U.S. small business looking to attend 2013 B2B digital technology, manufacturing and machine tool industry events can receive state funding from the State Trade and Export Promotion program (STEP) as part of a partnership with Hannover Fairs USA (HFUSA) in an initiative to support small businesses that are currently exporting.The program initiative aims to increase the number of small businesses that are exporting and increase the value of exports for those small businesses, according to STEP. It is funded by a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which awarded $30 million (52 grants) in fiscal year 2011."We have a close relationship with the parties administering the STEP funds in all 50 states and are actively trying to spread the word to small businesses across the country," said Larry Turner, CEO of HFUSA. "Any small business interested in attending these events in our global portfolio should contact Hannover Fairs USA and also get in touch with their state’s economic development office to further their export initiatives."STEP provided funding for several energy companies in Washington to attend Hannover Messe 2012. Select businesses were given the opportunity to sign new business deals, build relationships with other manufacturers and generate customer leads."All of our state's attending companies' registered impressive results," said Andrew Crowder, a Clean Technology Export program representative for Washington State Department of Commerce. "For instance, B&G Machine entered a multi-year contract with a German diesel engine manufacturer, Demand Energy Networks established relationships with a group of electrical power authorities, Enertechnix was offered financial aid to establish an assembly facility in Germany, and Hydrovolts generated several hundred leads. The state of Washington will return to Hannover Messe 2013 with a sizable group of companies. The scale of the show and the global character of the attendees and exhibitors is unmatched, and we see this as the beginning of a long-term partnership."U.S. small businesses looking to attend Hannover Messe, CeBIT or EMO in 2013 will receive a number of benefits by doing so. According to HFUSA, these include:
- A reduction in exhibition space costs of up to 50%
- Help with travel and lodging expenses
- Matchmaking services for valuable, pre-qualified new business leads
- Co-branding with the state and other U.S. trade fair partners
- A pocket guide listing all participating companies in the state to drive traffic to their booths
- Press matchmaking for optimum media exposure
