Insights
Welcome to the ‘ Year- Round Conversation Punctuated by Events ’
Through his company ’ s 60th anniversary lens , Tom Kallman , president and CEO of US pavilion organiser Kallman Worldwide , explains how the business flips the script to bring the future of trade shows into fresh focus
t all started with a
I cup of coffee . At the inaugural Electronica show in Munich in 1963 , my dad , Jerry Kallman , Sr ., decided to provide free coffee service to his contingent of US exhibitors so they wouldn ’ t have to take time away from their stands to find it anywhere else .
Six decades later , Kallman Worldwide ’ s trademark USA and Canada Partnership Pavilions are the hubs of North American business at many of industry ’ s most important international trade events . Our portfolio of exhibitor services , custom stand building , supply chain networking programmes , and workforce advocacy initiatives furthers our brand of partnership far beyond the mechanics of managing exhibition floor space .
Trade shows have always been our core strength , but we ’ ve never thought of ourselves as just a trade show company . For 60 years , our mission has been connecting suppliers and buyers wherever , whenever , however we can . Their business is a year-round conversation punctuated by trade events , and so is ours .
It ’ s a point of view that , perhaps , is more commonly associated with media companies such as Informa and DMG that leverage premium
Left : Company founder Jerry Kallman , Sr . ( right ) and son Tom ( centre ) review the US Pavilion directory at the 1997 Paris Air Show with US Sen . Tom Harkin , ( D-IA ) content and analytics to drive traffic to their shows , or associations that organise live conferences and expos to reinforce the benefits of membership in their professional communities .
We leverage our access and influence at events to advance global trade . Our latest venture , launched in 2022 , is a strategic partnership with Sourcehere . com , a new digital platform that supports thousands of suppliers and buyers around the world with tools and utilities to connect , conduct business , and build trade relationships online anytime .
For our Pavilion exhibitors , Sourcehere serves as an interactive directory before , during , and after a show , extending their reach in target sectors and adding measurable marketing value . And for companies that aren ’ t exhibiting with us yet , Sourcehere offers an inexpensive , cost-effective way to dip their toes in the pool online before diving into a live show overseas .
The pandemic was an epic wakeup call to exporters everywhere , and the lessons we learned from that experience made us an even more resilient and valuable partner . When shows were suspended , technology gave us the ability to stay connected in the short-term and add capabilities to come back from Covid-19 even stronger . Best of all , when the dust settled , none of it was at the expense of the live , often spontaneous face-to-face meetings that have been the foundation of global trade since the beginning of time .
For example , through our Latin America office in Santiago , Chile , we partnered with government and industry leaders in 2020 to organise ‘ Sabor USA ’ ( Taste USA ), a digital trade mission to introduce US food
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