Preparing Next Year’s Budget?

You’re preparing next year’s budget. George from finance gave you a spreadsheet, and he expects real numbers. What he doesn’t know is your international program has expanded, and one of your major shows will be held in the APAC region. Red flag, right? It doesn’t have to be if you budget intelligently.

First, recognize the fact that you do not save money by adopting a DIY attitude. Enlist a partner who not only knows the region but knows the countries and cities in the region. Choose a company that has relationships, a network and a good understanding of the local work laws and culture.

Back to George. You’ve probably had the APAC region show on your calendar for at least a year. Perhaps you’ve made a site visit. Certainly you’ve been in touch with the organizer. Hopefully you were able to secure hotel reservations early. Now fill in that spread sheet.

Here’s how you need to budget:

• Largest expense: booking the space at the show. (You may have already paid that, but note the expense in the 2016 budget)
• Travel, hotel, meals and incidentals: a good way to do this is to list your company attendees from each country and/or city. That way the airfare estimates, if you don’t have firm prices yet, will be more accurate. (See the November 2015 issues of Exhibitor Magazine for help with T&E estimates in the APAC region.)
• Sponsorship and promotional activities: This is probably the most fluid part of your budget. You usually can negotiate with the organizer to find an effective opportunity within your budget.
• The exhibit! Working with a local (APAC region) partner, ask for a quote that includes:
  • Exhibit build and design, including graphics: if you have a U.S. design that you would like to use, share that design with your partner to learn whether or not it is feasible and/or culturally acceptable. The same is true with graphics files.
  • Labor and other show services: Trust your partner. Some countries have unions, some don’t. Some have work hours, others stay until the work is finished. Some shows are adopting the U.S. drayage model, fortunately many have not.
• Customs, VAT, and other tariffs: If you absolutely need to ship something to show site, work with your partner to expedite the shipment.Learn whether all or part of the VAT is recoverable. And ask your partner about other charges such as recycling so that you (and George) are not surprised.