If there is one key takeaway from this year's Society for Environmental Graphic Design Exhibition and Experience Design Symposium it was this:
Work your networks.
Starting or expanding your business abroad is a complex, if not daunting, endeavor. Developing a network of international partners, fabricators, vendors, and resources requires trust and faith – trust in the value of your ability and services, and faith that you can work together to produce your vision to exceed the expectations established between you and your client. How and where to start?
Held annually since 2004 at the extraordinary Cranbrook Academy of Art, the 2011 Symposium topic was "Act Locally/ Think Globally". SEGD is a global community of people working at the intersection of communication design and the built environment. In addition to a robust conference and workshop schedule, SEGD provides advanced learning and leadership to a community of 1,600 members. This year's symposium brought valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities of establishing yourself in the international marketplace. Below are highlights from our discussions:
1. Develop cultural intelligence.
Though your clients may seem Westernized, their cultural assumptions vary. Brad King, VP of Lord Cultural Resources maintains that attention to your process and expectations are essential to success. Communication is filtered through culture, and being aware of cultural context can limit misdirection and misunderstanding. Invest in your firm's cultural literacy and adapt your processes to reflect your understanding of the local culture. Relevancy isn't just about showing up.
2. Relationships matter.
The single most important factor in the success of your business abroad lies in the attention and care you pay to developing rich partnerships in the local community. Use your networks and invest resources to identify the best partners in your market who can help you translate and decode local habits, customs, and legal concerns. Follow relationships, not competitions.
3. Local. Regional. National. Global....Repeat.
Rick Lincicome, EVP at AECOM stressed the importance of understanding and interpreting the needs of the local market. Start your business abroad locally, in one specific arena, then expand slowly. Learn the capabilities of your local partners, and continuously ask "what does local look like now?".
4. Be flexible.
The ability to stay agile is important in a world of political and market instability. Know your contract and be aware of differing expectations for schedules, fees, and documentation. Manage expectations and maintain clear communication, even if it means asking again and again.
5. Establish a local presence.
Trusting relationships develop when you interface daily with your clients and partners. Hernán Saurit, Director of Business Development at Gallagher and Associates Asia asserts that we live in a shared marketplace, and establishing a global network is essential to development. Stationing staff abroad allows them to become key translators of your process, deepens trust between you and your clients, and builds cultural intelligence within your organization.
6. Foster positive change.
The world is simultaneously expanding and collapsing. No matter where you do business, you have the power to create significant and lasting change. Be the change you wish to see in the world.
In the end, we're all in this together...and I can't imagine a better group of people to share resources and thought leadership with than the folks at SEGD. Work your networks and good luck!
