Planning exhibitions, company visits and market research in Japan

Define the main purpose of the trip

Exhibiting, visiting a trade show, meeting companies and exploring a market can share one itinerary, but each requires different preparation. Confirm your main objective and essential commitments first. Fit additional visits into the remaining time rather than packing too many locations into one day.

Exhibiting: separate event operations from travel

List the exhibition, venue, booth, setup and removal times, on-site coordinator and team size. Confirm whether your company, the organizer or a designated supplier handles registration, exhibit shipping, installation and equipment. When asking Tukisumi about itineraries, transport or on-site assistance, share confirmed event commitments. An inquiry does not automatically include exhibition operations.

Visiting a trade show: prioritize booths and meetings

Confirm event dates, admission requirements, registration procedures and opening hours. List the products, companies or topics you want to explore. Reserve time for booked meetings first, then plan browsing time. Treat unbooked meetings as tentative rather than confirmed commitments.

Company visits: confirm acceptance before routing

Prepare company names, addresses, contact people, objectives, participants and expected visit lengths. Confirm host acceptance, meeting times and entry requirements before arranging transport around each visit. Request interpreting support early; languages and staff require individual confirmation. Host acceptance, meetings and commercial outcomes are not guaranteed.

Market visits: bring questions to investigate

Choose locations around what you want to observe, such as store formats, displays, price ranges, customers and service processes. Write down the questions for each location so findings can be compared afterwards. Check venue rules and obtain permission before photography, interviews or entering non-public areas. Itinerary coordination does not include a market research report by default.

Combine transport, accommodation and language needs

Use confirmed exhibition, meeting and visit times to list each day’s starting point, destinations, luggage and participants. Allow room for travel and changes, and avoid important meetings immediately after your arrival flight. Availability and costs for accommodation, transport, on-site assistance and interpreting depend on dates and requirements.

A three-day example: visitors and exhibitors need different plans

This hypothetical visitor itinerary is not a product for sale or a completed client case. Day one: arrive, organize materials and reconfirm the next day’s meetings. Day two: visit the exhibition and attend booked meetings. Day three: visit a company that has accepted the appointment, adding a market visit only if flight times allow. Exhibitors must instead plan around setup, removal and staffing schedules; this example cannot simply be reused.

Your first-inquiry checklist

• Main purpose: exhibiting, trade-show attendance, company visits or market research visits.
• Arrival and departure dates, flights, team size and accommodation.
• Exhibition name, venue and confirmed commitments.
• Target companies or locations, contact status and available time slots.
• Requested itinerary, transport, on-site or language support.
• Budget and currency, arrangements already made and items still pending.

Confirm responsibilities before the quotation

Tukisumi can discuss travel arrangements and local support within its existing services. Confirm who handles exhibitor registration, exhibit shipping, visas and other specialist matters before engagement; these are not automatically included. Share the information you have, mark undecided items as pending, and then discuss the available scope and an individual quotation.