I'm working with an in-country exhibit house in Europe to design and build my first international booth. What are some potential potholes, and how can I effectively sidestep them?


International exhibiting can feel intimidating. Unforeseen challenges, cultural differences, country-specific regulations, and more add a level of complexity that's typically absent from U.S. shows.

The key to success, however, is preparation. Even if you're hiring an in-country team to assist you, if you take some extra steps to educate yourself and your staff about potential pitfalls, it can help you sidestep — or at least deal with — any issues. Here are 10 tactics to help you do just that.

1. Document everything.
One of the best ways to guard against mishaps and miscommunications is to document everything. The issue here isn't necessarily that you have a lack of trust in your suppliers. Rather, you may be facing cultural or language barriers, especially if English is not your contacts' primary language.

Discuss as much as you can verbally, but then document all decisions in writing. Then share your documentation with your international partners to ensure you're all on the same page. Also consider employing drawings whenever possible. You'll find drawings can bring a level of specificity and clarity that written sentences do not.

2. Preview your exhibit before the show.
Whenever possible — and particularly if you have a sizeable exhibit — preview major stand components at your partner's shop several days before it ships to the show hall. You probably won't be able to see a fully assembled stand, but you should be able to look at the components, which is important for several reasons.

First, you'll likely be able to catch most problems before they're made public or before it's too late to correct them. Second, a pre-show preview builds in buffer time to ensure your contractor has completed the work long before the show opens. Finally, if much of the exhibit is a custom construction built from scratch, it forces the builder to complete more of the work in the shop under conditions more ideal than what's on the show floor.

3. Evaluate electrical requirements carefully.
Pay close attention to your electrical requirements and the outlet types needed for your equipment. Most people know that power in Europe is generally 230 volts (shown as 230V) versus 120 volts (shown as 120V) in the United States. Most modern electronic equipment (e.g., laptops and smartphones) can handle these ranges and can switch between them seamlessly. But any older equipment may balk (and burn up) at a higher voltage. Your U.S. equipment will most likely need an adapter but may also need a transformer to switch between 120V and 230V. Every situation and piece of equipment is a little different.

So the advice here is simply to spend some extra time assessing your electrical needs and any peculiarities in the European locale, and discuss them with your in-country partners.

4. Delegate show-services ordering to your partner.
Ask your rep to order your show services — in-country partners should have a far better understanding of local procedures than you do. And simply handing off this task can save you a ton of time and hassle. Just be sure that you communicate in writing what you need and verify that the orders have been completed prior to the deadlines.

5. Review installation schedules.
Prior to the show, be clear with your local contractor about the timing of your exhibit installation and exactly what you plan to accomplish during this time. For example, you may need to build additional time into the schedule to install products, set up equipment, run tests, train staff, or complete presentation rehearsals. If you don't relay this information, your contractor may assume the only thing that needs to be completed during install is the exhibit construction.

6. Schedule an on-site walk-through.
Schedule an on-site walk-through of the booth to ensure everything is in order, rather than simply turning the crew loose to move on to another job. Make sure everything is done to your specifications before you sign off on any of the work.

I have seen many situations where companies (particularly in Europe) arrive early to the show hall, unload, install, and leave the site before the client even gets there. This can be a huge problem, especially if something is done incorrectly. Build this walk-through into your schedule, and set this expectation with your local contractor (in writing) during the planning stages.

7. Address cultural differences.
All business is conducted within the framework of culture. However, we sometimes fail to recognize differences in cultural norms until they become glaring problems.

So take the time to research any cultural differences that might impact business communications. Consider greetings, punctuality, degrees of formality, and gender roles. If you have a decent grasp of what's important to members of a culture, you can better understand what drives their behavior and how to build rapport.

8. Enlist an interpreter.
Whenever possible, enlist a supplier who can communicate in English (or your preferred language). However, if you discover that language barriers are impeding your communication, don't be afraid to bring in an interpreter for at least some of the discussions. A little money spent here can stave off major hassles down the road. And while you're at it, make sure you have at least a couple of booth staffers who speak the local language. They can act as hosts or greeters until they're needed as translators.

9. Familiarize yourself with the metric system.
Most Americans know what a meter, centimeter, and millimeter are, but few can effectively discuss their booth dimensions using this system. Take some time to “translate” your exhibit dimensions, either literally or symbolically, to the metric system. That way, you and your European contractors will be speaking the same numeric language.

10. Build in more time.
Your first international exhibiting experience will have a few more challenges than a comparable U.S. show. So build in some buffer time during planning and installation to identify and address any unforeseen challenges.

You're bound to make a few mistakes any time you try something new. But these tactics can ensure that when it comes to your first foray into international exhibiting, your mistakes will be just minor missteps instead of major misfortunes.