comprehensive your design brief is. A well-crafted brief includes the following information:

• Company profile. This should consist pertinent details about your company—company type, employee number, year established, services, products and market positioning.
• Goals and Objectives. Outline what you want to achieve with your exhibit whether it’s increasing brand awareness, launching a new product or generating new leads.
• Target Audience. Be specific on what type of crowd you want to attract at your event or show.
• Branding. Indicate your company’s current corporate identity guidelines (including images, logos and slogans).
• Booth Program. Describe what you will be doing in your booth - if you’re going to have literature handouts, giveaways, visual presentations, live demos or semi-private client meetings.
• Booth Staff. Provide the number of staff who will be at your booth at any given time.
• Competitor Info. List who your competitors are and what they may be doing for the event.
• Budget. State how much you earmarked for your exhibit.

Mabel Kenyon
Marketing Communications Coordinator

New Mexico-based EXHIB-IT! (spearheaded by one of the state’s most admired women entrepreneurs, DJ Heckes) has been involved with the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) New Mexico chapter. EXHIB-IT! donated a 10-foot Nomadic display with lights, for use at one of MADD's most widely recognized programs, The Victim Impact Panels. The display was used to mount photos of people whose lives were taken by drunk drivers. These panels speak for the victims of drunk driving and allow them to share their story with DUI offenders, whose attendance in these programs is often court-mandated. The success of this program has been extensively documented since it’s launch in 1982.

To further support the MADD’s advocacy efforts, Nomadic together with EXHIB-IT! and Custom Color contributed $1,500 to MADD during its annual Strides for Change Walk. The event was a success and raised over $30,000 this past October.

MADD has helped save over 300,000 lives since its inception and we, at Nomadic are proud to be part of the organization’s noble cause of educating people on the dangers of drunk driving.

Mabel Kenyon
Marketing Communications Coordinator