With the new American president in power, foreign companies are threatened with higher custom duties when importing their products. All the more does this increase the importance of inspiring people to buy Made in Germany. After all, the American market with a predicted growth of at least 2 % in 2017, is one of the most attractive markets outside Europe.

The most important exhibition locations are Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, Houston, and Orlando. And German exhibition corporations are rather active overseas as well: as of now, 19 German exhibitions and 25 participations are planned for 2017. More information is available from the Chamber of Industry and 
Commerce in the US, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), and the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry AUMA. Especially since all 50 states have their own local regulations, it is advisable to get all the necessary information beforehand.
 
Since most exhibitions in the USA have a national or regional character, most visitors are from the US, and some are coming from Canada and Central America. Generally, exhibitions are associated with expert conferences, that are mandatory for many people in the respective industry. This means that most exhibition days are quite strenuous for most visitors. Hence, exhibition stands with areas to relax in are highly frequented. Generally, elaborate stands with open floor plans offering comforts such as thick carpets or soft floors are highly popular.

But for a successful exhibition appearance, there is more to consider than just comfort. In some areas in the US, unions have a strong influence. At many exhibitions, exhibition construction unions authorize and supervise the construction, resulting in additional costs.

A peculiarity of American fairs is the so-called drayage costs. They incur for the transportation of exhibits and stand elements on the exhibition area. This is just one of the reasons why it is advisable to gather information about possible costs for each exhibition location beforehand.

Unlike US highways, exhibitions are definitely claiming high speed. Mounting and dismounting times are short. This is also the reason why so many exhibitions are full of rudimentary “pipe and drape” stands which, as the name already suggests, are pipe constructions with drapes hung over them. It is hard to create a positive image with one of these. But by using the right exhibition system, the short mounting and dismounting times are no problem, and your exhibition appearance offers visitors a lot more than just pipe and drape.

The USA are digital pioneers also when it comes to exhibitions. This makes interactive and digitalized exhibition stands a visitor favourite. On most locations, an app is available for visitors for orientation. The technological infrastructure is exemplary in the USA at all exhibitions; WiFi is a standard. Which leads to another peculiarity: it is forbidden to actively disrupt or block personal WiFi hotspots.