Participation in trade fairs and exhibitions: an analysis of decision process of DITF exhibitors.

The business environment in Tanzania is changing rapidly. It is anticipated that in a few years to come cutthroat competition will emerge, and promotion in all forms will assume its paramount importance. One area which is expected to grow with increased competition is the marketing activity, and specifically participation in trade fairs as a tool for promoting company products, services and image. It is expected that more and more fairs and exhibitions will be staged in few years to come to cater for the increased demand as the economy is expanding. When the number of trade fair/exhibitions increase, marketing managers would face a problem of selecting suitable fair to participate in. This problem involves decision making. This study has, through literature review, organized a body of knowledge that would enable marketing managers learn the appropriate techniques for evaluating and selecting a trade fair to participate in among many alternatives. Appreciating the fact that it may take a little bit longer before the ideal competitive environment envisaged above is reached, the scope of study for this research has been restricted to researching the current marketing objectives for participation, what influences the decision to participate and the factors that are taken into account by exhibitors to decide to participate in the only international trade fair being held in Tanzania, The Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF). The study has advanced seven hypotheses and organized them in a decision making process model. A sample of 44 companies was planned, and in turn the study achieved 81% response rate. The sample constituted of companies which have participated in the fair at least twice between 1995 and 1997. The data collected from the field were cross tabulated using SPSS computer software and the hypotheses were tested statistically using hypothesis testing for sample proportion technique and were all accepted. Based on these empirical results, the study confidently concludes; that most exhibitors in Tanzania decide to participate in a trade fair in the pursuit of sales promotion and increasing market share motives. They are more likely to participate if more significant competitors are participating. Confirmation of their decision to participate is mostly prompted by the fair organizers publicity and promotion campaign. Experience and familiarity with the fair facilitates their decision to participate in a trade fair. Lack of experience and familiarity could be remedied by the availability of information and guidance. They would decide to participate in a fair if and only if it is compatible with their marketing objectives for participation and is affordable in terms of cost of participation. On the basis of these findings the study recommends a number of things to the exhibitors and the fair organizers which could be useful in the mean time and in few years to come. The finding of the study could as well be useful to potential fair organizers who may wish to organize new fairs and exhibitions.