While the number of international visitors remains an important indicator of trade show attendance, the quality of these visitors from abroad is increasingly becoming a strategic objective for event organisers.

A number of measures can be put in place to better target the visitors profiles and thus meet exhibitors’ expectations. While the VIP status is used to invite high-ranking institutions and sometimes top executives, Top Buyers recruitment focuses on those with a significant investment budget. Since the introduction of the Top Buyers programme, entrusted to Promosalons as part of the French government’s 2022 stimulus plan, trade fairs have been making increasing use of Promosalons network to identify and recruit high-level profiles.

The Top Buyer offer consists of working on a database of prospects (depending on the sector targeted, the type of company and the position), contacting them to identify their purchasing or investment needs, cross-referencing these needs with the exhibitors’ offer at the show, and then recruiting them as Top Buyers or VIPs with the organiser’s approval. The services offered to Top Buyers to incite them to come to the show may include a specific badge for entry to the show, catering on the exhibition site, the organisation of meetings with exhibitors (match-making), a tailor-made programme of the show or off-site visits, as well as invitations to private events such as evenings or cocktail parties.

The Hosted Buyers offer is even more comprehensive, as the buyers’ travel arrangements are taken care of by the show (booking of 1 to 3 nights’ accommodation, air or rail travel, airport-to-show-to-hotel transfer, and possibly an invitation to a cocktail party or dinner).

Whatever formula you choose, it is essential to offer a specific package to these buyers in order to attract them to the show and remain competitive with other European shows. Some trade fairs receive substantial subsidies to invite large numbers of buyers, with their travel and accommodation costs fully covered.

These programmes are sometimes reserved for people who have never been to the show before, to enable them to discover it in good conditions, especially when they are not used to coming to a trade show in France for example. International visitors, some of whom come from very far away, are all the more appreciative of the good conditions in which they can visit and do business.

The Promosalons delegations offer tailor-made support for groups of buyers from their country, with logistical assistance before the trip (embassy meetings to obtain visas, travel packages) and on the spot (support for the group, 24/24 contact on WhatsApp for example). Top Buyer profiles particularly appreciate the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with their counterparts from other countries at networking events organised for them.

What’s more, by accompanying these top buyers, we are often able to obtain valuable feedback on the show, so that we can better understand their expectations or the obstacles they face. Meetings organised with the show’s management during their visit, or afterwards to assess the follow-up to their purchasing projects, are all opportunities to obtain useful content to assess the show’s positioning and refine knowledge of the sector in each country.

The success of the Top Acheteurs programmes is due to a number of factors: the strict selection of profiles upstream, the quality of the services offered by the show, the support of a local agent, and the communication of the benefits of the programme to exhibitors. To achieve this, regular follow-up meetings between the exhibition teams and the Promosalons agents abroad are essential.

In 2024, a number of Promosalons member shows have already set up Hosted Buyers or Top Buyers programmes with delegations from many countries in a variety of sectors:

  • Euromaritime : 14 Hosted Buyers from Saudi Arabia, Greece and Morocco
  • Cheese and Dairy Products Show: 21 Top Buyers from Korea, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands
  • JEC World : 30 Hosted Buyers from Korea, USA, Italy, Norway and Turkey
  • Mountain Planet : 20 Hosted Buyers from Colombia, India and Poland
  • Vinexpo Asia : 25 Hosted Buyers from Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam
  • Silmo Singapour : 18 Hosted Buyers from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam
  • All4Pack : 50 Hosted Buyers from Algeria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey