Participation in tourist exhibition [Archives:2004/777/Business & Economy]

By Abdu Lutf Othman
Marketing Manager at TMC
Tourist exhibitions are one of the main tools to facilitate the promotion of tourist products and enable exhibitors to communicate directly, establish relationships, and sign agreements, with tourist companies. During such exhibitions, exhibitors can get acquainted with thousands of visitors as well as sell their commodities (ie. tourist services) such as foodstuffs, hotels and transportation services.
The exhibition process is not based on directly selling commodities; rather it intends to indirectly promote products through providing information and news to attract a great influx of interested visitors, keen to embark upon a tour of a certain country. The exhibition wing, its look and style, plays a vital role in attracting visitors and attaining a great deal of interest.
What matters most is that the visitor should be impressed by the product, and their treatment, when leaving the exhibition. A higher degree success will also be achieve by keeping in contact with those who have visited the exhibition through correspondence, for example on special occasions.
The importance of these marketing means motivated our country to participate in several exhibitions of international tourist markets, that send tourists to Yemen. Yemen's presence in prominent European exhibitions, such as Milan's in Italy, Berlin's in Germany, as well as the tourist market in Dubai and the tourist exhibition in Japan, have become traditional. Yemen's participation in the Russian exhibition, Tourist Marketing Council (TMC) and preparation for others, also continues.
Besides this, Yemen will participate in the Travel and Tourism Exhibition in Japan and in Top Resa in France, the former from September 24th-26th and the second from September 30th – October 2nd. During this period, the TMC will organize the group participation of several tourist agencies and Hotel proprietors, to advise them on how to improve their performances. The crises, effecting tourism over the last few years, and resulting in the halting of some tourist functions, is well known. As a consequence, many tourist establishments resorted to changing their major fields of work into other trade activities.
Nowadays, tourism is on its way back to vitality according to current indicators, and some countries have given up advising their subjects not to travel to Yemen. Clear evidence of improvement is the outcome reached by the conventions between the TMC and the Yemeni Interior Ministry, to encourage the influx of tourists to Yemen. Both sides approved granting direct visas to nationals from the countries referred to on their arrival at Yemeni ports. This encourages optimism and provides opportunities to entrepreneurs to capitalize on the tourist market – and in so doing – to develop the Yemeni economy.

Participation in tourist exhibitions proceeds as follows:
– Registration:
Registering for a wing of an exhibition representing our country, or any official side, is preferred to be through group participation. Individual participation is possible either through an official side, to facilitate the procedures, or in the absence of group participation. Individual participation can be for the purpose of occupying an entire wing.
Contrarily, the cost of group participation is lower, since it is under the umbrella of an official organization, and the participant can be recognized through marketing and media coverage.
There is another form of low cost participation, which is requesting a smaller wing within a larger one occupied by a dealer abroad. A standing relationship or trade exchange, will introduce the exhibitor with the dealer, who merging their exhibited articles. So, after the wing had been guaranteed, the plan should be designed one month before participation as well as a plan for the required days of staging the exhibition, assessing, and observing the participation.

– Pre-participation procedures
There are some marketing proceedings and functions that often precede participation, as well as preparation of the relevant documents, and arranging the wing in advance. These routines aim at accentuating the participants and exhibitions so that visitors are attracted to his wing. Exhibition success is primarily ascribable to marketing propaganda and the exhibitors' personal efforts.
While registering, the following points have to be taken into consideration:
1- Submitting the required information, which includes wing arrangement and marketing manual, to the exhibition management. This can be subdivided into:
a- The management has to be informed of the size, design and decoration of the wing, and its components.
b- The exhibitor needs to subscribe to the exhibition's main manual, and send a database to the management about his company and partners in the wing.
c- Having an online website by which the exhibitor will be recognized by the people visiting his website. Therefore, Yemen's participation in Top Resa Exhibition in the French City of Do Fiel, is a chance for convincing thousands of readers of tourism websites in the country.
Visiting the website is through (www.topresa.com), and pressing on “exhibit” after the exhibition page appears. The third step should be preceded by “language selection”, and then pressing on “exhibitors 2004”. To visit the exhibitor, for example Yemen Tourism Promotion Board, or any MTC, press on the name of the council, number of the wing, and address of the council website.
Thus, after pressing on (www.yementourism.com), information about tourism in Yemen will appear.
d- Publications about the exhibition like pamphlets, identity cards, tourist programs, and stamps need to be published.
e- Sending, post, or emailing to tourist companies that are potential clients or suppliers is recommended.
f- Booking a hotel for stay early, guaranteeing the means of transportation and getting a card from the exhibition management to enter with.

2- Exhibition Functions
Booking in the exhibition should be as early as possible, otherwise the exhibitor is advised to contact some of the companies so that they know about his commodities. Decorating the wing in an attractive way, receiving visitors well and keeping appointments, all play a pivotal role in the success of the exhibition. The participants in the wing can exchange shifts with each other, between staying at the exhibition and taking field tours and visiting exhibitors from other countries in order to make business contacts.
Allotting a time other than exhibition hours to meet with an adequate number of company representatives, is significant in arranging appointments.

3- Making the participation more effective
The exhibitor is recommended to write a detailed report about his participation and arrangement for future reference. Although, this demands effort and time, it will nevertheless facilitate the task of the exhibitor in future.
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