How to prepare for an international trade show: six weeks before, on the stand and after
A three-phase method to turn a trade show into meetings and orders, not a box of business cards: what to do before, during and after.
Published on 15 September 2026Updated on 15 September 2026
Luis Sanz FiguerasFounder de Exporta.ai
A trade show pays off in proportion to the work you do outside of it. Six weeks before, you decide who you want to meet and lock in meetings; on the stand you qualify each contact on the spot and note what was discussed; the following week you reply to everyone with context. If you go to the show to see what happens, you come back with cards; if you go with a list, you come back with open conversations.
Six weeks before: the list
Start by deciding what you want from the show: distributors for two specific markets, or buyers of one type of product, or to meet three competitors. With that, your list of who to see writes itself: importers and distributors from those markets who will be there, and those who won't exhibit but will visit.
Write to them before you go. A short email with what you do, why you're writing to them specifically, and a proposed time at your stand, locked in four weeks before, turns a casual visit into a meeting. Buyer schedules fill up before the show, not during it.
Prepare what you're going to show in the language of whoever will read it: product sheet, reference prices with the Incoterm clear and the certifications each market requires. A sheet in the buyer's language gets read; one in yours gets filed away.
On the stand: qualify on the spot
Each conversation ends with three pieces of information written down while the person is still in front of you: who they are, what they want, and whether it's worth following up. The next day you won't remember, and a week later all the cards look the same.
Dictating what was discussed in a one-minute voice note is faster than writing and more accurate than remembering. What matters is not the name—that's on the card—but what they asked for, what concerns them, and what you promised.
Enriching the contact on the spot—knowing what company they're from, how important they are, who they sell to—helps you decide on the stand how much time to spend with them and what to show them. A qualified lead at the show is worth more than ten unqualified leads back at the office.
The following week: reply with context
Follow-up happens the following week, not a month later. And you do it one by one: an email that recalls what was discussed, attaches what you promised, and proposes the next concrete step. The generic "thank you for visiting us" email doesn't get answered.
Sort your contacts by what you're going to do with each: send a sample, make an offer, schedule a meeting, discard. And note every response in the same place where the contact sits, so your next show starts with what was left open in this one.
How to know if the show was worth it
Don't measure it in cards: measure it in meetings locked in beforehand, contacts qualified during, and conversations open afterward. With those three numbers you decide whether to return, what stand size to book, and which other shows in the same sector to attend.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth attending as a visitor before exhibiting?
Yes, when the show is new to you. As a visitor you see what's on display, who buys, and how competitors present themselves, at minimal cost. With that information, next year's stand is designed with purpose.
How many meetings can you lock in beforehand?
It depends on the sector and your list, but the goal is not quantity: it's the meetings you wouldn't have had without writing first. Each one of those justifies the prep work.
What do I do with contacts that don't fit?
Discarding them with a reason noted is also work done. A contact discarded with the reason documented keeps you from wasting time on them next year.
Capture, qualify and follow every lead from the stand
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