Tapping Into International Potential: 310% Increase in Delegation Registrations
To expand its global reach, IFT FIRST needed an international strategy that would turn high-potential markets into verified attendees and long-term growth opportunities.
Case Study
- 310% increase in verified international delegation registrations
- Delegations expanded to 15 countries across Latin America, Asia and North America
- 91% verification rate achieved through a repeatable international recruitment strategy
Client
Institute of Food Technologists — IFT FIRST
Challenge
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) had a strong international member base, but global attendance at its annual flagship event, IFT FIRST, hadn’t reached its full potential. Increasing participation from outside the U.S. required more than targeting international audiences — it required identifying the right markets, cultivating relationships with trusted local partners and removing barriers to attendance. With a constrained execution budget and limited internal bandwidth, mdg was brought in to turn international opportunity into verified attendance.
Approach
mdg developed a research-driven international growth strategy that prioritized markets with the greatest potential for verified attendance. Five years of historical attendance data, visa considerations, membership overlap and global food science trends informed market selection across academia, regulatory agencies and the private sector. mdg then led the international delegation program by activating USDA Foreign Agricultural Service trade specialists in more than a dozen countries, creating multilingual recruitment materials, providing concierge-level registration and visa support and designing exclusive on-site experiences for delegates, including show floor tours and networking opportunities with IFT leadership.
Results
The strategy established a scalable framework for international expansion while delivering immediate results. Verified international delegation registrations increased 310% over the previous event, with representation expanding to 15 countries across Latin America, Asia and North America. The program achieved a 91% verification rate, while strengthening IFT FIRST’s relationship with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and establishing a projected 10-15% annual growth trajectory for future events.
Frequently asked questions
When marketing budgets are limited, data-backed prioritization matters more than market size. The best international markets aren’t always the biggest — they’re the ones most likely to convert. For example, mdg’s market analysis for IFT FIRST used historical attendance data, visa viability, membership overlap and R&D investment trends to score each potential market on ROI likelihood. That research and vetting process allows budget to go to the markets most likely to produce verified, high-quality buyers.
Instead of simply building awareness, international delegation programs remove barriers to attendance. For IFT FIRST, mdg engaged USDA/FAS to formalize global promotion of the IFT FIRST delegation program. Working directly with the USDA/FAS network of overseas office, mdg created localized marketing materials to enable in-country promotion and provided concierge-level support with registration, visa documentation and on-site logistics, helping qualified international delegates complete the journey from interest to attendance. Because every delegate was actively supported through the process, the program achieved a 91% verification rate, far above the industry average.
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service trade specialists provided trusted, in-country relationships and credibility that help connect qualified events with food industry market leaders. They help marketers reach highly qualified attendee prospects in ways that are difficult to achieve with cold outreach alone.
International delegates generally represent influential companies, brands and insitutions in their local markets and should be treated as a distinct audience with specific needs before, during and after the event. For IFT FIRST, that included curated show floor tours, exclusive networking opportunities with IFT leadership and support connecting delegates with the broader buyer community. A well-supported delegate experience can increase return attendance and encourage advocacy in home markets.
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