Trade Show Issues

Delivering Information

  Employees must fully understand the concepts of technical data and defense services before being allowed to attend a show in order to prevent unnecessary violations. Organizations must be proactive in scheduling their attendance at a trade show, in preparing the marketing materials they intend to provide potential customers and in ensuring the displays and graphics in their booth do not provide technical data or a defense service by providing too much information on a product or service.

For example, running a video about basic pistol training to demonstrate your organizations training abilities is considered a defense service. Providing materials about how to clean a handgun is considered technical data. You must check with your compliance professional and provide the full scope of your trade show marketing plan, including materials, planned demonstrations, what will be discussed and what equipment you intend to bring as soon as a determination is made to attend the show.

Speaking or presenting at a trade show or other gathering of professionals is a hazard as well. Be sure that your export expert has had time to review your presentation, including all slides and handouts and gotten the necessary pre-approvals (if any are required). Because no one can ever be 100% sure of who is attending an event, it is important that your export expert have as much information as possible, and as much advance notice as possible to ensure that an accidental violation does not occur.