The Web Fair School project is financed by the Leonardo da Vinci Programme under the Community Training Action Programme of the second phase 2000-2006.

Aim of the Project:

The aim of the project is to plan, design, test and produce a web-based marketing and communication learning package. This package will assist and guide the user in planning and implementing their trade fair participation in an efficient and competitive way. The user will conceive their fair participation as part of the company's marketing strategy and customer relationship management.

The key factors of the project are:

• the development of web-based learning tools (thinking tools)
• the development of a digital portfolio-method and combining it with learning as well as carrying out a trade fair campaign
• the learning package follows an authentic trade fair participation process

The target groups of the project are small and medium sized enterprizes (SMEs) and vocational institutes - including teachers as well as students. The project's innovativeness is based on its ability to combine web-based fair planning with learning. As a result, the user is provided with a customized and effective marketing tool, which is based on the company's own marketing strategy.

Background

The success of SMEs lies very much on their marketing skills. In spite of the global market fluctuations and the rapidly developed communication technology, trade fairs have maintained their position as one of the most important marketing tools. The demand to master the complex media and entire fair participation, requires not only marketing skills but competence in the whole fair process as well.

In all partner countries, many SMEs lack skills, experience, time as well as training courses to learn how to implement a fair campaign effectively. Vocational and training institutions, regardless of the sector, lack efficient learning and training tools for the subject. Lots of literature and training courses are available, check lists and minor guides. However, they all leave the user quite alone and without adequate guidance and practical support.

Web Fair School

The rapid development of information technology, now in daily use in both SMEs and training institutions, offers excellent possibilities to develop new Web-based learning and training methods.

Web Fair School provides interactive learning, training and planning methods for SMEs, managers and employees and for training institutions.

Moreover the Web Fair School -package provides the companies with practical tools to build up their own fair handbook. The handbook is created by using the digital portfolio-method to gather the trade fair experience for future use in the company. It works as an excellent collaborative memory inside the organisation.

SMEs and Trade fairs

The survival of SMEs lies very much on their marketing skills.

Trade fairs, as numerous surveys in the partner countries confirm, are an important and significant marketing tool for SMEs. The demand to master the complex media and entire fair participation, requires not only marketing skills but competence in the whole fair process as well. In all partner countries, many SMEs lack skills, experience, time as well as training courses to learn how to implement a fair campaign effectively. Training institutions and vocational institutions, regardless of the sector, lack efficient learning and training means for the subject.

Lots of literature and training courses are available, check lists and minor guides. However, they all leave the user quite alone and without adequate guidance and practical support. The Web Fair School is a means to conquer these obstacles!

Trade fairs

In spite of the global market fluctuations and the rapidly developed communication technology, trade fairs have maintained their position as one of the most important marketing tools.

An example of the wide usage of trade fairs is confirmed in a survey by  AUMA – Association German Trade Fair Industry of  November 2001 clearly shows the economic impact of the trade fairs in general. Germany, the worldwide leading

Trade Fair Centre, hosts about two-thirds of the globally leading fairs in individual trade sectors. Size of trade fairs in Germany year 2000::

For the first time, the AUMA survey also contained a large visitor survey. The survey comprised of about 145.000 fairs and 150.000 interviews. Two thirds of the visitors were decision makers.

Both exhibitors and visitors still find the face-to-face encounter the most important means of marketing – this is one of the main reasons why trades fairs have maintained their strong position.  

Why?

Web Fair School. The rapid development of information technology, now in daily use in both SMEs and training institutions, offers excellent possibilities to develop new learning and training methods and to fill in the existing gap in web–based learning and training. Web Fair School provides interactive learning, training and planning methods for SMEs, managers and employees and for training institutions.

It also indirectly provides companies with new staff (students of training institutions with web-based learning), who already have the know-how and competence to use this complex marketing tool. Moreover the package provides the companies with practical tools to build up their own fair handbook. The handbook is created by using the digital portfolio-method to gather the trade fair experience for future use in the company.