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| Guide
for Overseas Exhibitors |
| Before
the Exhibition>Step3:Physical Preparation |
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| Activities
performed in home country |
| Prepare
display item materials |
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Large quantities
of all of the following should be made available to Japanese importers
and potential partners:
1. Company outline |
Company name
Fax numbers
# of employees
Export experience |
Address
Capital
Banks used |
Telephone numbers
Annual turnover
Main products |
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| 2. Product
pamphlets |
Catalogs
Descriptions
Transaction conditions
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Pictures
Price lists
Market info |
Specifications
Packing lists (L x W x H) |
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| 3. Samples
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Small, portable,
and cleanly presented
All materials should be offered in Japanese. English is also
understood by many businesspeople in Japan, but other languages
will not be useful at all. It is recommended that you bring
a sufficient number (200+) of English business cards. It is
possible to have business cards printed in Japan in a few
days in both English and Japanese (at about 3000 yen/ 200
cards). In addition, product displays should be prepared in
advance. These include visual aides like panels, illustrations,
demo videos, etc. Take into account that panel size varies
per event. Positioning of illustrations and demo video materials
should also be considered when planning booth layout. Most
all video and presentation materials may be rented or purchased
from the official contractor for the event or locally. Make
a list and schematic of your booth before deciding on activities. |
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| PR
before the exhibition |
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Most exhibitions
offer their own PR making use of media such as radio, TV, and newspaper.
You may want to advertise your participation and location at an
event beforehand in a related industrial periodical. Radio advertisements
are obviously less expensive than those on television, but internet
and newspaper or magazine marketing generally lasts longer and is
able to reach a more specific audience. In advertising quantity
is not necessarily as important as quality. It is a good idea to
advertise the event you will participate in directly to your customers
and at your place of business as a means of increasing your image
as an internationally savvy company with global connections.
Novelty items are usually looked upon favorably and should be prepared
beforehand. These may include pens, bags, key chains, posters, stickers,
and other small portable items with your logo or contact information
on them. Remember that your customers are probably traveling home
by train and might not want to carry cumbersome items with them. |
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| Prepare
company information |
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| The Secretariat
of most exhibitions will offer a press and media room in which information
is kept for public perusal. Be sure to make sure your company information
is kept here as many visitors use this space for meetings and as
a rest area. You may need to fill out a special form for use of
the press room. Please be aware that Japanese paper sizes differ
from Western sizes and be sure to prepare the proper sized materials
for display in the press room. The standard size for PR materials
in Japan is generally A4. |
| Standard
Japanese paper sizes |
| 4A |
168.2 x 237.8 |
4B |
200 x 282.8 |
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| 2A |
118.9 x 168.2 |
2B |
141.4 x 200 |
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| A0 |
84.1 x 118.9 |
B0 |
100 x 141.4 |
B0 |
103 x 145.6 |
C0 |
91.7 x 129.7 |
| A1 |
59.4 x 84.1 |
B1 |
70.7 x 100 |
B1 |
72.8 x 103 |
C1 |
64.8 x 91.7 |
| A2 |
42 x 59.4 |
B2 |
50 x 70.7 |
B2 |
51.5 x 72.8 |
C2 |
45.8 x 64.8 |
| A3 |
29.7 x 42 |
B3 |
35.3 x 50 |
B3 |
36.4 x 51.5 |
C3 |
32.4 x 45.8 |
| A4 |
21 x 29.7 |
B4 |
25 x 35.3 |
B4 |
25.7 x 36.4 |
C4 |
22.9 x 32.4 |
| A5 |
14.8 x 21 |
B5 |
17.6 x 25 |
B5 |
18.2 x 25.7 |
C5 |
16.2 x 22.9 |
| A6 |
10.5 x 14.8 |
B6 |
12.5 x 17.6 |
B6 |
12.8 x 18.2 |
C6 |
11.4 x 16.2 |
| A7 |
7.4 x 10.5 |
B7 |
8.8 x 12.5 |
B7 |
9.1 x 12.8 |
C7 |
8.1 x 11.4 |
| A8 |
5.2 x 7.4 |
B8 |
6.2 x 8.8 |
B8 |
6.4 x 9.1 |
C8 |
5.7 x 8.1 |
| A9 |
3.7 x 5.2 |
B9 |
4.4 x 6.2 |
B9 |
4.5 x 6.4 |
C9 |
4 x 5.7 |
| A10 |
2.6 x 3.7 |
B10 |
3.1 x 4.4 |
B10 |
3.2 x 4.5 |
C10 |
2.8 x 4.0 |
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| Note:
All sizes are in centimeters. |
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| Prepare
ad for the Official Guidebook |
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| The official
guidebook is an invaluable tool for advertising your company name
and products and is usually free of charge. Placing an advertisement
in a guidebook acquaints people from around the world with your
company. Considering that guidebooks often end up sitting on desktops
at least until the next edition, the effect your ad has will be
felt for a long period. |
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| Prepare
invitations |
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| Invitations
to be given to Japanese clients may be produced fairly cheaply in
Japan. It is a good idea to have them written in Japanese, as English
invitations may tend to be written in difficult script or use formal
language. A translation company may be able to produce invitations
for low cost as they generally charge by the word. Remember that
translation companies in Japan generally charge less than those
abroad for translations into Japanese. Japanese addresses are generally
arranged in the following order when written using the Roman alphabet: |
Name------------------------------
Department------------------------
Company---------------------------
Street number, Town---------------
Ward ("ku"), City-------------------
Prefecture, Postal code-------------
Country---------------------------- |
Mr. Ken Knight
Convention Division
Japan Management Association
3-1-22 Shibakoen
Minato-ku, Tokyo
105-0011
JAPAN |
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Note: In this
example Tokyo is also the name of the prefecture.
Japanese addresses written in Japanese script do not follow this
model and vary depending upon whether written horizontally or vertically. |
Sample English Invitation |
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The pleasure of your company is requested
in celebration of the opening of the
Japan Home & Building Show 2004
at 7 P.M. on Friday, October 29th, 2004
in the Green Room of the Tokyo Prince Hotel
Tokyo, Japan
Please R.S.V.P. by January 10th, 2004.
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| Organize
/ Schedule receptions |
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Almost all
exhibitions hold exhibitor receptions. Use this opportunity to actively
communicate with potential partners and plan operations. You may
also find time to speak with the Secretariat of the exhibition and
ensure that all operations run more smoothly.
You may wish to have a small reception for your own visitors in
a nearby hotel or business center. This is the perfect chance to
show your customers exactly how much you value their business. Make
sure to invite clients far enough in advance that they are able
to make time to attend your event and be sure to send personalized
invitations to help ensure participation. |
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| Travel
and accomodations |
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| Most exhibitions
have official airlines or travel agencies and many of these offer
discounted travel fares or accommodation packages. Search the internet
for travel plans specially made for the event you are planning to
attend. The Secretariat of the exhibition you are participating
in should be able to provide you with a list of hotels convenient
to the exhibition site. |
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| Prepare
to send and receive items |
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The following
chart indicates the typical sequence of shipping activities in Japan.
(This chart depicts the flow for JMA’s FOODEX JAPAN exhibition.)
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| Use
of ATA Carnet |
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ATA Carnet
is a system of tracking exhibitor display items and exhibition oriented
products as they enter and leave national borders. A diary is kept
throughout shipping operations and all items are accounted for.
This system is not available for all exhibitions due to the nature
of products exhibited, however, this is a duty-free service and
has its advantages. For more information see the following:
http://www.jcaa.or.jp/e/index-e.html
It is important to remember that the Secretariat of most exhibitions
will not allow exhibition items to be sent to their offices and
that it will be necessary for these items to be sent through an
agent or to yourself at the exhibition area. |
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| Use
of an Agent |
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| Issues like
insurance, customs and duties, and declaration forms can be taken
care of easily through the use of a shipping agent. There is a huge
pool of overseas shipping agents in nearly every country within
easy access. Please be aware that shipping agents are not able to
provide ATA Carnet services and taxes as well as other additional
costs may be required. An agent will be able to hold items until
they are deliverable at the exhibition venue. Keep in mind that
surface shipping (nautical) times vary depending on distance and
can take up to a month and a half from Europe or North America and
even longer from other areas. Air delivery takes considerably less
time. Contact your local Japanese embassy for further information
on suggested freight carriers. |
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| Activities
performed in Japan |
| Participate
in pre-show activities at exhibition hall |
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| Receiving and
unpacking display materials and preparing displays and demonstrations
is done during “move-in” periods immediately preceding
the event. You should be informed of “move-in” and “move-out”
dates when you apply to exhibit and may also find this information
available online at the official website. You may want to bring
your own mobile means of communication (“walkie-talkies”
or cellular phones) to avoid confusion during the construction period
and the show itself. |
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| Design
& construct your booth |
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| Booth construction
and decoration varies by exhibition type, group affiliation and
overall exhibitor objectives. Be sure to consider what type of booths
are available and what types fit your needs. Also check the exhibitor
manual and display rental items manual for the exhibition you are
considering entering. The official booth construction company may
offer a number of layouts and a variety of materials. Most exhibitions
also allow exhibitors to hire their own agents to build and decorate
their booths as long as this is done in accordance with the rules
presented in the exhibitor manual. There are now a huge number of
companies specializing in booth construction and this has recently
become a booming industry on its own. |
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| Prepare
proper booth atmosphere for business talks |
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| 1. |
Space should be set aside for negotiations
with visitors during the trade fair. This space should not
be visible from outside and should be reserved as a VIP space.
A staff member should also be available to deal with VIPs. |
| 2. |
Light refreshments may also lighten the mood.
If possible your product should be served. |
| 3. |
A Japanese staff member may be able to better
assist in receiving Japanese visitors and offering interpreting
during meetings. A familiar face may also help older Japanese
executives relax. |
| 4. |
All information should be available in Japanese. |
| 5. |
Any products served should be served in small
and tasteful portions. Any processing or preparation should
be done modestly. |
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| Create
a visitor log |
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| A record of
visitors should be made for post-event analysis and follow-up. This
will serve two purposes. Firstly, this will offer data for analysis
of event success. Secondly, this will ensure that important visitors
are not forgotten when the exhibition has ended. Log entries should
be reviewed and notes taken on a daily basis during the event so
that no information is lost. |
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Date/
Time
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Jan 26,2004 8:50 AM |
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| Family
Name |
Ms. Smith
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| Given
Name |
Jane |
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| Position |
Marketing Manager |
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| Company |
AB12, Ltd. |
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| E-mail |
jsmith@ab12.com |
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| URL |
www.ab12.com |
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| Tel/
Fax |
Tel: +1(234) 567-8910 |
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| All Rights Reserved,Copyright(C)2005
JAPAN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION. |
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