Feature: Tips from the Event Mechanic!

All of us have handled domestic events, and a subset of us have ventured outside of North America to attend or even run events. For many tradeshow organizers, the world outside the USA represents an scary thing, full of unknowns.

The tradeshow and conference world outside of the USA is an actually exciting place, if you know what you're doing. The ability to extend your business, grow international market segments and gain new customers is well worth the effort, both in good times and in bad. In the situation where you have the opportunity to run events overseas from the US, or provide a large amount of event support for shows with partners, some of the ideas in this week's column may help you make the events much more successful.

I recently had a conversation with Mary Larkin from Diversified Communications. As Group Vice President, Mary Larkin oversees All Things Organic™, Diversified's US integrative healthcare portfolio and Diversified's international portfolio of seafood tradeshows. Mary is Irish, and I am English, and since both of us have had extensive experience in running events overseas, here are a few tips on how to negotiate foreign waters and have fun with it!

One thing that Americans notice overseas is that although many things are the same, many are different. A good tip is to listen and observe what's going on first when you are overseas, especially when dealing with suppliers and convention staff. Failure to do so often results in miscommunication and bad times.

In many cases, your staff may have to be the 'Jacks or Jills of all trades." Be prepared to do manual work that you are not used to doing in the US (such as setting things up, lugging boxes etc.). Make sure the staff you select to travel to the event are OK with it too.

Make sure that you understand and adapt to local regulations with regard to set up, work hours and the like, so the local contractors are happy to work with you.

Customs regulations in other countries can be byzantine and complicated. Make sure that you add enough time to get your show shipments through customs and that you always have a plan B for important elements for the event (keep the originals of as many show pieces so you can reproduce them).

Part of being successful at any event is appearing local with an international reach. To do so in a non-English speaking country, you'll want to hire multilingual resources both before the event to translate key marketing documents for the show and during the event so you can fully understand your delegates and visitors and serve them as you do in the US.

The first three times you run a particular event will be trying and difficult, as you figure out how to make your experience profitable. Don't give up though, if overseas events are in your strategic plan. Keep at it!

Most non-American people who learn English learn the British version. Therefore when preparing your materials, try not to use American terms examples (trash-rubbish, aluminum-aluminium, trunk-boot, etc.), so again, you fit in better with the market.

People attending events overseas are used a minimum level of hospitality (coffee on the show floor, etc.). Make sure you check with your local partners when you are planning the operations for the event so that your hospitality is at least as good (if not better) than the local standard.

This is a factor that those who have never had don't expect. I remember traveling with someone to England where she slept most of the week we were there because it knocked all her systems off so much (I have a picture of her sleeping as the English countryside whizzes by... Here is a resource to help.

Ultimately, this list skims the surface of the issues of doing events overseas. Traveling is fun, and making connections in international markets cannot be matched, so embarking overseas is a great way to extend your brands and influence.

Keep your sense of humor and enjoy!

Warwick Davies is the Principal of The Event Mechanic!, a consulting company that helps event organizers realize greater revenues and profits by fixing 'broken' events and launching new ones both in the United States and internationally. His clients include event organizers in the information technology, healthcare, biotechnology construction and design engineering and executive event markets. Previously, Warwick was responsible for internationally recognizable event brands such as Macworld Conference and Expo, LinuxWorld Conference and Expo, and the Customer Relationship Management Conference and Exposition worldwide. For more information on The Event Mechanic! and past SISO The Event Doctor! columns please visit http://www.theeventmechanic.com/resources.html. He can be reached at Warwick@theeventmechanic.com or at 781 354 0119.

 Back to SISO Update