Professional planning for international trade fairs: methodological proposal based on the study of ExpoCaribe en Santiago de Cuba

Abstract

Trade fairs constitute a strategic instrument for the promotion of trade, the attraction of investments and the economic development of territories. However, their success largely depends on rigorous professional planning that guarantees effective coordination of the actors involved and the satisfaction of participants. This research addresses the organization of the ExpoCaribe International Fair, held in Santiago de Cuba, with the aim of designing a professional planning proposal applicable to its upcoming editions. Using a mixed methodological approach, which combined participant observation, documentary review and the application of interviews and surveys to members of the Organizing Committee and exhibitors of the sixteenth edition, the main shortcomings in the organizational process were identified and an action plan was developed to eradicate them. The results show that the organization of ExpoCaribe suffered from deficiencies in communication, promotion, accreditation, contracting and coordination between commissions, aspects that can be overcome through the systematic implementation of the three stages of professional planning: pre-fair, fair and post-fair. The methodological proposal developed constitutes a practical guide for territorial organizers and lays the foundations for consolidating ExpoCaribe as the main business meeting in the Caribbean.