Who this decision is for
- An exporter exhibiting at a Korean trade show for the first time who wants booth conversations to lead to real follow-up meetings.
- A marketing manager who returns from an event with a stack of Korean business cards and no plan for what to send.
- A company visiting a Korean event as an attendee or speaker and hoping to convert introductions into a pipeline.
- An event coordinator who must brief a small team on how to record leads consistently across a multi-day show.
The decision to make
The decision is how to spread effort across the event lifecycle: pre-event outreach, on-site capture and post-event follow-up. Many exhibitors spend heavily on the booth and little on what happens next. The question is what to prepare in Korean, how to record each conversation and who will act on leads once the team is back.
The trade-off is depth against speed. Detailed notes on each conversation make follow-up relevant but slow down booth interactions. A simple lead-rating system and a short set of tags is often enough. On the Korean side, a dedicated landing page with the event name, product information and a way to book a meeting gives each contact a place to go. Exhibition rules, business card data handling and consent practices should be checked with qualified advisers.
Options compared
| Option | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-event outreach and meeting booking | You can identify target attendees or exhibitors beforehand and want scheduled conversations at the event. | Requires early research and Korean messaging; cancelled meetings still happen and need a backup plan. |
| On-site capture and Korean collateral | You expect many walk-up visitors and need efficient recording and Korean material to hand over. | Inconsistent notes between staff make follow-up generic; brief everyone on a shared method. |
| Structured post-event follow-up campaign | You collect many contacts and need a plan for sorting, replying and scheduling meetings quickly. | Delay erodes value; allocate staff time in advance and personalise messages for the strongest leads. |
Risks to manage
- Late follow-up. Contacts forget you within days. Schedule follow-up time before travelling, and send a first personal message soon after the event, in Korean where suitable.
- Inconsistent lead notes. Different staff record different details, so follow-up is generic. Use one short template covering interest, role, next step and language preference.
- No Korean landing page. Visitors scanning a QR code land on an English page and leave. Prepare a Korean page that matches the event material and offers a simple next step.
- Data handling gaps. Business cards and scanned badges contain personal data. Confirm consent and storage rules with qualified Korean advisers before adding contacts to marketing lists.
Evidence to gather first
- The event details: audience type, exhibitor list, schedule and rules on lead scanning, so preparation matches how the event operates.
- Your target visitor profile in Korea, including roles, company types and the questions you expect them to ask at the booth.
- Staffing plan for the event and the following two weeks, showing who speaks Korean and who owns follow-up.
- Your current CRM fields and import method, to check that event contacts can be recorded, tagged and assigned without manual rework.
Recommended process
- Event preparation. SWIN helps you define goals for the event, identify people worth meeting in advance and prepare a Korean landing page and printed material that match each other.
- Lead capture design. We create a short lead template and rating guide so every staff member records contacts in the same way, including preferred language and channel.
- During-event support. Where relevant, we advise on booth messaging, meeting scheduling and how to use the landing page or QR code in conversations.
- Post-event triage. Contacts are sorted by interest and fit, and Korean follow-up messages are drafted for each group, with personal notes added for priority leads.
- Review. Together we review which conversations became meetings, what the team would change and whether the event justified a return visit.
What SWIN can deliver
- A pre, during and post-event plan with tasks, owners and deadlines.
- A Korean event landing page linked to booth material and QR codes.
- A lead capture template and rating guide for booth staff.
- Korean follow-up message drafts for different lead types.
- A post-event review outlining meetings generated, learnings and recommendations.