Planning an overseas conference can be an exciting albeit stressful experience. But think of all the potential customers and international connections that can be made here.
To make it less painful though, I have written 5 simple tips that will ensure a high return on investment at your next conference in Japan.
1.)Research
Doing your research beforehand will guarantee that you will be able to make the most of your time at the conference. Your success there overall depends on 1) knowing the purpose of your attendance, 2) finding out your target audience, and 3) how to generate traffic to your booth
2.) Booth Setup
Bear in mind though that all the time, money, and effort that goes into designing your booth, make sure it looks good as it possibly can be. If you’re not sure where to start, below is a link with various booth designs and tradeshow infographics that you can use for inspiration:
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/trade-show-booth-design/
3.)What to bring to Japan
Depending on how much material you have, it may either be expensive to ship overseas or even costly carrying your conference material stuff in your suitcase(s).
Choose what makes the most sense for you to carry to Japan. Find out what you want to take with you, and figure out which items that you can print here.
There are plenty of copy machines in English (and in other languages) at convenience stores across the country, but if you’re looking for a certain type of printing for booklets, pamphlets, or brochures; that may require contact with some local vendors here. Don’t leave it up to chance though. The earlier you contact them, the less you’ll have to pay.
(Feel free to reference my previous blog post if you’re interested in knowing more about printing in Japan:
My personal advice is to load up on those business cards because you will most likely be giving away your contact information to just about everyone you meet in Japan, more so than the aforementioned conference items above.
4.) Use More Technology
Using paper isn’t the only way to make an impression with your prospects! Take advantage of tablet computers, other touch screen devices, TVs, and smartphones.
Most of us are interactive and visual creatures anyway.
Why not use most of these touchscreen devices to collect data from your customers? There are plenty of survey tools you can use at your disposal such as:
Furthermore, use your phone to communicate with your fellow attendants over Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Japanese are big users of these 3 platforms. Use these social media accounts as way to engage with your audience.
5.) Outsource your planning
Do you want to just simply land in Tokyo, not bother with any printing, booth setup, and just walk to your exhibit? Global Speed offers exhibition planning services for those interested in outsourcing the hassles of planning: https://exhibitionsjapan.com/