Trade show and business matching glossary
Preparing for an overseas trade show throws up a lot of unfamiliar words. Here are 40 of the terms that actually come up — from participation formats to customs paperwork and buyer relationships — explained plainly.
40 terms
A
- Agent에이전트(대리점)
- A local representative who sells on the manufacturer’s behalf for commission, without buying the goods themselves.See alsoDistributorBuyer
- ATA CarnetATA 까르네
- An international customs document that lets exhibits enter and leave a country duty-free, provided they return within the validity period.See alsoCustoms Clearance for ExhibitsExhibition Freight Forwarder
B
- Biennial Exhibition격년 개최
- A trade show held once every two years, common among large industrial fairs.See alsoExhibition Edition
- Booth (Stand)부스
- The exhibition space allocated to a company, measured in square metres; more open sides means more passing traffic.See alsoRaw SpaceShell Scheme
- Buyer바이어
- A company or person that purchases your product to use or resell in their own market.See alsoQualified BuyerDistributor
- Buyer Meeting (Pre-scheduled Meeting)바이어 미팅(사전 미팅)
- A meeting held at a set time during the show; arranged beforehand it becomes a pre-scheduled meeting, which tends to be far more substantive.See alsoPre-show Business MatchingFollow-up
C
- CIPL (Commercial Invoice & Packing List)CIPL(상업송장·포장명세서)
- The commercial invoice and packing list together — the core customs documents stating what is shipped, how much, at what value and in what packing.See alsoCustoms Clearance for ExhibitsIncoterms
- Co-located Show동시 개최 전시회
- A separate show running at the same venue and dates, often on a shared ticket, which widens the pool of visitors.See alsoVenueVisitor
- Customs Clearance for Exhibits전시품 통관
- Clearing exhibits through the destination country’s customs; goods coming home unsold can travel duty-free on an ATA Carnet.See alsoATA CarnetCIPL (Commercial Invoice & Packing List)Exhibition Freight Forwarder
D
E
- Exhibition Edition전시회 회차
- Which running of the show this is; the exhibitor and visitor figures from previous editions are the usual basis for judging it.See alsoBiennial ExhibitionOrganizer
- Exhibition Freight Forwarder전시회 물류(포워더)
- Moving exhibits to the hall and back; most shows appoint an official forwarder that controls delivery slots and on-site handling.See alsoCustoms Clearance for ExhibitsATA Carnet
- Exhibition Registration Fee전시회 등록비(참가비)
- What the organiser charges for the stand space, priced by size, location and how early you book — it excludes build, freight and travel.See alsoRegistration Deadline (Early Bird)Booth (Stand)
- Exhibitor참가기업(출품기업)
- A company that takes a stand and shows its products; the exhibitor list is where pre-show matching begins.See alsoVisitorExhibitor Directory
- Exhibitor Directory전시회 디렉토리
- The organiser’s official list of exhibitors with stand numbers and product categories — the starting point for pre-show matching.See alsoExhibitorPre-show Business Matching
- Export Voucher수출바우처
- A Korean government scheme that gives selected SMEs a voucher to pay registered providers for export activities, including trade shows.See alsoRegistered Service ProviderOverseas Exhibition Support Program
F
- Follow-up팔로업
- Getting back to the people you met, with the promised material, within days — where most of a show’s results are actually won or lost.See alsoLeadPost-show Report
G
- Group Pavilion (Korea Pavilion)공동관(한국관)
- A block of stands taken by an agency or association and shared among several companies; the Korean block is called the Korea Pavilion.See alsoIndividual ParticipationShell SchemeOverseas Exhibition Support Program
I
- Incoterms인코텀즈
- The international rules (FOB, CIF, DDP and so on) that fix who pays freight and who carries the risk at each stage of delivery.See alsoCIPL (Commercial Invoice & Packing List)Customs Clearance for Exhibits
- Individual Participation개별 참가
- Exhibiting under your own contract with the organiser, choosing your own stand size and location but handling every step yourself.See alsoGroup Pavilion (Korea Pavilion)Raw Space
L
M
- Match List매칭 리스트
- The shortlist produced by pre-show matching, listing each company, its role relative to you, and the reason to meet.See alsoMatch RationaleQualified Buyer
- Match Rationale매칭 근거
- The written reason a company was shortlisted — the overlap in products, markets or role that justifies a meeting.See alsoMatch ListPre-show Business Matching
- MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)MOU(업무협약)
- A statement of intent to work together; it carries little legal force, so the real terms still need a separate contract.See alsoSample OrderDistributor
O
- OEM & ODMOEM·ODM
- OEM means manufacturing to the customer’s specification under their brand; ODM means designing the product as well and supplying it under their brand.See alsoDistributorSample Order
- Onsite Operation현장 운영
- Running the stand during the show — managing the flow of meetings, handing out material, keeping records and dealing with the organiser.See alsoPost-show ReportBooth (Stand)
- Organizer주최사
- The company or body that runs the show — handling applications, stand allocation and the rules exhibitors must follow.See alsoVenueRegistration Deadline (Early Bird)
- Overseas Exhibition Support Program해외전시회 지원사업
- Public funding from government, local authorities or associations that covers part of the cost of exhibiting abroad, with fixed application windows.See alsoExport VoucherGroup Pavilion (Korea Pavilion)
P
- Post-show Report사후 보고
- The write-up after the show: who was met, what was discussed, and what happens next — often required by public support programmes.See alsoFollow-upOnsite Operation
- Pre-show Business Matching사전 비즈니스 매칭
- Deciding whom to meet before the show opens: analysing the exhibitor list, shortlisting companies with a real overlap, and proposing meetings in advance.See alsoMatch ListBuyer Meeting (Pre-scheduled Meeting)Qualified Buyer
Q
- Qualified Buyer진성 바이어
- A buyer with both the intent and the authority to purchase — someone who can talk about timing, volume and terms, not just swap cards.See alsoBuyerPre-show Business MatchingLead
R
- Raw Space로 스페이스(독립 부스)
- Floor space only — the exhibitor designs and builds the stand, with full freedom and full responsibility.See alsoShell SchemeBooth (Stand)
- Registered Service Provider수행기관
- A company approved to deliver services paid for with government programme vouchers; Contentour Inc. is registered under the export voucher programme.See alsoExport Voucher
- Registration Deadline (Early Bird)등록 마감(얼리버드)
- The last date to register as an exhibitor; most shows offer a discounted early-bird window before it.See alsoExhibition Registration FeeOrganizer
S
- Sample Order샘플 오더
- A small trial order placed before a full contract, used by the buyer to check quality, packing and customs handling.See alsoQualified BuyerIncoterms
- Shell Scheme셸 스킴(조립 부스)
- A pre-built stand supplied by the organiser with walls, flooring, lighting and a fascia name board — simple, but fixed in shape.See alsoRaw SpaceBooth (Stand)
- Show App전시회 앱
- The organiser’s official app for searching exhibitors, finding stands and — on many shows — requesting meetings before the doors open.See alsoExhibitor DirectoryBuyer Meeting (Pre-scheduled Meeting)
V
- Venue전시장
- The building where a show takes place; large cities often have several, so check the hall number too.See alsoCo-located ShowBooth (Stand)
- Visitor참관객
- Anyone attending without a stand — buyers, industry professionals and press; visitor numbers sit alongside exhibitor numbers as a measure of scale.See alsoExhibitorVisitor Registration
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