Exposition

1988 · réf. 91304 — McLean VA: Exhibition Marketing & Management Co. Inc 1988. Presumed First Edition First Printing thus. Staplebound. Very good. The format is approximately 8.5 inches by 11 inches. 16 pages counting covers. Illustrated covers. Illustrations. Floorplan. Rare surviving copy. This was organized by the USSR Chamber of Commerce & Industry. This Exhibition was held December 8-20 1988 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. As the New York Times noted Soviet salesmen ignoring United States barriers to trade have put their foot in the door. With displays of rugs furs robotic tools and some 4000 other items at the newly opened Soviet Export Goods Exhibition at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center the Soviets hope to crack the American market. The Soviets have promoted the exhibition which will run through Dec. 20 as a trade show where all products are available for sale. But American visitors to the show get a sense of what it must be like for Russian shoppers: Goods are displayed but many are not really available for export like refrigerators which are in short supply in the Soviet Union. Other items would be very expensive in the U.S. because of punitively high import duties on Soviet products like automobiles and jewelry. Some Soviet services offered for sale such as satellite launchings for $33 million a shot or rental of a Soviet space lab for experiments at $20000 a kilogram are off limits to Americans by United States law. But a dozen exhibitors interviewed saw these problems as temporary trade barriers not like the roadblocks of the past. Even with the restrictions more trade is possible they said. The Soviets have scheduled some trade agreements to be signed during the 12-day exhibition. Derived from a New York Times story on this Exhibition: ''Every day we hope to have two or three contracts signed and some will be for more than $100 million'' said Bagrat N. Arutyunov chief of the Department of Soviet Exhibitions Abroad for the U.S.S.R. Chamber of Commerce and Industry. For instance a Canadian importer is enthusiastic about a Soviet electron microscope. Few consumer goods are covered by these agreements. But if some of these deals succeed trade between the countries could increase substantially in the next few years. According to the Commerce Department the Soviets last year exported to the United States $329 million in raw or semi-processed materials and $141 million in manufactured goods. ''This is the exhibition of perestroika'' Mr. Arutyunov said. ''This is the first the very first pure commercial show. It's not financed by the Government but by the participants at the exhibition.'' Soviet booths represent state-run factories state agencies cooperatives and regional trade associations. Visitors entering the exhibit immediately encounter a slick audio-visual show. Signs like ''Perestroika to success'' proclaim optimism and Russian-flavored English is heard everywhere. It is an eclectic display with giant tractors and earth excavators scattered among displays of nesting dolls furs and telescopes. There are computers software books crafts jewelry toys and rifles. Oil paintings decorate a stage area where the All Soviet Fashion House from Moscow puts on its daily show at 3 P.M. For all its variety the exhibit is relatively small as trade shows go and is tucked into a 60000-square-foot corner of the convention center which has 750000 square feet of space. The exhibit was planned 18 months ago but opening day was moved up from Dec. 14 to coincide with the Gorbachev visit. The exhibit was organized by Exhibition Marketing and Management a McLean Va. specialist in trade shows. Burson-Marsteller the New York public relations firm that is a unit of Young & Rubicam handled the publicity. The exhibition manager sent direct-mail brochures to about 230000 businesses. ''We've had a tremendous response'' said David H. Wolstenholme the company's president. He said 11000 people have registered and new registrations arrive at the rate of 600 to 1100 a day. Many Soviet economic and trading problems are summed up by the auto exhibit. Lada the Soviet Union's largest auto maker is hoping to break into the American market with a four-wheel-drive vehicle the Niva. With United States import duties of 70 percent or more the no-frills Niva would be competing in a price range that could approach $20000 against comparable vehicles with more power and luxury. Should American dealers be interested they may have trouble obtaining much inventory because Lada makes only 100000 Nivas a year for domestic and foreign distribution Mr. Yakubson said. The Soviet ruble cannot be exchanged in the world market and this impedes the country's development and international trade. Sergei Olevsky president of the Iskatel Cooperative in Moscow which wants to export jewelry and painted boxes expressed optimism over the larger goals of show. He said the exhibition could promote trade by whetting the appetites of American importers and consumers who then could put pressure on the Government to eliminate high import tariffs. ''We hope the American people will try to help us come into the market'' Mr. Olevsky said through an interpreter. Their ability to trade in world markets could improve quickly if they are willing to harness the military industry to work for the civilian industry.''. Exhibition Marketing & Management Co., Inc unknown