There are a total of six members of the advance team, in addition to the interpreter of Disko, there are also comrades in charge of protocol, news, and security, as well as two representatives of the company.

They had to fly from Beijing to Brussels, Belgium.

It is home to the European Community, the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and many United Nations agencies in Europe.

According to the plan drawn up in advance, the leaders came to Brussels for two main purposes.

The first was the signing of an aid agreement with representatives of the European Community to provide assistance for dairy development projects.

The second is to attend the China-EU Trade Week co-organized with the European Community.

The reason why Team Leader Cui said that the task is heavy this time is because of this China-Europe Trade Week.

In the past, the advance team mainly served a delegation of several dozen people led by the leader.

But in order to participate in the trade week, nearly 200 representatives of Chinese companies will come to Brussels this time.

Not only did they have to arrange the leader's itinerary, but they also had to take care of the 200-strong delegation.

Team Leader Hou of the advance team has done the work of hitting the front station twice, and he is quite familiar with the work process of the advance team.

Before getting on the plane, I told the team members that they must rest more on the plane and ensure sufficient sleep.

He also jokingly reminded Disco: "Xiao Di, many comrades who take a plane for the first time are easy to get excited, you try to be restrained and restrained, don't get out of the dark circles when you get off the plane!" ”

"Haha, I've been reading the information these days, and I'm seriously lacking in sleep, so I'm just waiting to catch up on the plane!"

The first time he took a plane abroad, Disco was inevitably a little excited, and after getting on the plane, he tried everything he could eat and drink like a hillbilly.

After eating and drinking, I asked the stewardess for a glass of champagne and fell asleep with a slight drunkenness.

His biological clock has always been punctual, and seven hours of sleep a day can keep him alive.

So halfway through the flight, he woke up automatically, took out the materials he had with him, and continued to read.

To be honest, although he is not the leader's accompanying translator, the work pressure is greater than that of the leader.

In the time leading up to his departure, he had already browsed the profiles of dozens of Western European companies in advance, in case he made a mistake in the translation process.

Team Leader Hou saw that he had been reading the information since he woke up, and said with a smile: "Don't be nervous, it's okay to say a few wrong words occasionally, the emperor is far away, I won't sue you Team Leader Cui." ”

"Our team leader Cui said that this time the time is tight and the task is heavy, let me try to do the work in advance, don't delay the advance team."

"The work of our advance team is actually not that complicated, and there are few emergencies." Team Leader Hou patted him on the back and said, "Take it easy." ”

However, Murphy's Law always comes unexpectedly.

As soon as the six members of the advance team got off the plane and got into the special car sent by the embassy to pick up the people, they listened to Director Sun of the office of the Commercial Office asking them for advice.

Fewer than 100 Western European companies are expected to attend the trade week, and they are asked if they want to inform Beijing about the matter.

When Team Leader Hou heard this, he wrinkled his eyebrows and asked: "Last week, it was said that there were 300 companies, why did we become less than 100 as soon as we landed?" ”

"We have sent invitations to 300 companies, but less than 100 have given positive responses."

Liu Zhengmin, who is in charge of journalism, asked: "Do you know what the reason is?" ”

This is the third edition of Trade Week, and the first two editions were very popular, with almost 300 companies invited every year.

That's why they have only formed a delegation of 200 members this year.

It is to let domestic enterprises come to Western Europe to win more cooperation opportunities.

"Many of the local European companies we have invited have already participated in the previous two trade weeks and have cooperated with us. The theme of the third edition is similar to the previous two, and these companies may not find it a surprise. ”

The car sped all the way to the embassy, and the members of the advance team were sent to the embassy, and Disco's entire attention was on the conversation of several people, and before he had time to enjoy the European street scene, he was already sitting at the conference table.

"At present, there are two options," said Director Sun, "one is to contact Beijing as soon as possible and inform the representatives of unrelated enterprises to stay in China and not to follow the delegation to participate in the trade week." ”

Otherwise, they will have two or three hundred people, and only one hundred companies will be present on the other side.

It doesn't look good in comparison, and it is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and a waste of resources.

Team Leader Hou shook his head: "People's companies are preparing for this trade week months in advance, and we can't deprive everyone of the right to participate in the exhibition just because we haven't invited the corresponding foreign companies." ”

"Then we can only find a way to invite more companies as soon as possible."

Team Leader Hou immediately made arrangements, and the advance team was divided into two.

The comrades in charge of protocol and security issues continued to go as originally planned, and made good arrangements for the leadership's schedule.

Arrange the welcome ceremony, welcome banquet, talks, vehicles and guest house in advance.

Others are responsible for the preparations for the trade week.

Team Leader Hou asked the comrades of the embassy to help him make an appointment with the European Community member in charge of external relations, and took Disco to talk to the other side.

It is intended that they will officially come forward and increase the publicity of this China-Europe Trade Week.

However, the reply was: "I have twice issued an open letter inviting Western European business people to actively participate in this trade week." ”

This means that he did his best.

"We have a lot of companies in your country's textiles, still very interested, however, the first two sessions of the exhibition entrepreneurs generally said that your textile exports have quota restrictions, the export volume is too small."

"We have organized more than 200 projects in more than a dozen fields, including advanced technology, machinery, light industry, medicine and health care, grain, oil and food. Textiles are only a small part of our export list......"

"It's good for both parties to be able to catalyse more cooperation during the trade week. We will continue to invite other companies to participate in the exhibition, but you also need to find ways to increase your publicity and expand your influence. ”

Leaving the office of this committee member, Team Leader Hou whispered: "We are the country that exports the most textiles to Europe except Turkey. ”

Not long after China's reform and opening up, Europe's understanding of the interior was still quite one-sided.

Most of the enterprises they invited were well-known large enterprises, and even these large enterprises did not know much about the mainland, let alone small and medium-sized enterprises.

After thinking for a long time, Disco proposed: "Team leader, why don't we find a way to advertise?" ”

"Haven't we been advertising?"

"It's not this kind of advertising on the side of the road or in front of the exhibition hall, but the kind of advertising on TV and newspapers!" "At the moment, only large companies that have received invitations have the opportunity to participate in Trade Week, while small and medium-sized enterprises are ignored. I've been reading a lot of Western European companies lately, and in fact, many medium-sized and established companies are also very strong. But they don't receive the invitation and don't know about our country's ......."

Yu Tong has been on the top of the pop music charts, and Disco knows the power of advertising.

The publicity of newspapers and television stations is by no means comparable to that of a few posters.

"Team leader, our task is to ensure the smooth progress of the trade week, after advertising, we may be able to attract the attention of some small and medium-sized enterprises, so that those enterprises take the initiative to join."

"I need to discuss it with the comrades in the embassy, and I need to ask Beijing for instructions." Team Leader Hou had not dealt with the media much, and asked suspiciously, "Does advertising really work?" ”

"Let's ask Liu Zhengmin, who is in charge of news and publicity," Disco didn't say enough, "If the leader agrees to let us advertise, then we have to find the most influential news media to cooperate." It is best to find a few representatives of enterprises that have already invested in the mainland to talk about our investment environment and investment policies. ”

Haven't you ever seen a sheep on a tree or a sheep pooping?

Isn't it just propaganda, Yu Tong has already taught him several times!

Chapter 65

Disco is happy to show his skills in publicity work, but Team Leader Hou will not give him this opportunity easily.

Advertising in the country is related to the image of the country, which requires a rigorous process of argumentation and planning, and it must also be led by the business department.

It's not like a few of them can decide in a matter of days.

Diplomacy is no small matter, but it is not just lip service.

After returning to the embassy, Team Leader Hou called a meeting to discuss the possibility of advertising for Trade Week.

"It's okay to advertise, we have also cooperated with local news organizations, but the advertiser must be selected well." Director Sun of the Commercial Office said, "Since it is an economic activity, then focus on the enterprise and not get too involved in politics." ”

"I think it's okay, this kind of advertising doesn't need the state to come forward, find one or two companies, and advertise in their name."

"Isn't it going to be a big industry company this time, and we can let these four companies jointly advertise and help promote the China-Europe Trade Week."

It is true that there are too few local exhibitors in Europe, and most of the comrades agreed to expand the visibility of the trade week through the media as soon as possible.

But the content of the advertisement has become the focus of everyone's contention again.

It is rare to be able to advertise their own enterprises in the major media in Europe, and the comrades want to be ingenious and make something with national characteristics that is impressive.

What giant pandas, porcelain, Peking Opera masks, silk, everything with Chinese characteristics has been mentioned and counted.

Liu Zhengmin from the news mouth reminded in time: "Let's try to be as simple as possible, just pick one or two things for embellishment!" ”

Disco asked, "Brother Liu, can't you use them all?" ”

He felt that what everyone mentioned was distinctive, and that the light industry and textile enterprises in the delegation did produce these products.

Of course, pandas are not for sale, but they have panda toys.

"The space is limited," Liu Zhengmin compared to the size of a tofu block, "so many things can't fit it!" ”

Disco cried and laughed: "Since we are going to advertise in foreign newspapers, can we be bold and take all the advertising pages?" ”

Even his family Yu Tong is willing to cover a full page of advertising, this time it is the country's turn to act, it must be more courageous!

Team Leader Hou hesitated: "Buying all the pages of the newspaper, that's too publicity, right?" ”

"It's good to be public!" "Many foreigners have very flamboyant personalities, and if we are modest, they think we are not strong." The four major domestic industrial companies have joined forces to advertise in Europe, of course, to show their strength, buy a few more pages to see how heroic we are! ”

Advertising is the most afraid of no memory point, although the act of buying all the advertising pages is a bit of a local tyrant, but the local tyrant is also a feature.

At the very least, it will be remembered.

Director Sun calculated and said, "All the advertising pages of a newspaper are added together in three to six pages, and we can't use them all at all......

"There are hundreds of companies here this time! Just by introducing this corporate information, you can use up two pages. Those photos of goods with national characteristics can also be put on, and foreign friends like pandas, West Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have pandas that we give, we can leave a separate page for the photos of giant pandas, so that readers can associate the source when they see the pictures. ”

"Let's buy so many pages, we can't just put pictures and company introductions, right? What kind of advertisement is this? ”

Hearing this, Disco and Liu Zhengmin glanced at each other, and then took out a few copies of the local newspapers they borrowed and distributed them to everyone.

Liu Zhengmin said: "Xiao Di and I have roughly browsed the local newspapers in the past few days, and it seems that there is a kind of buying advertisement that is trending here. It's the kind of very straightforward person who I am, what I need to buy now, how much money I can give or what I can exchange it for. Although it is simple, it is clear at a glance from the perspective of typography. ”

"We can actually follow the local customs and clearly list the projects that we need to seek cooperation......

Although it is inconvenient to buy more sensitive high-end technology on a large scale, there are more than 200 projects brought by the delegation this time, and there are always projects that can be purchased generously.

As long as they can gather 300 exhibitors, they will be able to complete the task successfully.

Captain Hou asked for everyone's opinions: "What do you think of Lao Liu and Xiao Di's proposal, comrades?" ”

"I suggest that the advertising space should be reduced as much as possible, we have limited funds, and we can save it." Director Sun is in charge of the funds of the Commercial Department and has always been tight-handed.