Challenges You Could Face with Your Exhibition in India
India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. According to statistics, the country is slated to grow at 7.5% by FY 2020.
Several international firms are making plans to enter the Indian market and grow their consumer base. Moreover, the country is also the hub of several international exhibitions, attracting brands from all over the world. These exhibitions offer them tremendous opportunities to understand the market, interact with the target audience and see how the products and services find response.
Sounds like something as your business expansion plan? Before you gear up to start full-fledged participation in an exhibition in India, be aware of some of the possible challenges that you could face while planning and executing exhibitions in India. Of course, knowing about the challenges can help you be better prepared to handle those successfully.
Material not reaching on time at the exhibition venue
In India, the top cities are well-connected by roads and other transport systems. However, due to unforeseen natural calamities and traffic congestions, it could happen that your stand material takes longer to reach the venue than what you anticipate. This is the reason why you need to plan everything well-in-advance and do a thorough research about the venue. It is also important to have a contingency plan in case any emergency situation arises. Timing is extremely crucial and therefore, you need to partner with a local exhibition stand design expert, who can guide you in the apt way possible. For example, they will have a better idea about alternative routes, have a warehouse ready to store the materials in case of calamities, and so on.
Shorter I&D period
More often than not, exhibitions in India have short I and D (Installation and Dismantling) period. When it is not planned well, it can affect the design of the exhibition stand. The solution is to start assembling some parts of the stall in the workshop or warehouse and transfer the assembled parts to the trade show floor and start installing the final stand there. This will help you get everything done in the given timeframe. Discussing the possibilities with the booth design agency and how their expert staff can help you is a must for this purpose.
Labor challenges
Unlike many international exhibition venues, in India, there are no fixed labor union setting rates or services for the venues. The labor market is highly unorganized. As such, you have to be prepared to face variations in the labor rates. In some cases, the rates can be low while in other cases, it may be over your budget. You need to figure these things out and also take the fact into account that there will be language barriers. The unskilled labor in the country are not adept at English or international languages. You will need a mediator who can help you arrange and communicate with the labor force. This is where the local exhibition design firms can be helpful. They typically have strong connections with the ground workers and can ensure smooth installation and dismantle of the stall.
Language barriers
India is country of 20+ languages and 700+ dialects. How do you handle such diversity? This diversity can be a roadblock for exhibition participants coming from all over the globe. While some trade show venues offer translation facilities in foreign languages, you can hire a translator and an emcee to interact with the local audience. This is extremely important when you want to provide product or service demo to the visitors.
Specific rules and regulations
Did you know that rigging & hanging signs are not permitted in most Indian exhibition venues? And even when a venue does allow them, you may need to submit the renderings to the exhibitor for approval. Also, sometimes the hanging digital signs can be permitted with specific rules – for example, signs that are static can be permitted but not the signs that can flash or move. Taking a look at the exhibitor guidelines will provide you a better know-how of what is allowed and what is not.
Suitability of the booth materials
India’s weather conditions are different than other countries. Therefore, the booth materials that work for other locations, may not work in India. Worst case, that material may not be even available in India. A local exhibition partner will have the idea of the stand materials as well the apt construction techniques, which can work in your favor in the location where the exhibition is going to take place. They will also know which are the best substitutes or alternative materials that can work in your favor for the booth design and that too, without exceeding the budget constraints.
Choosing the Best Exhibition Stand and Build Agency is the Key
These are some of the crucial challenges that come to play when you are participating in an exhibition in India. So, how do you overcome such challenges? The best solution is to hire a local expert exhibition stand and build agency. They will manage all these aspects and similar roadblocks in between and make your exhibition in India successful.
Niloy Debnath
Niloy Debnath is the Founder and Director of First Rain. Having an MBA in marketing and an experience of more than 15 years in production, Niloy meticulously plans the execution of all the projects. He is skilled in project planning, scheduling tasks and delivering projects with zero hassle to the clients. His attention to detail and onsite solutions have always upped the exhibiting experience for our clients.
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