JMA EXHIBITION

Guide for Overseas Exhibitors

During the Exhibition

General information

Exhibitor etiquette

Attracting & greeting visitors

Use of demos

Use of seminars

General Information

Completion of pre-exhibition activities is important in working towards a successful exhibition; however, results will eventually depend on the overall success achieved during the exhibition period. There are 8 focus points to be remembered during the exhibition period.

1. Creating an atmosphere conducive to open communication
2. Presence of top management at the event
3. Revealing new products
4. Daily PDCA from responsible staff
5. Booth management reflecting exhibition objectives
6. Clarification of staff roles and objectives
7. Implementing questionnaires
8. Presence of staff members able to explain finer details of products

Exhibitions today are less about passive exhibiting and more experience-oriented with visitors going away with a hands-on experience. A trade fair or exhibition is the ultimate forum for presenting products to interested buyers.

Here are some points to keep in mind during the exhibution:

-	The majority of visitors do not wait at exhibitions for assistance and instead go on to the next booth.

Waiting at Trade Shows

Data Source: Incomm Center for Trade Show Research and Sales Training, www.tradeshowresearch.com

-	The majority of visitors are more likely to stop at your booth if you offer samples or giveaways.

Booth Giveaways and Samples

Data Source: Incomm Center for Trade Show Research and Sales Training, www.tradeshowresearch.com

-	The majority of visitors feel that the personal sales assistance provided by representatives helped them recall a company's exhibit.

What Causes the Recall of an Exhibit

Data Source: Incomm Center for Trade Show Research and Sales Training, www.tradeshowresearch.com

Exhibitor Etiquette

1. Stay out of other companies' booths. 2. Do not solicit in the aisles. 3. Do not disrupt other exhibitors or visitors. 4. Stay out of your competitors' booths.

Attracting & greeting visitors

Attracting visitors and keeping them at your booth:

1.	Use bright, rich colors to decorate your booth as these colors are said to attract visitors to your booth
2.	Maintain a warm, relaxed and open atmosphere
3.	Provide some type of movement which will attract visitors' eyes to your booth
4.	Use high tech tools such as websites and web links to provide information to your clients and potential customers
5.	Make sure visitors are given all the information they need to make a calculated decision regarding your company and products
6.	Remember that the customer is king, which is especially true in the service industry in Japan
7.	Don't use a hard sell approach as transactions in Japan require group consensus
8.	Understand your customers and their motivations

Greeting visitors:

1.	Don't sit.
2.	Don't read.
3.	Don't eat or drink.
4.	Don't ignore attendees.
5.	Don' t talk on your cell phone.
6.	Don't stand where you block the entrance to your booth.
7.	Don't hand out literature freely.
8.	Don't cluster with friends and other booth staff.

Use of demos

1.	If you are doing a demonstration. Make sure that you practice it a lot before the show.
2.	Know every aspect of the equipment or product before the show.
3.	Position yourself so that you can see the audience and the product.
4.	Make eye contact.
5.	Anticipate questions and prepare answers prior to the show.
6.	Adjust to the audience.

Use of seminars

Many exhibitions offer concurrently running seminars. It is best to take advantage of these seminars as a speaker, revealing yourself as a leader in your industry. However, if you are unable to speak at these events it is still in your interest to attend the seminars offered. Contact the event secretariat if you are interested in speaking. The first to request this is usually given the right to speak. Certain speaking times may draw more interest than others. Early morning and the first day of exhibitions generally fail to excite as much interest as other times.