How to Exhibit in the UK from Abroad Successfully

When it comes to expanding your business into new markets, the UK is an excellent choice. 

The UK is one of the largest and most mature markets in Europe, and it brings a wealth of high-value customers and budget-holders. Purchasing power is strong, so there’s great potential for businesses to secure high-value deals that can accelerate business growth from day one.

In this guide, we explore the best ways to break into UK markets and to have a seamless experience exhibiting internationally.

Before we explore how to exhibit in the UK, let’s look at some of the main reasons why you should exhibit in the UK.

Access to a Mature Market 

The UK is one of the most mature markets in Europe, and offers high-potential for business growth and new deals. For international SME’s, exhibiting in UK markets gives access to valuable partners, clients and supply chains.

Networking Opportunities 

When breaking into new markets, connections in the industry are invaluable. Exhibiting in the UK is a great way to secure deals, but it also offers a valuable opportunity  to expand your network.

Assess the Competition 

Exhibiting at UK trade shows creates the perfect opportunity to assess the competition, gathering the UK’s market leading companies into one place and giving you the opportunity to gauge whether you have a unique selling point outside of your home market.

There’s clearly great value in exhibiting in the UK, but breaking into a new market is not always simple. Here are our tips for exhibiting in the UK from abroad:

Before exhibiting in the UK from abroad, it’s worth assessing the market, suitability and biggest competitors. Businesses do this in their home markets, but often overlook its importance when exhibiting internationally.

• Benchmark the Competition before – As a first point of call, you should benchmark where you sit alongside the UK competition, making sure that you understand their products, pricing, distribution models and market share. This will shape how you present your own company.
• Check Regulatory and Import Requirements – It’s better to know sooner rather than later if your product does not meet regulations and import requirements – make this a priority before exhibiting.
• Validate Demand – Conduct research to check that your product aligns with the British market and buyers.
• Assess Content Alignment – Make sure that your language aligns with British markets. Small terminology differences can have a big impact.

Before exhibiting in the UK from abroad, it is worth checking legislation around visas, entry requirements, sales restrictions, customs and shipping.

In 2021 the UK implemented a new points-based immigration system. In general, EU, EEA, and Swiss Citizens can still visit the UK without applying for a visa, and in most cases can still stay for up to six months.

Business activities such as meetings, conferences, and networking are permitted, however commercial exhibiting, or selling directly to the public may outside of standard visitor rules. For these activities, businesses may need to secure specific business visas or ensure that local staff qualify under permitted paid engagement rules.

You can check your eligibility using the UK Visa Check Tool.

Once visas and legal aspects are sorted, you should consider how you would like to approach the exhibition stand. In the UK, innovation, quality and clear brand positioning are rewarded by budget-holders, and so, it’s worth putting time and budget into your presence.

We always recommend using a local supplier with a strong understanding of UK exhibitions, including event specifics, local regulations,  and customs. This streamlines the design and build process, and gives you the best chance of success on event day. 

If you have an existing stand that you would like to ship to the show, make sure that branding is appropriately tailored to UK audiences.

Before exhibiting in the UK, you should consider how well your stand and marketing materials appeal to UK audiences. Subtle differences in colloquialisms and language can have a big impact on the show day. It is important to tailor your marketing resources to ensure that they have the desired impact.

Finally, before exhibiting in the UK, it is a good idea to brush up on cultural etiquette –

• Manners – “Please”, “thank you”, and “sorry” are much more prevalent in British culture than others. If you’re in doubt, it is better to overuse than underuse manners.
• Queueing – In British culture, queueing is highly respected. Make sure to wait your turn.
• Punctuality – Make sure to be on time for any meetings or reservations. Punctuality is important to Brits.

If you have ever exhibited at events across Europe, you may have experienced the challenge of finding a reliable stand partner. 

At Quadrant2Design, we are perfectly positioned to support you with your exhibitions in the UK and Europe, with our custom-designed yet reusable stands, and range of service plans.

While our studio is located in the UK’s sunny Poole, we can support with exhibitions across the UK and Europe. Our stands are custom-designed, yet reusable across a calendar of events, and our team of installers are well-versed with European exhibition regulations.

If you would like to discuss a project, our friendly team offer free consultations and design proposals. Contact us on today at +44 (0)1202 723 500 or email design@quadrant2design.com to get the ball rolling.