Driving Commercial success through International Tradeshows

With the International Calendar for Food and Drink shows becoming increasingly crowded how do you select the right show and ensure you team are fully prepared to excite your target buyers?

Introduction

If you’re a food or drink brand chasing serious growth, your playbook needs more than just great products—you’ve got to master the art of the international tradeshow. Picking the right markets, figuring out whether to push your brand or go Private Label, mapping your supply chain, and knowing exactly where your future customers actually shop—none of these steps are optional. Each one deserves real thought, and you’ll go further, faster, with help from an on-the-ground food specialist. (We’ll dive deeper into that in an upcoming blog.)

Once you’ve locked in your tradeshow spot, preparation is everything. The way your team shows up can make or break your bottom line. In this post, we’re sharing our best tips on how to crush your next show and turn buyer interest into real business.

• Research the market – understand the grocery landscape, how the retailers differentiate themselves and their top line strategies
• Understand the customer journey – where does you target customer shop
• Category insights and competitive landscape- what are you target customers buying today, how competitive is the market and what marketing messages are resonating with the consumers
• What makes your brand standout, its USP and right to win?

• What is success or define objectives– what would you like to achieve from the show? Buyer introductions, and invitation to pitch later to a buyer, screen distributors or agents, understand how the market accepts your products or brand
• Promote before the show, platforms such as Linked In are becoming an essential part of the B2B environment, have a marketing plan to build awareness before and during the show helping buyers understand your product offer and ease of finding your stand
• Building contacts, with badge scanning becoming the standard, ensure you have an effective plan B, and be sure you understand the reason for the enquiry after the show from your contact notes, a prompt follow up is important to build on the interest from the show.

Common Mistakes That Kill Your Tradeshow Impact:

• Letting Samples Run Wild (or Dry Up): Don’t end up feeding the masses with freebies for anyone who wanders by, but don’t starve your real buyers either. And whatever you do, make those samples look good. Pro move: have trade gift bags prepped with your pitch and key contact info, so serious buyers walk away remembering you.
• Bringing the Wrong Energy: Working a stand isn’t for the faint of heart. You need people who can light up a room, spot real leads in the crowd, and keep the energy high all day. Pick your team wisely and make sure they have back-up, so nobody burns out halfway through.
• Not Being Show-Ready: Tradeshows are expensive—there’s no excuse for not being 100% ready when the doors swing open. If you’re scrambling at the last minute, you’ll miss the buyers who matter most. Plan for extra setup time and make sure your stand is set to impress the second the show starts.
• Phoning It In—Literally: If your staff is glued to their phones or laptops, you’re wasting precious face time with potential buyers. Free up your on-stand team so they can actually connect and make an impact. The rest of the business can wait—your brand deserves full attention on the floor.

Some of the main Food & Drink shows over the coming 18 months include: –

(Dates may vary)

Looking to attend an international tradeshow either as a standalone exhibitor or co- ordinating an international pavillion? Give your team an advantage, lets connect and understand how the global team @Prof. Consulting Group can help you win fast!

 For more information or to discuss how Prof. Consulting Group can support your business, please contact us now.