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By: Per Friis Knudsen

 

There are many reasons to participating in exhibitions and one of the most common ones are that it is a great place to visit both customers and suppliers, get the latest update on new technologies, or to gather new inputs to one’s own business. Or simply to get a price update from a supplier or have a meeting with a potential new and exciting customer. I usually visit exhibitions to be educated further and I have the mindset that I can always learn something new from these exhibitions as I’m a curious person myself. 

When we participate in exhibitions, I try to create the same thing with our own booth. We want our visitors to feel they visited a booth of interest. That there was something to learn about our products or about the industry. Small talk often leads to more talk and soon enough a conversation is in full swing where we all have learned something from each other. Technical information on wood, reference to new customers, discussion on a specific wood species for new product developments, and so on. There is so many topics to explore. Or simply that we have common friends/business partners, long lost business relations that can be reestablished etc. and we are all suddenly in the same boat. When meeting with several business partners, opportunities often occur as if out of thin air given the synergy of these exhibitions. 

The main objective when participating in a commercial exhibition is of cause to sell more products and improve the bottom line. We are not there to spend our money only to display that we sell wood. So, what makes an exhibition successful? Well, I have a few things I always go through when planning an exhibition trip: 

  1. First of all, make sure to pick the right exhibition. There are many to chose from, so maybe ask a couple of your best customers which they tend to visit.
  2. It is imperative that you secure a booth in a good location at the chosen exhibition. If you can locate yourself in the middle of everyone’s path, your brand is sure to receive much more exposure. 
  3. When we then are the exhibition, it is then my job to ensure that we get as many warm sales leads as possible. Good talks turn into good leads, which might turn into good customers with some love and attention.
  4. At the exhibitions we attend, many thousands come to visit. Therefore, we have the most amazing opportunity to strengthening our brand in the industry, increase awareness and attention about who we are and what our values are when trading with timber. 
  5. And lastly, the overall criterium is that we get value for money. If there’s one thing you can be certain of, it is that exhibitions are not cheap. They are hard work for all who have helped to prepare the booth and for the staff who are talking to customers and suppliers for hours and for several days. Make sure it’s worth the time and resources. 

Another benefit with participating in exhibitions is that I meet many of the people who are already in my network. Current customers and previous, potential, or new customers might stop by and see our booth. Even though these short meetings can’t make up for a traditional meeting, it is a great way to greet each other after a long time apart (COVID—19 did nothing good for face-to-face meetings). So, in a very short time I meet a lot of people I’d otherwise only have seen if I’d journeyed to their offices.  

When we participated in VietnamWood 2022 in Saigon, Vietnam, I met about 100 customers or potential customers from North- and Central Vietnam, from Malaysia, from Indonesia and also from India. I managed to meet a good old customer who has grown his business and has started to import more. We have now started business together and I hope it has generated some new long-term business relations. To me this was a successful exhibition because it was well visited by our target group with a good mix of active, old, and potential customers. On top of that there was a huge number of suppliers present as well. Yes, it brings competition to the market, but we work together with some of them, and those relations also need to be nurtured. It’s all ok and good to have friends in the industry. Good friends and good competitors are healthy for your business.