My first trade show
As part of my final year internship at Trenker Pharmaceutical Laboratories, I decided to write some articles on different topics which caught my attention during these 15 weeks of professional integration.
In this one, I will share with you my first experience at a trade exhibition. Indeed, I had the opportunity to participate at the Arab Health exhibition that took place at the Dubaï World Trade Center from January 27th to February 2nd 2019.
My first show in Dubai
Arab Health is a trade fair where more than 160 countries are present with no less than 4000 companies from the pharmaceutical industry and a record attendance of 84500 visitors. This is the largest medical exhibition in the Middle East !
We had several goals during this show. The main one: finding a distributor for Saudi Arabia.
Secondly, increasing Trenker Laboratories’ presence and visibility in some Gulf countries: Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Finally, meeting with our export partners from Kuweit, Jordan, Iran and the UAE to discuss ongoing projects, including the registration of new products such as Hyaflex, a medical device recommended for the treatment of joint pain, or Alline Procap, a food supplement that supports hair growth1.
Seeing the interest of many visitors towards Trenker and its products we could only be satisfied by our performance and success.
During this business trip, I also had the opportunity to participate in a networking event organized by the AWEX (Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency), which brought the Belgian companies together. This allowed me to meet with professionals, such as Mr. Denis Lahaye, the economic and commercial officer for the AWEX in Riyadh, and discuss our different professional experiences.
Here is an overview of our Trenker booth
Picture taken by Anwar Mohamed
What this professional experience has brought me
This experience in Dubai allowed me to learn more about the professional world thanks to the trade fair itself, the networking I attented, and the various inspiring meetings.
Participating as a trainee at an event of this magnitude requires excellent preparation in terms of technical and commercial knowledge. As a matter of fact, it was important to know about the specificities of food supplements, medical devices and medicines we had to present to visitors.
This experience allowed me to self-assessing, gain confidence, and learn more about how companies work together in an international context.
An anecdote to share with you
After an intense day at the show, my colleagues and I decided to discover the city. We chose to go to the Marina, one of the largest artificial marinas in the world. The view over the water, the huge buildings and the hotels were wonderful. I suggest going there at least once in your life. :)
The Marina by night
Picture taken by Anwar Mohamed
Thanks
I would like to thank the Trenker staff, and especially Yannick Toussaint, Export Sales Director, for giving me the opportunity to participate at this exhibition and learn more about the overall professional world.
1Zinc helps maintain normal hair and aids the normal synthesis of proteins (including keratin)