Netherlands Pavilion at Aquatech Mexico
One of the core activities of the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) is organising the Netherlands Pavilion at large water trade fairs worldwide. One of these was the Aquatech Mexico, the gateway to the water technology market in Mexico and Central America. The Netherlands Pavilion, organised by NWP and supported by the Partners for Water programme, attracted many visitors.
Benefits
NWP member, Van Essen Instruments, which specialises in groundwater level changes and salt water intrusion, was one of the companies at the Netherlands Pavilion. With over 25 serious leads, International Distribution Manager, Peter Westerhuis, saw the benefits of being part of the Netherlands Pavilion.
Matchmaking
"This was the first time we exhibited at Aquatech Mexico and it was a great advantage being part of the Netherlands Pavilion. Many visitors sought us out because of the Netherlands’ reputation in water. And our orange Pavilion was easy to find. The stream of serious visitors and matchmaking opportunities were impressive. The Embassy, NWP and our distributor had worked hard to attract the right people – all we did was turn up."
"The Embassy and NWP had worked hard to attract the right people."
Opportunities and local representation
"Mexico is one of Van Essen Instruments’ core countries and we have worked there for a long time. We are strengthening our distribution network as we know from our distributor and the Dutch Embassy that there are significant opportunities for further growth. We have an excellent distributor who knows the market, the network, the language and understands the cultural differences. Like anywhere, Mexico has its own systems. For example, projects are often handled by local authorities so they are our main target group, and quotations in Mexico are used to set budgets rather than to commission work so things take time."
Serious business leads
"We still need to see if the 80 leads we made at Aquatech Mexico turn into projects. Twenty-five of these have serious potential and we are now doing the follow-up. We are delighted with the outcome of the fair and hope to exhibit at the Netherlands Pavilion again next year."
About the Netherlands Pavilion
NWP organises the Netherlands Pavilion throughout the year. In many occasions, the Netherlands Pavilions in supported by the Dutch Government through agencies such as the Top Sector Water & Maritime and the Partners for Water programme. The financial support enables NWP and its partners, Water Alliance and Envaqua, to represent the Dutch water sector at important trade fairs and support it with a hospitality lounge.