Diplomatic Economic Club^{® Since 1997}

Trade exhibitions as a marketing tool for enterprises that focus on the domestic market and on foreign markets in the modern context of 2020.

Anatoly Butenko, „ВТ 1“

Now and in the future, economic relations will develop to adapt to the events that the world has experienced, and new approaches to the planning and development of enterprises will emerge.

As a result, enterprises will have to establish new contacts. Why? Because the following happened during this period:
– they had already been „forgotten“ due to competition in the market;
– a break up with business partners due to force majeure circumstances had occurred, as deliveries had been irrevocably suspended and left with the money pending, damaging the company’s reputation;
– the management had partially changed (no one has ever denied the importance of personal contacts);
– „natural selection“ took place.

The experience of enterprises during any post-crisis time shows that the principle of „I’ll buy a kiosk, make the window larger, sit, and trade“ does not work. Therefore, enterprises are trying to divide their economic development into different parts.

At the stage of business recovery, an exhibition functions as a breath of fresh air to search for a contact — a professional one, a consumer one — as all market participants get to know each other again. Why do they have to do this again?
Well, they do this again as for someone the product is new; for others, though, the following confirmation is very important: „Yes, we exist, and we will continue to exist!“

In the period of „extraordinary conditions“, there is a partial decrease in activity. The wait-and-see approach („when it’s over, then we will start working again“) is wrong. Why?
The answer is plain to see: there is competition.

In this regard, here is an example. After the period of active revolt in the country ended (that was in the spring of 2014), Ukrainian enterprises began to actively offer their products in EU markets, in particular, in the markets of the Baltic countries (they did this during the summer and during the autumn period).
And, first of all, they participated in exhibitions.

Searching for contacts is important not only when directly participating in an exhibition. Searching for contacts should be done in a targeted manner. And as for an exhibition, the so-called „verification“ of the contact takes place there. One should not forget the „trust, but verify“ principle!

Enterprises use this time to prepare for taking actions and to coordinate them with the exhibition organiser, and the parties, as a rule, accommodate each other. The importance of the word „partnership“ is increasing more than ever.

We remind you of the „three-fold“ enterprise goal setting:
– an immediate task is that which needs to be done in a reasonable period of time;
– a subsequent task: after the immediate task has been completed, you continue to work according to the same rules;
– an area for further development is distant in terms of time, and it is being adjusted now, taking into consideration the fulfillment of previous tasks.
For each of these tasks, enterprises plan to participate in exhibitions.

The goal is to make a profit; therefore, when considering its participation in an exhibition, an enterprise considers expenses in calculating its future profits.

Experience shows that you need to rely on gaining a profit from your participation in an exhibition within a prospective period of time (a subsequent task or an area for further development are meant here). Although the first appearance in the market can produce a tangible result, this is just a bonus!

There are good examples regarding this, also, of some Belarusian enterprises. For example, creating a good enterprise reputation in the market in order to have an advantage in the future (which means: stability in the local market and the opportunity to participate in tenders or other projects). This means: the enterprise’s goal is gaining a long-term profit.
There is also the example set by some Hungarian enterprises that have been participating in exhibitions for decades to maintain a certain flow of demand for their services.

As enterprise representatives understand the reasons for participating in exhibitions, they perceive them as an important part of marketing and take full advantage of the opportunities to participate in exhibitions. This could be noted after the 1998 crisis in the Russian Federation, after the 2008 crisis in Latvia and other countries, and after various events that have taken place in different countries since that time.
When such „extraordinary conditions“ end, enterprises always use exhibitions as a launching pad in the new economic context.

We are now gaining experience associated with working under specific conditions. Why is it important to prepare for the next development period?
The reason is as follows:
in any country, after the recession period ends, there will be a surge in economic activity (somewhere this period starts sooner; elsewhere, it starts later). This depends on how enterprises can take advantage of the economic support that each state provides for this period, as well as of other opportunities.

International Exhibition Center in Riga

An understanding of the present period of time creates the prerequisites for continuing the implementation of an enterprise’s economic goals, including the use of exhibitions for the enterprise’s growth.

Anatoly Butenko
BT 1
DEC Secretary