First Overseas Trade Show: Preparation Timeline and Checklists — From 8 Weeks Before to After the Show

The preparation timeline at a glance

The timing moves earlier or later depending on the show and the brand, but the order is the same. CBSR’s pre-show consulting also begins about two months before the show.

• 8 weeks before — set the purpose and targets for taking part.
• 6–4 weeks before — finish the lookbook, price list, order terms and sample selection.
• 2 weeks before — tell buyers you are exhibiting and prepare on-site operations.
• During the show — record meetings and orders day by day.
• After the show — follow up from the records and review the results.

8 weeks before — answer six questions

CBSR starts show preparation with six questions. Writing the answers down as sentences gives you a reference when deciding the booth layout and meeting targets.

• Why should we exhibit?
• Which trade show should we choose?
• Whom do we want to meet?
• What will we show?
• How much do we need to earn?
• What will we carry on after the show ends?

6–4 weeks before — materials and order terms

This is the period for fixing materials and terms in numbers, so that a buyer can make a judgment on the spot in a meeting.

• Are the lookbook and brand introduction ready in English or the local language?
• Does the wholesale price list state the currency and the unit price per style number?
• Are the minimum order quantity, lead time and payment method decided?
• Are the samples to bring, with their style numbers, colors and sizes, organized?
• Are the line sheet and order form ready?

2 weeks before — buyers and the booth

A buyer who was told in advance and comes to the booth is more likely to lead to a meeting than one met for the first time on the show floor. CBSR introduces participating brands before the show using its ERP database of about 10,000 trade show buyers.

• Have you told buyers you already know, and buyers you want to meet, that you are exhibiting and where the booth is?
• Have you decided who interprets and who handles meetings?
• Have you confirmed the sample shipping schedule and the arrival date at the venue?
• Have you decided how orders will be written down on site?

During the show — what to record each day

Post-show contact is only possible with on-site records. Brand ERP, developed by CBSR, lets you write orders even where the network is unstable, and sends the buyer a WeChat notification and an order sheet PDF when an order is entered.

• The company and contact details of each buyer you met
• The style numbers and quantities the buyer was interested in
• The terms the buyer asked about — price, lead time, minimum order quantity
• Orders and sample requests

After the show — turn records into contact

Right after the show is when the buyer’s memory is clearest, so it is better not to put off follow-up. In its October 2026 coverage of MODE Shanghai 2027SS, International Textile News noted that actual order results depend on product and price competitiveness and on how quickly a brand responds to the distribution structure Chinese buyers want.

• Have you thanked the buyers you met and reconfirmed their orders?
• Have you sent the samples and additional materials that were requested?
• Have you gathered the meeting records and organized them by buyer?
• Have you compared the number of meetings and the order results with the targets set 8 weeks before?

Frequently asked questions