The Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue to provide support mainly to small and medium sized enterprises who participate in foreign trade fairs. The project called "Joint Participation at Specialised Foreign Trade Fairs and Exhibitions" has already helped more than 1,600 Czech companies and professional organisations and has been realised by the CzechTrade Agency and the Czech Chamber of Commerce since 2010.
The project is an ideal opportunity to present products and services to potential foreign partners and conclude business contracts. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, export support is one of the most important tasks of the Ministry. The Czech economy is completely dependent on the ability of Czech companies to establish themselves on foreign markets and the state should be a reliable and conducive partner for Czech exporters. Over the years, support for the presentation of Czech exporters at foreign trade fairs has proven to be one of the most effective direct measures to help Czech companies enter foreign markets. The statistics from previous years shows that each crown invested in participation in trade fairs is recouped by entrepreneurs one-hundred fold in the form of new contracts. Supporting exhibiting companies is therefore one of the most effective forms of support to entrepreneurs.
This year, as part of the "Joint Participation at Specialised Foreign Trade Fairs and Exhibitions" (STFE) project, the ministry plans to support the joint participation of more than 800 Czech companies and associations at 57 events in 23 countries worldwide, including new, dynamically developing markets such as Brazil, China, India, and Vietnam. Thanks to the STFE project, Czech companies will be able to present their products and services in, for example, Dubai, Peking, Bombay and Buenos Aires. From February 2010 to the end of 2011, a total of 1,615 companies and professional organisations from all regions of the Czech Republic have had the opportunity to present their products and services abroad thanks to the STFE project, and this at 114 trade fairs in 33 countries on four continents. Yet the original plan for the project was to support approximately 1,400 companies at a minimum of 100 selected exhibitions and trade fairs in 2010-2012.
Under the project, Czech companies can receive support of up to CZK 120,000 for the direct costs associated with their participation in trade fairs, general assistance in the preparation and realisation of their exhibition and, above all, the opportunity to present their offer in a foreign territory directly. The project is financed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic as part of the Operational Programme: Enterprise and Innovation (OPEI).
Benefits of the project
According to CzechTrade Agency, most companies take part in foreign trade fairs in order to establish new business contacts but they also want to show their company`s latest innovations, meet with existing clients and advance contracts still under negotiation or expand to new markets. According to the Czech Chamber of Commerce, the response to this project from Czech companies has been very positive. Thanks to the project, companies have been able to establish vital contacts abroad and gain new partners, and thereby potential contracts. The Czech Chamber of Commerce provides marketing and communication support at the event and handles the administration associated with participation in the trade fair, as well as applications for support. Trade fairs are an effective marketing tool but must be well prepared and realised. The right choice and professional realisation can transform a company’s presentation at a trade fair into a good investment.
Companies think this form of support is truly worthwhile which is not only demonstrated by the enormous amount of interest in participation in joint exhibitions at foreign trade fairs. A recent survey of members by the Czech Chamber of Commerce showed that, among other things, almost 2/3 of Czech companies see participation in foreign trade fairs or exhibitions as a useful tool to break on to foreign markets. According to almost 70 % of Czech companies, it`s therefore conducive to the Czech Republic for the state to support the participation of Czech companies in foreign exhibitions and trade fairs, including financially.
In a relatively short period of existence, the project has received a very positive response from Czech companies. Questionnaires, completed by all project participants, show that a full 64 % of participating companies and associations managed to gain at least four new partners at foreign exhibitions or trade fairs. Almost 1/4 of participants can even boast more than 10 new partners. A total of 65 % of participating companies and associations held at least 11 meetings with relevant partners at trade fairs and for almost 1/4 this was even more than 30 contacts. Overall, 95 % of participants plan to apply for support for the next year of the trade fair if this is offered. A full 98 % of participating companies and associations were satisfied with their participation in the project.
