

Written by Vivian Chen, Marketing & Communications Manager, EU SME Centre
Participating in a trade fair is an effective way to explore a new international market. It helps your company better understand the market and its competitive landscape, enhance brand visibility, and find new clients or potential partners.
However, to leverage the experience to the best interest of your company, you need to develop a detailed plan and make careful preparation in advance. Here are a number of tips to help you get better prepared before, during and after a trade fair in China.
Before the Event
During the Event
After the Event
Follow up on questions and potential leads. Send your potential clients a letter or a thank-you card, possibly with a product sample or a small gift.
Make sure you answer all the questions you have received. But act quickly. Leads will lose interest if not contacted a timely manner, and this can be very detrimental for your investment.
Therefore, it is highly recommendable to develop a post-fair marketing strategy well before attending the event.
About Official Country Pavilions
You can also benefit from financial and organisational support from your home countries by joining official national pavilions at trade fairs.
Much of the support is allocated through international trade funding assigned by almost all of the EU Member States in support of their national enterprise network.
As for China, the Country Pavilions are professionally organised by foreign trade companies, and exhibitors are provided with high-quality booth design “under one roof” (i.e. made in Italy, made in Germany etc. etc.) as well as with extra services, such as translation, match making meetings with some large customer, and others.
To join your country national pavilion you need to apply in your home country. The application procedures may take up to more than 4 or 5 months, so we suggest you to apply at least six months in advance.
If you need further advice on selecting and preparing for a trade fair in China, contact our experts.
About the EU SME Centre
The EU SME Centre in Beijing provides a comprehensive range of hands-on support services to European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), getting them ready to do business in China. We provide support in four areas – business development, law, standards and conformity and human resources. Collaborating with external experts worldwide, the Centre converts valuable knowledge and experience into practical business tools and services easily accessible online.
From first-line advice to in-depth technical solutions, we offer services through Knowledge Centre, Advice Centre, Training Centre, SME Advocacy Platform and Hot-Desks. The Centre is funded by the European Union and implemented by a consortium of six partners – the China-Britain Business Council, the Benelux Chamber of Commerce, the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, the French Chamber of Commerce in China, the EUROCHAMBRES, and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.