Intermot exhibitors from U.S. may be eligible for funding
Koelnmesse Inc., the Chicago-based office of the German organizer of Intermot, announced that Intermot has been granted Trade Fair Certification by the U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC), so U.S. exhibitors might be eligible to receive government funding to offset part of their costs of exhibiting at the show.
The funding would come from the State Trade and Export Program (STEP), a three-year trade and export initiative authorized by the Small Business Jobs Act 2010. Under STEP, the SBA is authorized to grant up to $30 million to states each year. The State Economic Development offices of California, Arizona and Oregon have already confirmed to Intermot that funding through the STEP program is expected to be available for this fall, coinciding with the Intermot’s Oct. 3-7 event.
“Exhibiting in overseas trade shows such as Intermot provides U.S. exporters with a tremendous opportunity to generate export revenues and therefore can become a very valuable investment. The USA Pavilion at Intermot offers a unique chance to meet customers, collect market intelligence and evaluate potential channel partners. We look forward to working with interested companies in all states on increasing their export revenues by making a strong impact at Intermot,” Koelmesse Inc. president Mette Petersen said.
U.S. companies Harley-Davidson, Polaris, Bel-Ray, K&N Engineering, National Cycle, Hot Leathers, Lethal Threat Designs, All Balls Racing and Procom Engineering-ElectroSport have already committed to the show, and it’s expected that more than 30 U.S. companies will take part in Intermot this year.
For more information on the STEP program, click here, or find local state representatives here.
Because Intermot is a certified trade show, the USDOC is also providing a range of no-cost services to exhibitors. These include: pre-show promotion, business lead generation, matchmaking services and market research and counseling services before, during and after the show. The USDOC will also work with companies on trademark protection. To learn more about the USDOC program, click here.
