© 1995 Dell Deaton, All Rights Reserved. USA
Show organizers and floor observers have found that exhibitors can be fit into one of three broad categories as their comfort in the market grows. Each has its own set of characteristics and support needs.
1. Exploratory phase.
These companies are exhibiting to watch, meet agents, see the competition. They want to keep expenses to a bare minimum. They are also highly dependent on the show organizer for instruction and promotion of their participation. Pavilion spaces and turnkey booth packages are attractive to them.
They are followers and, when asked why they are attending will often say, “Because the boss told us to go.”
2. Product phase.
These exhibitors are logistics focused and their increased investment on the floor almost exclusively consists of bringing samples and modest equipment displays. “The product sells itself,” they say, “all I have to do is put it in front of the customer.”
Additional technical staff may be on hand, and these exhibitors come away with a better idea of how the market will accept their offerings. Selling is reactionary: They figure out how to make the project work and deliver it only after someone buys from them.
3. Marketing phase.
These firms are committed for the long term. They take a comprehensive approach to the strategic positioning of their product and support systems to foster aggressive market penetration. The booth and staff are adapted for the specialized sales process in Mexico, and custom collateral materials have been developed.
These veterans have seen a few shows, faced some surprises, and are comfortable solving problems along the way; they are pro-active and resource independent.
Companies first enter the international arena for a variety of reasons. As a result, not all exhibitors enter at the same point and progress in sequence.
— Published July 1995 in Exhibit México (ISSN 1080-4072), Ann Arbor