How to get the most out of trade shows in agribusiness: what to do before, during and after to turn contacts into partnerships and new markets.
Three days at a fair, dozens of conversations, a stack of business cards in your jacket pocket. Two weeks later, almost nothing has happened. Anyone who has exhibited at or visited Expodireto, Agrishow or a European show knows the feeling. Knowing how to get the most out of trade shows is what separates the company that comes home with contacts from the one that comes home with partners.
The problem is rarely the show itself. It is what happens before it and, above all, after it. This article shows, with examples from manufacturers of implements, scales, poultry and swine equipment and from logistics companies, how to turn those few days into real business.
Why so many people come back from a show empty-handed
A trade show brings customers, suppliers, competitors, distributors and foreign manufacturers together in one place. It is rare to have so many of the right people within handshake distance. Even so, three mistakes keep repeating:
- Going without a goal. "Seeing what is new" is not a goal. Finding a distributor for Paraguay, a component supplier or a European partner for a new product line is.
- Treating everyone the same. The curious student and the export director of a German manufacturer get the same brochure and the same pitch.
- Not following up. The contact sits in a drawer and goes cold. By the time someone remembers to call, the other side has already closed with whoever answered first.
Before the show: decide who you want to meet
The work starts weeks ahead. Go through the exhibitor list and pick five to ten companies where a conversation would make a difference. It might be a poultry equipment manufacturer looking for a representative in southern Brazil, a carrier serving your region or a company from another country interested in Brazil.
Then book the meetings before you travel. A LinkedIn message or a short email is enough: who you are, why you want to talk and a possible time slot. Directors and owners have packed schedules at shows; those who arrive with an appointment get unhurried attention.
It also pays to prepare the right material for each conversation. For a potential partner, one page with company figures, product lines and regions served says more than an eighty-page catalogue.
During the show: how to get the most out of trade shows, one conversation at a time
At the booth or in the aisles, the rule is simple: less pitching, more questions. What is the other company looking for? Where does it want to grow? What is it missing in Brazil? Partnership opportunities show up when you listen, not when you talk about your own product.
A few practical habits make a difference:
- Take notes on the spot. On the back of the card or on your phone: what the person is looking for, what was agreed and the next step. By day three, nobody remembers who said what.
- Sort your contacts into three groups: hot (wants to talk again soon), warm (real interest, no rush) and cold (just curious).
- Make the most of what happens away from the booth. Matchmaking sessions, talks, dinners and side events often produce the best conversations, with more time and less noise.
At international shows this matters even more. At EuroTier, in Germany, you find the major poultry and swine equipment manufacturers. At EIMA, in Italy, and FIMA, in Spain, you find agricultural machinery and implement makers. Many of them are looking for partners in Brazil, but they only go deep with people who clearly know their own market.
After the show: the week that decides everything
The first seven days after the show are worth more than the three days of the event. That is the week when the contact still remembers you.
- Reply within 48 hours, with a short message recalling the conversation and proposing the next step: a call, a visit, a proposal.
- Connect on LinkedIn with a personal note mentioning where you met.
- Schedule the visit. Industrial partnerships almost always start with a factory visit, on one side or the other.
- Get back to your warm contacts after 30 or 60 days, with something concrete to share.
A common example: a truck scale manufacturer from northern Rio Grande do Sul meets, at a show, a Spanish weighing systems company that wants to enter Brazil. If nobody follows up, all that remains is the memory of a good conversation. If someone does, a strategic partnership can be born: each sells the other's line, they share technical service and each gains a new market.
When the best connection is not at a booth
Not every opportunity is on display. Many business people walk the show without a booth: industrial owners looking for a partner, investors studying the sector, executives of foreign companies assessing how to enter the Brazilian market. Reaching these people depends on a network and on someone who can introduce the parties with trust.
A trade show is a meeting point. The deal is born from the right conversation, with the right person, and from the follow-up that comes after.
Practical takeaway
At your next show, do things differently:
- decide beforehand who you want to approach and why;
- book the most important conversations in advance;
- ask more questions than you give presentations, and write everything down;
- reply within 48 hours and set the next step;
- treat the show as the start of a conversation, not the end.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to exhibit or just visit the show?
It depends on your goal. Exhibiting helps when the focus is selling to many customers. To find partners, suppliers or foreign companies, visiting with booked meetings usually yields more and costs less.
Which shows matter for agribusiness companies?
In Brazil, Expodireto, Agrishow and the animal protein shows. In Europe, EuroTier (Germany), EIMA (Italy) and FIMA (Spain) bring together machinery and equipment manufacturers with an eye on Brazil.
How long should I wait before following up after the show?
Ideally no more than 48 hours. After two weeks, the chance of a reply drops sharply.
How should I approach a foreign company at a show?
With a booked time slot, a short presentation of your company and questions about what they are looking for in Brazil. Showing knowledge of the local market opens doors.
Heading to a trade show in your sector and want to arrive with the right meetings booked? Bullseye connects companies, partners and opportunities, in Brazil and abroad. Talk to us.
