RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The exhibition forms part of a marketing mix and the decision to participate should be taken in co-ordination with other marketing activities.

2. The benefit of an exhibition is the personal contact between buyer and seller. Therefore, each company should do its best to make as many contacts as possible.

3. Many of the exhibition's visitors will be unfamiliar with the companies exhibiting. So exhibitors should take advantage of all resources (own or belonging to the organization) to attract visitors to their stand.

4. It is fundamental to establish one's objectives before exhibiting in any exhibition:
   - Whom do you want to contact?
   - What special product characteristics should be highlighted?
   - What message do you want to transmit?

5. All personnel at the stall should know their companies objectives so they should be accurately informed. At the end of each exhibition day, a team meeting should be held to discuss the day's successes or failures.

6. Novelties attract attention. It is important to highlight innovations and provide information that is relevant and interesting.

7. Visitors/prospective customers usually want to contact as many exhibitors as possible in the shortest time. Therefore, it is necessary to establish what each visitor wants and come to the point as quickly as possible.

8. It is essential to reach a positive conclusion, simply handing out a leaflet about your product is not a conclusion.

9. One of the most important parts in participating in any exhibition is the customer follow-up. It is necessary to maintain the contacts made at the exhibition fresh and meet their requirements, within a month of the closure, keeping a personalised treatment.

10. 80% of follow-up work can be planned before the exhibitions start, ready to act quickly, to beat the competition.

11. It is necessary to avoid spending too much time with an individual, potential customer to avoid other ones to walk by while you are speaking.

OPERATIONS CONTROL

 Preparations once you have decided to participate. 8 - 10 months before the exhibition:

1. Conduct regular meetings with involved staff.

2. Revise the list of products to exhibit.

3. Plan and budget using information acquired at the previous Asturforesta.

4. Plan and budget for promotional material used during the exhibition.

5. Plan and budget for promotional material to be used after the fair.

6. Study travel plans and make reservations.

7. Make hotel reservations.

 6-8 months before the exhibition:

1. Conduct regular meetings with involved staff.

2. Revise the list of products to exhibit.

3. Arrange an advertising campaign/publicity: objectives and time scale.

4. Start informing potential clients and press of your participation and position.

5. Co-ordinate your sales team with the exhibitions organisation, promotion, national and international, etc.

6. Take delivery of promotion materials that will be handed out at the exhibition.

7. Plan and organise transportation.

8. Define company image at the stall.

9. Revise expenditure budget.

 4-6 months before the exhibition:

1. Conduct regular meetings with involved staff.

2. Revise the list of products to exhibit.

3. Revise plans, with respect to your original expectations.

4. Co-ordinate your plans with the prevailing conditions set at Asturforesta:
   - Stall construction.
   - Advertising material.
   - Promotional material.
   - Divers activities.

5. Locate potential clients, send them information.

6. Contact services:
   - Services of the exhibition's organisation.
   - External services.
   - Insurance

7. Plan incentives to attract visitors to the stall.

8. Revise expenditure budget.

 2-4 months before the fair:

1. Conduct regular meetings with involved staff.

2. Revise the list of products to exhibit.

3. Intensify marketing activities to attract visitors.

4. Select those to represent the company at the stall, and delegate responsibilities to each:
   - Train sales personnel
   - Train imagen personnel
   - Practice product demonstration
   - Train external personnel
   - Have personnel who speak foreign languages
and he or she best suited to demonstrate products. If possible someone able to speak foreign languages.

5. Choose an overall stall manager.

6. Supply Asturforesta with the necessary information for the exhibition catalogue.

7. Revise expenditure budget.

8. Confirm your booking with Asturforesta.

 Work to be carried out two months prior to the exhibition.

1. Conduct regular meetings with involved staff.

2. Revise the list of products to exhibit.

3. Revise expenditure budget, control deviations.

4. Determine material to be taken to the fair:
   - Office material.
   - Sales material.
   - Gifts (optional).

5. Consider the number of telephone lines necessary for the stall.

6. Keep a petty cash tin for incidentals.

7. Supply participating staff with a list of responsibilities and objectives.

8. Draw up a schedule of staff stall duty.

9. Plan press releases (rotate your press, invitations).

10. Send any information about new technology to the technical magazines via the Asturforesta press department.

11. Send passes and invitations to clients, etc.

12. Obtain information about seminars.

13. Obtain information about other exhibitors products, specifications etc, confirmed visitors attending, representatives of local authorities attending, etc.

14. Make a record of those prospective customers that visit your stall.

15. Consider your usual food diet. Come prepared with adequate warm clothing, bring a coat, raincoat, boots etc.

 Work to be carried out at the exhibition site.

1. Please do not park heavy goods vehicles in the exhibitors car park.

2. Erect your stall as soon as possible (the first day permitted).

3. Once unpacked check items against list previously prepared.

4. Store paper and delicate teams in a dry place and off the floor. Sunny days are often accompanied by rainy nights.

5. Please adhere to stated entrance and exit times.

6. Follow the fair signs.

7. The day before opening attend the stand with all personnel and review the objectives and responsibilities of each person.

8. Locate all the administration offices and services of the exhibitions organisers.

9. Please take care on days of severe heat, drink plenty of water.

10. That person in overall charge should supervises the daily:
   - Opening and closing of the stall.
   - Cleaning of the stand.
   - Check levels of sales materials etc.
   - Administration and control.
   - Co-ordination of demonstrations and sales activities.
   - Running services and supplies.

11. Rehearse daily demonstrations of products.

12. Designate one person responsible for security.

13. Consider public safety at staged demonstrations, cordon off areas of risk.

14. Personnel should carry out a daily exchange of information regarding public incidences.

15. Obtain information about one's competitors: Compare statistics, prices, etc.

16. Arrange payment for consumables and services received at the exhibition.

17. Do not abandon the exhibition before the official closing time. Remember that there may still be clients at the exhibition.

 Work to be carried out once the Exhibition ends.

1. Never disassemble your stall before the exhibitions end, this action could harm your companies image.

2. Supervise disassembly of the stall and packing of unused materials and items.

3. Organise transportation of materials and items to be removed from the exhibition site.

4. When leaving the exhibition please adhere to the instructions given by security guards.

5. Arrange a meeting with all personnel involved to analyse the exhibition results (first week after the fair).

6. Compile all written reports from each member of staff for an overall evaluation:
   - Consider positive aspects.
   - Consider negative aspects.
   - General impression.
   - Possible improvements.
   - Pursue follow-up action. (Press, clients, new buyers, new agents, authorities, etc).

7. Start sales follow-up of contacts made at the exhibition.

8. Close and asses budget arriving at a final balance.