In order to make participation in an exhibition (fair) a more effective means of marketing communications, a company must carefully plan its participation and work in exhibition events.

The process of a company's participation in exhibitions can be divided into a number of interrelated and interdependent stages.

1. Making a fundamental decision to participate in exhibition events in itself indicates that the company has reached a certain level in its field of activity. This is primarily due to the fact that the exhibition is a place for demonstrating best practices. It is unlikely to help a company that offers outdated products of low quality. At the same time, participation in the exhibition requires significant investment, which not every enterprise can afford.

2. Exhibition activities must be clearly defined by the need to achieve the main marketing goals of the enterprise. These may include:

presentation of the company and its products;

study of sales markets;

search for new markets;

expansion of the number of clients;

introduction of a new product to the market;

determining possible demand for a new product;

search for new business partners;

studying competitors' offers;

positioning your products relative to competitors' services;

formation of a favorable image of the company;

direct sales of products and conclusion of contracts./1/

3. To achieve these and other possible goals, the choice of a specific exhibition in which the company will participate is decisive. Making this choice is quite difficult, if only because it is held annually great amount exhibition events. An effective solution to this issue is facilitated by a thorough analysis from the point of view of the interests and capabilities of the enterprise of the following aspects:

numerical and qualitative composition of participants and visitors;

level of business activity (number and total volume of concluded contracts) at the last exhibition. In this case, it is necessary to take into account possible intentional and unintentional distortions of published data;

the possibility of providing exhibition space and services;

conditions of participation in the exhibition;

developing a draft estimate for the company’s participation in the exhibition and studying whether the costs correspond to the company’s capabilities;

the final solution to the question: participation in which exhibition is most effective in achieving your goals. /1/

4. After the choice has been made in favor of a specific exhibition, the preparatory and organizational period begins. First of all, the travel company informs the exhibition organizing committee about its participation in it by submitting an appropriate application. In parallel with this, a number of organizational issues are being resolved, such as:

development of the concept and scope of the company’s participation in the exhibition;

compiling a list of exhibited products;

selection and training of personnel (commercial, service, stand staff, translators);

selection of a possible intermediary (agent) providing services to ensure participation in the exhibition;

determining the size of the required exhibition space and the volume of various material and financial resources;

development of a thematic plan for the exposition (exhibition stand);

concluding an agreement with the organizing committee, transferring to it the plan of the exhibition stand, as well as an order for necessary equipment and services./1/

After solving these issues, it becomes possible to develop a final estimate for the company’s participation in the exhibition. On average, the expenses of large companies for participation in exhibition events amount to 15-30% of all funds spent on Marketing communications. A typical cost structure for a company's participation in an exhibition is as follows.

5. After the official opening of the exhibition, the most intense and important stage begins - work during its functioning. A special role in ensuring success in exhibition activities belongs to stand staff - employees working in the public exhibition area at the company’s stand. It is advisable that the head of the marketing department or company be present at the stand during the exhibition. Usually it becomes known in advance (a day or two in advance) that the exhibition will be visited by high-ranking guests, foreign delegations, representatives of the press or television (you can check with the exhibition organizing committee about this). On such days, the presence of a manager at the stand can facilitate the conclusion of contracts and coverage of the company’s activities in the press or on television. The manager should not give “valuable” instructions to the stand staff in the presence of visitors; it is also unacceptable to hold meetings on improving work at the stand in the presence of visitors. The best thing a manager can do is to observe and draw the right conclusions: how much exhibition space is really needed for exhibitions of this type, what services are used most in demand, how to organize work at the stand next time. In addition, the head of the company can visit other exhibition stands. This will help to catch trends in the development of market conditions, evaluate the activities of competitors, and clarify your own position and the position of the company.

6. After the end of the exhibition and dismantling of the exposition, an analysis of the results of the company’s participation in the exhibition must be carried out.

The results of the exhibition can be divided into 2 groups:

organizational and commercial./1/

When carrying out organizational results, a journal kept during the preparation and operation of the exhibition can be of great help. This analysis can be significantly helped by answers to questions from everyone involved in the preparation and holding of the exhibition:

Was the chosen location for the stand successful?

Did the stand area correspond to the number of exhibits and the tasks set?

What inconveniences did you experience while working?

What did you need to order from the organizing committee among additional services and equipment?

What services and equipment could you do without? /1/

The list of such questions can be continued depending on the specifics of the exhibition, the purposes of participation in it, the characteristics of the products offered, etc.

Commercial results relate to objective indicators (the number of visitors who visited the company’s exposition; the volume of contracts concluded; the number of advertising information materials distributed, etc.).

In order to make participation in the exhibition the most effective means of marketing communications, a travel company must plan its participation and work at the event with special care.

The participation of a tourism enterprise in the exhibition can be divided into several interrelated and interdependent stages:

Making a fundamental decision on participation in exhibition events

Determining the goals of participation in the exhibition

Selecting a specific exhibition

Preparatory and organizational period

Work during the exhibition

Analysis of the results of the company’s participation in the exhibition

With a positive answer to the question of whether to participate or not to participate in the event, the company’s participation in the exhibition process begins. A wrong decision often predetermines failure, despite the highly professional work of the staff. To avoid this you should: firstly, clearly know what you can get from the exposure; secondly, analyze in detail both the external and internal conditions.

Making a fundamental decision to participate in the exhibition in itself indicates that the company has reached a certain level in its field of activity; moreover, participation in the exhibition requires the investment of significant funds, which not every tourism enterprise can afford.

The company’s activities at the exhibition must be clearly defined by the need to achieve the main marketing goals, which may include:

Presentation of the company and its products

Ability to reach target audience

Increasing awareness of existing and potential consumers

Identifying and stimulating customer needs.

Expanding the number of clients

Studying sales markets and searching for new markets

Introduction of a new product to the market and determination of possible demand for the new product

Search for new business partners

Studying competitors' offers

Positioning your products relative to competitors

Formation of a favorable image of the company

Direct sales of products and conclusion of contracts

To achieve the desired result for each of the goals, it is necessary to set the scale, i.e. the desired degree of goal implementation (for example: an increase in contacts with new visitors by 25% compared to the previous event), as well as the duration of the goal - the period during which the goal must be achieved.

Clarifying the goal helps to specify the means to achieve it and makes it easier to control the results of participation in the exhibition.

Market analysis includes the following parameters:

quality and volumes of products;

availability of funds and appropriate human resources;

the ability to provide the necessary exhibition space;

behavior of main competitors;

political and economic situation, etc.

At the same time, a positive answer to the question of whether to participate or not to participate at all is determined by two factors: the exponentiality (the trend of participation in exhibitions and fairs) of enterprises in the industry in which your company operates (for example, raw materials enterprises are not particularly exponential) and the exhibition activity of competitors.

To select a specific exhibition event, participation in which is most effective for achieving previously defined marketing goals, it is necessary to conduct a thorough analysis from the point of view of the interests and capabilities of the enterprise of the following circumstances:

Time and place of the exhibition

Numerical and qualitative composition of participants and visitors

Level of business activity (number and total volume of contracts concluded) at the last exhibition

Opportunities for providing exhibition space and services

Conditions of participation in the exhibition

Compliance of the expected costs of participation in this exhibition with the capabilities of the company

Experience shows that not all of our entrepreneurs have developed the correct hierarchy of these criteria for assessing the exponential opportunities of an exhibition (fair). Many of them are primarily concerned with issues of cost of participation or prestige, while these are secondary.

Consumer orientation assumes that the main information that needs to be obtained about the upcoming exhibition is qualitative and quantitative information about visitors, as well as exhibitors (among which special attention should be paid to competing firms)

These data need the most careful verification, since there is a very high probability that the organizers will try to pass off wishful thinking. To avoid this, you should collect as much information as possible about the organizers (especially if the event is being held for the first time) and the dynamics of the exhibition itself (for example, whether the number of participants is growing or not from year to year).

Many companies participate in exhibitions, as they say, “on the fly” (yesterday I received an invitation by fax - today I’m already at the exhibition). This naturally leads to all sorts of “punctures”.

A plan for participation in exhibitions must be developed by the advertising department (or other department responsible for this sector of work) for at least a year. And preparation for the main events, in which it is impossible not to participate, should be carried out ahead of time and systematically. (The exception here may be new exhibitions.)

Methods of preparation, organization, budget of expenses, and often the final result of participation in the exhibition depend on the method or form of participation: a tourist enterprise can act as an independent exhibitor or as part of group participation.

Experience shows that at foreign exhibitions and fairs group participation is most effective, i.e. work at collective national stands that maximally attract the attention of potential partners and clients.

Working at a collective stand frees exhibiting companies from part of the preparatory work, since the organizer of a single exposition - a consolidating company - takes upon itself negotiations with the exhibition organizers, obtaining information materials, preliminary catalogs, as well as the risk and costs of organizing prepayment for the exhibition space.

Despite the serious advantages of collective participation in exhibitions, for a particular travel company it also has a number of negative aspects:

Insufficient manifestation of the exhibitor's individuality

Weakening the sense of personal responsibility for the results of the exhibition for the company

Insufficient accumulation of organizational experience in participation in exhibitions and weakening of one’s own initiative

Thus, before deciding on the form of participation in an exhibition event, it is necessary to carefully weigh all the pros and cons for the enterprise, taking into account the specific situation.

However, there is no doubt about the significant contribution of collective national stands in promoting the national tourism product and in raising the image of the country/region/destination, provided professional organization operation of these stands.

After identifying a specific exhibition, the company begins organizational and preparatory activities, which, in addition to filing an application for participation in the exhibition, includes resolving the following organizational issues:

Development of the concept and scope of the company’s participation in the exhibition

Compiling a list of exhibited products

Selection and preparation of commercial, service personnel, stand staff, translators, etc.

Determining the size of the required exhibition space and the volume of various material and financial resources

Development of a thematic plan for the exhibition - i.e. exhibition stand

Concluding an agreement with the exhibition organizing committee and transferring to it a plan of the exhibition stand and an order for the necessary equipment and services.

After solving the above issues, it becomes possible to develop a final estimate for the company’s participation in the exhibition. On average, expenses large companies for participation in exhibition events account for 15 - 30% of all funds allocated for advertising and marketing communications. A typical cost structure for participation in the exhibition is shown in Fig. 2.

Rice. 2.

At the preparatory stage, great importance is attached to advertising participation, which includes activities such as:

Inclusion of a company in the official catalog of an exhibition/fair - for this purpose a special application must be submitted

Publications in periodicals oriented towards target groups visitors

Distribution of individual invitations and personalized invitation cards to partners and interested clients. Entry passes provided to exhibitors by the exhibition administration create a particularly favorable impression as a sign of special attention to guests

It is equally important to plan in advance your own presentations, press conferences, and round tables, including them in the program of parallel events of the exhibition.

Considering that the preparation procedure for the exhibition takes a significant period - from 20 to 52 weeks, it is extremely important to develop a schedule of activities with a clear definition of the timing of each event. Such schedules are indispensable for ensuring the coordination of individual actions, monitoring their implementation and timely changes, which becomes impossible if all preparation for the exhibition is left to the last minute.

After the official opening of the exhibition, the most important and intense stage begins - the actual work during the functioning of the exhibition. An exclusive role in ensuring success in exhibition activities belongs to stand staff - employees working in the public exhibition area, at the company’s stand. The work of the staff and managers of the travel company at the exhibition is discussed in more detail in the following paragraphs.

The main stages of preparation and participation of the company in fairs (exhibitions)

A company’s participation in a particular fair or exhibition requires certain costs and can ultimately provide not only a positive result, but also bring some losses, or even create a negative opinion about the company and its product. To avoid the latter, it is necessary to carefully substantiate a whole series of management decisions, the implementation of which should ensure effective participation in the work of each specific fair or exhibition.

First of all, it is necessary to find informed solutions to the following main problems:

Determine the feasibility of the company’s participation in a specific fair or exhibition;

Provide quality preparation for participation in the selected fair or exhibition;

Organize the work of fair or exhibition staff at the proper level;

Summarize the results of participation in a specific event and develop appropriate marketing solutions.

In general, preparation and participation in fairs and exhibitions can be represented as a process that includes the following stages (Fig. 9.1).

Rice. 9.1. The main stages of preparation and participation of the company in fairs (exhibitions)

Stage making a decision on the company’s participation in the fair (exhibition) is divided into the following stages :

1. Determining the goals of the company’s participation in the fair (exhibition).

Basic purpose participation of a company in the work of a fair (exhibition) is to ensure effective entrepreneurial activity V long term. This goal and its achievement should be subordinated to lower-level goals, in particular the goal of implementing the marketing mix.

2. Selecting an exhibition (fair) in which the enterprise will participate.

In order to choose the right fair (exhibition) for participation, an enterprise should conduct marketing research.

3. Choosing a way to participate in the fair (exhibition).

There are the following forms participation in the exhibition (fair):

Individual participation at a personal stand;

Joint participation at a collective stand;

Business tour.

4. Determining funds for participation in the fair (exhibition).

The funds allocated by the company for participation in a particular fair or exhibition must be justified and sufficient to achieve the stated goals.

On preparation stage it is necessary to draw up a work plan that defines all types of activities in a clear time sequence and taking into account the time for their implementation. It is also necessary to inform the organizing committee of the exhibition (fair) about the participation of the enterprise in it by submitting an appropriate application

Stage of participation in the fair (exhibition) is the most intense and responsible period.

A special role in ensuring the success of a company’s participation in a fair (exhibition) belongs to the stand and stand staff.

Stand – This is a miniature image of the exhibiting enterprise.

The stand has three functional parts:

- exhibition space;

Places for negotiations;

Utility rooms.

The following are distinguished: types of stands:

A) stands located in indoors:

Stand in a row;

Corner stand;

Head stand;

Block stand;

b) stands located in the open air.

Standists – These are employees working in the public exhibition area, at the company’s stand.

On stage of summing up the results of participation in the fair (exhibition) the firm determines its effectiveness.

Main reasons for unsuccessful participation in the work of individual activities are:

The goals of firms' participation in the fair or exhibition are not clearly formulated. This is typical for approximately 40% of exhibiting companies;

The company's exposition is not presented and designed at the proper level;

Potential visitors to the fair or exhibition were not aware of the company's participation in this event. About 80% of exhibiting firms do not promote their exposition before the start of the fair or exhibition;

The personnel of exhibiting companies is not trained at the proper level. As studies show, more than half of all exhibitors do not train personnel working at fairs or exhibitions;

During fairs or exhibitions, not enough attention is paid to marketing research of existing problems;

The analysis of a company's participation in the work of each specific fair or exhibition is not sufficiently substantiated. At the same time, ongoing research shows that only every fifth company uses the results of such analysis in its subsequent work.

EXHIBITION ACTIVITIES IN RUSSIA AND ABROAD Gusev E. B.

19.2. THE PROCESS OF ORGANIZING THE PARTICIPATION OF A TRAVEL COMPANY IN THE EXHIBITION

In order to make participation in an exhibition a more effective means of marketing communications, a travel company must carefully plan its work. The process of organizing an exhibition is a complex set of organizational, contractual, and diplomatic events. Sometimes the organization of a large international exhibition takes more than one year.

Over the last decade, the number of exhibitions has increased sharply, therefore, the number of companies specializing in this type of services has increased, and competition between them contributes to an increase in the level of professionalism.

However, it is the head of the travel company who is responsible for making a decision on participation in a particular tourism exhibition or fair.

For participation to be effective, you must first answer the following questions:

What product does the company offer and how does its price correspond to quality?

Which client and from which regions does the company seek to attract?

The process of participation of a travel company in the exhibition can be divided into a number of stages:

1). making a fundamental decision on participation in the exhibition/fair;

2). determining the goals of the company’s participation in the exhibition;

3). choosing a specific exhibition in which the company will participate;

4). preparatory and organizational period;

5). development of a thematic plan for the exhibition and cost of participation in the exhibition;

6). work during the functioning of the exhibition;

7). summing up the results of the company’s participation in the exhibition after its completion.

Making a fundamental decision on participation in exhibition events indicates that the travel company has reached a certain level in its field of activity. At the same time, participation in the exhibition requires significant investment, which not every tourism enterprise can afford.

Exhibition activities are aimed at achieving basic marketing goals tourism enterprise, among which:

Presentation of the travel company and its products;

Study of sales markets;

Search for new markets;

Expanding the number of clients;

Introduction of a new tourism product to the market;

Determining possible demand for a new product;

Search for new business partners;

Studying competitors' offers;

Positioning of your products relative to competitors’ tour products;

Formation of a favorable image of a travel company;

Direct sales of products and conclusion of contracts.

To achieve goals it is important selection of a specific exhibition, in which a travel agency will participate. As we have already noted, a huge number of exhibition events are held annually, so assessing such aspects as:

Time and place of the exhibition;

Numerical and qualitative composition of participants and visitors;

Level of business activity (number and total volume of contracts concluded) at the last exhibition;

Possibility of providing exhibition space and services;

Conditions of participation in the exhibition;

Who is the organizer, how long has he been involved in this type of business;

Developing a draft estimate for the company’s participation in the exhibition and studying whether the costs correspond to the company’s capabilities.

Having studied all these aspects, it is necessary to get an answer to the question: “Participation in which exhibition will give the greatest effect in achieving the goals of this travel company.”

The choice of exhibition is made based on the stated goals of participation in the exhibition and factors such as:

Direction of the tourist product (entry, outbound, educational, business, etc.);

Compliance with the tourist region;

Financial capabilities of a travel company;

The prestige of the exhibition and its appearance;

Language of the region where the exhibition is held.

The decision on participation or non-participation in the exhibition can only be made by the first person of the company. He must have EVERYTHING in advance necessary information for ALL exhibitions planned during the year, their dates, volumes, territorial location. Only with such information can one assess the class of the exhibition, its significance for the travel company and the degree of need to participate in it. Actions to compile (receive) general plan exhibitions can be considered as the first step towards preparing for a specific exhibition.

The collection of necessary data should be carried out by a group of managers responsible for promoting the tourism product. After generalization, the data is transferred to the manager with accompanying material and comments expressing certain wishes of the analysts, taking into account possible «+» And «-» . The more experienced the team is responsible for preparing and collecting information, the more seriously every opinion will be taken into account by the company's management.

When the decision to participate in the exhibition is made, concrete actions begin.

During preparatory and organizational period The travel company informs the exhibition organizing committee about its participation in it by submitting an appropriate application. At the same time, a number of organizational issues are being resolved, such as:

Development of the concept and scope of the company’s participation in the exhibition;

Compiling a list of exhibited tourism products;

Selection and training of personnel (commercial, service, stand staff, translators);

Development of plans commercial work, advertising and protocol events;

Selecting a possible intermediary (agent) providing services to ensure participation in the exhibition;

Determining the size of the required exhibition space and the volume of various material and financial resources;

Development of a thematic plan for the exposition (exhibition stand);

Concluding an agreement with the organizing committee, transferring to it a plan of the exhibition stand, as well as an order for the necessary equipment and services.

For a certain fixed period, no later than a month before the start of the exhibition, an application for participation in the exhibition is filled out and sent to the organizing committee. It indicates all the details of the company: country, address/telephone, current account number. The essence of the application is preliminary registration and reservation of exhibition space. The application letter confirms the company’s agreement with the provisions of this exhibition and the rules for its holding. This is a kind of agreement between the parties. Upon receipt of the application, a confirmation is sent in response to the registration of the company in the directory of participants and the allocation of the required amount of space subject to payment. Payment for participation must be made within 5–10 days. Confirmation guarantees receipt of a basic set of services.

To receive additional services, the company selects what it considers necessary and indicates the quantity. So, the most common additional services are: workplace, accreditation, publication in the catalogue, production of signs and branded advertising, replication of business cards, brochures, services of translators and support staff. Of course, many companies prefer to produce their exhibition materials from specialized agencies and only bring them to the exhibition.

As a rule, applications (the form may vary) stipulate the following main points:

Providing rental of exhibition space (open or closed);

Rental and installation of exhibition equipment (exhibition module stand in accordance with the exhibition stand plan);

Installation of sockets, additional lamps;

Rent and installation of podiums for exhibits;

Providing additional services or equipment, hangers, cabinets, refrigerator, telephone, tables, chairs, whatnots, etc.;

Inscription on the frieze (company name above the exposition).

Today there is no legislation regulating tariffs for certain types of exhibition business services. They are set by the company organizing the exhibition at its discretion (they can vary greatly from exhibition to exhibition). The amount you paid will be subject to VAT and special tax, as well as an insurance premium.

In almost all cases, the organizing company insures the participating companies. Pay special attention to whether insurance is included in one of the clauses of the contract or not. If not, achieve it.

It should be borne in mind that the reservation of space for participation in any exhibition must be made in advance. At the same time, it is possible to independently book the necessary space at the exhibition administration or through a consolidating company. A consolidator is a company well known to the exhibition organizers, which constantly acquires exhibition space (usually large volumes), equips it, and takes on a number of organizational issues.

There are several such consolidating companies in Russia: in Moscow - OJSC Moscow Exhibition and Congress Agency, MKB, ITE International; in St. Petersburg - CJSC "St. Petersburg Express" and a number of others.

The timing of booking space for different exhibitions varies, but if possible, it is best to book space for participation in the next exhibition immediately after the end of the forum, i.e. a year in advance.

An “Activity Plan” (action plan) is being developed, which indicates all the main details regarding the future exhibition: the goals of participation in the exhibition, the place, dates and time of its holding, the persons responsible for the design of the stand, for the organization and coordination of all the details (specifically - who /what), for delivery of materials to the stand. Brief information is also provided about other participating companies (dealers/competitors), the specifics of the exhibition and the nature of its holding. In conclusion, a minimum of papers that require approval and preparation are indicated, without which all work will be meaningless: invitations, tickets, documents for cars, press releases, advertising brochures, leaflets, business cards.

As one of the attachments to the Activity Plan is attached detailed list things and objects that need to be taken to the exhibition. The presence of this document greatly streamlines the storage and accounting of things, guarantees timely replenishment of the company’s “strategic reserves” at the stand (food, leaflets), facilitates their search, and identifies missing items.

To others important document is a questionnaire for recording (surveying) stand visitors. To accumulate reliable statistical information, company management must determine a list of issues of interest and the order in which they should be followed.

Supporting documents also include special invitation. It is sent directly (to companies/personally by direct mail) and is a universal method of attracting potential clients. Usually an invitation is attached to the letter. With this letter, the participating travel agency invites people involved in this area to the exhibition stand for a more detailed acquaintance with the type of tourism product it offers.

One of the problems is the delivery and placement of exhibition materials at the stand. You must indicate in advance what, when and where you are going to import. To deliver all the necessary exhibition materials and equipment to the stand, a letter of application is drawn up with a request for the issuance of passes for vehicles and permission to transport/export cargo. This letter must be addressed to the organizing company (addressed to the director) and contain a detailed list of imported items.

Also check in advance for how long BEFORE and AFTER the exhibition you can import/export cargo. This will avoid misunderstandings and ensure a clear schedule of actions.

The other side of the issue is the installation and arrangement of exhibits at the stand. Think about the exhibition in advance, based on the size of the stand. Are friezes and posters lit correctly? Are samples and slides clearly visible? Are the shields securely fastened? Is the lettering and overall color scheme attractive?

After these issues are resolved, it becomes possible to develop a final estimate for the company’s participation in the exhibition. On average, the expenses of large companies for participation in exhibition events amount to 15–30% of all funds spent on marketing communications.

Stage developing a thematic plan for your exhibition includes:

Final selection of product samples to be demonstrated;

Development of company stands taking into account the allocated areas, the height of the exhibition premises, possibilities for providing electricity, water supply, etc.;

The general layout of the company's exposition is the distribution of exhibits into thematic sections in accordance with the logic of revealing the main theme of the exposition.

It should be borne in mind that the size of the exhibition module plays a certain representative role, but much more important is the original, high-quality design of exhibits, well-functioning work of stand staff, attentive attitude towards visitors, and attractive advertising.

Often, exhibition organizing committees offer standard exhibition modules of various sizes and configurations. This does not mean that a travel agency does not have the opportunity to order a stand according to its own sketches. But it must fit organically into the allotted space and not fall out of general composition exhibition and this should be agreed upon with the organizing committee in advance.

There are often cases when the finances of a travel company are limited, and it is forced to purchase exhibition space on an equity basis with other participants. In this case, it may turn out that the joint area is too small for the partners to work normally. In addition, travel agencies using such “stands” are not perceived as reputable partners.

At the same time, joint stands can play a role positive role for their participants, when national tourism administrations act as a single thematic stand. This is what HTAs do in Germany, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, the UAE and a number of others.

When decorating a stand, it is better to use the services of a professional decorator or designer to create a unique, unique atmosphere that expresses the spirit, style, image of the travel agency, which is a symbol of confidence, solidity, quality, and tranquility. Sketch being a clear example stand on paper, allows you to evaluate the future exhibition and imagine the location of the exhibits.

After installation of the exposition and the official opening of the exhibition, the next stage begins - work during its operation. A big burden falls on the staff, whose correctness and friendliness will make you want to do business with you. Proper lighting and music (as an option) will attract everyone's attention (perhaps even TV crews, and this is a chance for free advertising).

It is advisable that the head of a travel company be present at the stand during the exhibition. If his presence throughout the working day is impossible, it is necessary that there be a schedule at the stand indicating on what days and times one of the managers will be there.

It is usually known in advance that the exhibition will be visited by high-ranking guests, foreign delegations, representatives of the press or television (information about this can be obtained from the exhibition organizing committee). On such days, the presence of a manager can contribute to the conclusion of lucrative contracts, coverage of the company’s activities in the press or on television.

It should also be remembered that there are optimal international rules for conducting negotiations during an exhibition: the meeting should last no more than 20 minutes. During negotiations, only tea, coffee or mineral water are served.

In addition, the head of a travel company can visit other exhibition stands. This will help to catch trends in the development of market conditions, evaluate the activities of competitors, and clarify your own position and the position of the company.

Since the contact of visitors and specialists with the exposition of the travel agency is very short, work is being done to establish communications with the desired target audience. For this it is advisable:

Send invitations to local business representatives in advance;

Ensure the availability of a sufficient number of advertising media at the company’s stand.

At the same time, it is customary to place some advertising products so that visitors take them with them. It is better to store materials for regular or established clients, managers of companies visiting the stand in the office along with the documents necessary for negotiations.

Among the events designed to interest the public are presentations, competitions on the theme of the exhibition, lotteries, etc.

After completion of the exhibition must be done analysis of the results of the company’s participation in the exhibition. The results of the exhibition can be divided into two groups:

Organizational;

Commercial.

When summing up organizational The following factors are taken into account:

Was the location chosen for the stand successful?

Was the stand layout successful? did the stand area correspond to the number of exhibits and the assigned tasks;

What inconveniences occurred during work;

What needed to be ordered from the organizing committee among additional services and equipment;

What services and equipment could you do without?

Commercial results are objective indicators: the number of visitors who visited the company’s exposition, potential clients, and as a result - the volume of concluded contracts with old and new clients; number of distributed advertising and information materials, etc.

At the end of each exhibition, a note is compiled that briefly reflects all the problems that arose during preparation, ways and means of solving them, and lessons for the future. It is advisable to analyze after the end of the exhibition pricing policy competitors, assess your ability to reduce prices on individual species tourist product. It is useful to compile a review of all exhibitions in which the travel agency participated, taking into account the types of costs (rent, transportation, travel expenses, production of advertising materials, staff food, etc.). Having such information, it is easy to determine whether the cost of a particular type of service has changed from exhibition to exhibition (see Table 19.2).

At the same time, the cost of installation/dismantling is approximately 1/5 of all costs; the cost of food is 1/6-1/7 of all expenses.

Thus, after the exhibition, it is possible to estimate the “volume” of the exhibition event in monetary terms, the costs per visitor in relation to the total number, percentage useful contacts and business meetings.