Visa delays affect trade show business

News Story
- 20 Apr 2006 ( #256 ) - MILWAUKEE, WI, United States
1 min read
Overseas businessmen have said they would never come to the US again after receiving rude treatment from visa processing officials, a trade association told a US congressional hearing this month.

Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) president Dennis Slater testified at a hearing of the House Committee on Government Reform that focused on the business impact of visa-approval delays and made recommendations for reform.

Slater encouraged the US government to implement more business-friendly policies to encourage overseas customers to the US to buy US-made products. AEM operates some of the largest trade expos in the US, like the CONEXPO-CON/AGG show and the ICUEE-The Demo Expo.

"Our international attendance at recent shows would have been much higher, but many qualified business prospects encountered significant problems obtaining visas.

"Some became so discouraged over delays and perceived rude treatment that they dropped out of the process. They told us they would never come to the US again to spend their money but would go to trade shows in Europe or Asia instead," Slater said.

AEM's recommendations to the House Committee included differentiating business visa applicants from general ones and implementing more time-saving processes for frequent international business visitors.

Slater said small and medium sized exhibitors at AEM-run exhibitions were particularly affected by visa delays.

"It's not feasible for smaller companies to ship a piece of equipment overseas for a pre-purchase inspection or fly in many potential customers themselves," he said.

There was a focus among AEM members to attract Chinese and Indian customers to its exhibitions, Slater told the House Committee. Despite efforts by AEM staff in the US and China to facilitate the visa application process, potential show visitors still encountered problems.

The AEM suggested more staff be trained to process the high number of applicants and applicants be given better preparation for visa interviews.
CeMAT Asia part of record Industrial Fair Network
CeMAT Asia part of record Industrial Fair Network 23 Nov 2023 - Shanghai, China - 1 min read
Debuts at MODEX 2020
Debuts at MODEX 2020 19 Mar 2020 - Atlanta, GA - 3 min read
Visitor surge at CeMAT Asia and logitrans
Visitor surge at CeMAT Asia and logitrans 21 Nov 2019 - Istanbul, Turkey and Shanghai, China - 2 min read
Do you have materials handling news? Submit your news here

PREMIUM business

Zhejiang UN Forklift Co., Ltd
Manufacturer of IC forklifts, electric forklifts and warehouse equipment.

We’re excited to launch a major upgrade to the Forkliftaction forums, packed with new features and improvements. Here’s what’s new:

  • You can now add up to two photos to your posts
  • New search & navigation - find what you need easier
  • Smart brand/model tagging across all forums
  • Top contributors recognised for their efforts!

 Head over to the forums to check it out!

Words of support …

Thanks to advertising with Forkliftaction, GemOne has experienced a significant enhancement in our online presence. Working with Forkliftaction has enabled us to boost engagement with our targeted audience, resulting in an increase in information requests and downloads of valuable materials from our website. Forkliftaction has consistently delivered outstanding results, helping us to effectively connect with the right audience.

Justine Lootens, CEO

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

We’re excited to launch a major upgrade to the Forkliftaction forums, packed with new features and improvements. Here’s what’s new:

  • You can now add up to two photos to your posts
  • New search & navigation - find what you need easier
  • Smart brand/model tagging across all forums
  • Top contributors recognised for their efforts!

 Head over to the forums to check it out!

Inside The News
While innovation and new technology are evolving at what seems to be an ever-increasing pace, the need to capture the data (telemetry) from this tech, and the ability to utilise it (telematics) for efficiency and cost savings, is one area attracting more and more attention ... Continue reading

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

We’re excited to launch a major upgrade to the Forkliftaction forums, packed with new features and improvements. Here’s what’s new:

  • You can now add up to two photos to your posts
  • New search & navigation - find what you need easier
  • Smart brand/model tagging across all forums
  • Top contributors recognised for their efforts!

 Head over to the forums to check it out!