September 2003

Cheat Sheet: Attracting international attendees

By Linda Chandler

Marketing tips
Develop a prospect list. Enlist the help of overseas trade and professional associations. If you’re not aware of them, contact the embassies of the markets you wish to reach. A commerce officer likely has a list of professional organizations in his home country.

Contact the commerce section of the American embassies in your markets of interest. They can also help you find local contacts and offer advice on promoting your event.
Identify the organization’s needs in the American market. Offer them advertising trades, booths, sponsorships or trips for key personnel designed to meet those needs at your event in exchange for their help.

Pile on the perks
Assist international attendees with arranging pre- or post-show sightseeing trips. Offer a free trip to nearby sites of interest for VIP buyers.

Add value for international attendees by putting people together. Think beyond the traditional show match- making services. Are there other attendees a VIP from overseas might like to meet? What about industry or government trade contacts that might not even be at the show? Help them make the most of their time.

Identify important attendees and pay their way. It might not be a perk to offer everyone, but buyers who have clout and big budgets to spend are worth it.

Post-9/11 road map
Increased U.S. security issues have put international business visitors in a “fluid situation,” says Jim Boney, Director of the International Buyer Program of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC. Homeland Security policies may affect timing of mailings or require more advanced planning for attendees.

Visa clearance may take months. Even visitors from countries with reciprocity agreements with the United States may be subject to interviews and fingerprinting. The backlog can create uncertainty and later registration for exposition attendees. Boney recommends that show producers:
• Craft letters of invitation to attendee prospects and returning buyers and exhibitors, including their attendance history, to help make getting their visas easier. Do not, however, use language that endorses or pledges support to anyone.
• Build in time, particularly if visitors are coming from countries that do not enjoy reciprocity, since they’ll be subject to greater scrutiny. The amount of time needed will vary from location to location. Start checking with the Department of State about standard visa approval times a year out from your event, and check back every few weeks.

Look for partnership opportunities
The Telecommunications Industry Association’s SuperComm and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association’s Cable 2004 are pooling resources, coordinating joint mailings and promoting to similar customers to promote their shows that are only a week apart in 2004 in Chicago and New Orleans, says Cherif Moujabber, International Consultant, Creative Expos & Conferences, Walpole, MA. Combined programs and tours will occur during the days between the shows.

Web site resources
www.truste.org Information about U.S. and international e-mail privacy regulations.
www.srds.com Offers international directories for Pacific Rim, Europe and the Americas.
www.travel.state.gov Links to U.S. embassy and consulate sites, foreign consular offices in the United States, and travel and health warnings.
www.unitedstatesvisas.gov Includes steps required to obtain a visa and details about who must have visas.
www.buyusa.gov Lists services to help provide contacts, market shows and assist small and mid-sized businesses.
www.export.gov Links
to government programs promoting international trade.