International Exhibiting: What You Need to Know To Stay on Track

One of the good thing about trade shows, is that cultural boundaries or geography do not limit you. But since each country has its rules, exhibiting styles and practices, it pays to teach yourself and your team about the differences or expected changes so that you have a smooth run all the time. If you exhibit internationally, or you want to start taking your shows outside the border, here are a few things to help you stay on track:

Know the terminologies and practices

If you are in the United States or Canada, exhibiting structures are referred to as booths or exhibits, but when you go to Europe, they are “stands.” Again in the US and Canada, utilities run directly underneath your carpet, but this is not the case internationally, raised platform floors are common practiced and used for utilities. Raised floor are not as popular in North America and are perceived as a barrier.  Knowing the differences in terminologies and practices, will help you set up quickly and easily acquaint yourself with the new international environment.

Know the conversions

You don’t just have to know about the conversion rate for the dollar, but also for the measurements you are likely to use. In the US and Canada, booths are configured in square feet or inches, but in Europe and other countries, the configuration may be in square meters. Again, the electrical rating in the US and Canada is also different from the rating in Europe. You should know about these conversions, especially when planning your booth so that you know what adjustments will be necessary to make your booth conform to what you had wanted for your trade show success.

Keep a steady pace

In North America, most tradeshows are open for an average of three days per week, and for between six and eight hours daily. For international exhibitions, the shows may be open for a full week, with the floor remaining open for up to ten hours daily. This may be very tiring, and since most of the international tradeshows don’t have carpets and double pads to elevate your feet, it is recommended to pace yourself steadily to avoid getting fatigued and burned out.