Trade Fairs: the ultimate internationalization scene
- The Loc Hub
- 23 jul 2019
- 3 Min. de lectura
Actualizado: 25 jul 2019
They take place in almost every major city in the world, and they may as well be the perfect spot to showcase your products or services, and open the door to the international market. And that's not all! Even if you don't attend as an exhibitor, you can still take advantage of these wonderful events to know who is who in your industry, the trends that are currently taking over the market, the marketing strategies of your competitors, and so much more.
From Buenos Aires to Bangkok, from books to health care
Even though some trade fairs are intended to promote local products and services, even these aren't without an element of internationalization. The Book Fair of Buenos Aires, for example, is intended to "bring authors and readers together", as the website reads. Visitors attend the fair to find good book deals, to meet their favourite authors, parents pick this event as a nice, cultural family outing, and publishing houses use it to promote their new talents or revamped editions of their classics. However, the Book Fair of Buenos Aires welcomes around 1500 exhibitors from 50 countries. Impressive, right?
"Fille de révolutionnaires", by Laurence Debray, was published in 2017 and translated from French into Spanish that same year by the publishing house Anagrama from Barcelona. Debray visited the Buenos Aires Book Fair in 2018 to promote "Hija de revolucionarios".
Messe Düsseldorf, a Germany-based company specialized in trade fairs and industry events worldwide is organizing the 2019 Medical Fair in Bangkok, Thailand. One thousand exhibitors from 60 countries, and 20 domestic pavilions. Fun fact? The website for the 2019 Bangkok Medical Fair was originally written in English, and partially translated into Thai.
There is room for almost every business in every industry
We are in localization, so that is our main focus. Our business eye is on international communication, so there is always room for us in almost every industry involved in global commerce. Our services are required in politics, manufacture, news, medicine, compliance, entertainment, etc. But maybe your product or service is as versatile as ours!
The One Milano is the trade fair where Italian producers and manufacturers meet buyers and wholesalers from all over the world while presenting their collections. Well, fashion may not be your business, but somebody has to transport and place the long boards that will become the designers' runway, right? Someone actually puts those boards together. Someone makes them. Someone decorates them. There are also food courts or stalls in these events. And something as simple as a hot dog stand becomes a business opportunity for sausage producers, napkin manufacturers, business cards printing companies, local chefs, and the list goes on a on.
A small investment, if you do it right.
Tickets to attend these fair trades as a visitor can go from 20 to 100 dollars (or euros, or equivalent in local currency). Many people visit these events because they are actually interested in the products or the industry organizing them. Who wouldn't want to spend an entire day at a Tech Fair taking a first-hand look at the latest technology in smartphones, virtual reality or artificial intelligence? Sounds like a lot of fun, that's for sure. But if you want to turn your visit into an investment, then you have to be prepared. Bring, of course, your business cards, and a not-so-much-but-well-enough-rehearsed speech of your product and don't forget to do your homework and find out who will also be there that you'd like to stay in touch with. Visit the stands of any potential client or buyer of your product or service, pay attention to how they're presenting themselves, observe your competitors too, if any. Learn. If it doesn't go that well the first time, take your time to figure out why so you can be prepared for the next time. Always remember: knowledge is power. And don't forget to localize!
“Without translation, we would be living in provinces bordering on silence.” George Steiner.
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