Utilize Food Export–Northeast’s Lead Qualification Tool for Trade Show Success

Food Export’s Lead Qualification program is designed to help you qualify the international buyer leads with the help of our In-Market Representatives (IMRs).



As global travel becomes a reality again, Food Export–Northeast looks forward to helping Northeast US seafood suppliers build their export business via participation in relevant international trade shows. When attending these trade shows, consider utilizing Food Export’s various programs to help you successfully explore new markets around the world before you even set foot on foreign soil. For example, Food Export’s Lead Qualification program is designed to help you qualify the international buyer leads you receive from trade shows, virtual events, and other sources with the help of our In-Market Representatives (IMRs).

How do Food Export IMRs qualify leads?

If you’ve exhibited at an international trade show or you receive a trade inquiry online, it can be difficult to evaluate whether the buyer is credible and the right fit to import products. Tapping into the knowledge base of Food Export’s on-the-ground market experts may be useful as they cover the market where your buyer contact is located. Our IMRs will do some background research on the buyer’s type of business, which market segments it targets (e.g., retail, foodservice, etc.), and which products it currently imports. They will also analyze the firm’s capacity to import from the US, and whether it works with a consolidator.

This mini backgrounder can be a crucial tool to:

  • Prioritize the most qualified leads after trade shows or events
  • Outsource time-consuming lead qualification research to our experts
  • Gain confidence by knowing each lead has been properly vetted by an experienced IMR

For more information about Food Export’s programs, please visit the Food Export website or get in touch with Food Export–Northeast’s Seafood Program Coordinator, Colleen Coyne. 


About Food Export USA – Northeast

With its extensive programs and educational offerings, Food Export USA–Northeast (Food Export–Northeast) is recognized as the preeminent expert and cost-effective resource for Northeast seafood and agricultural suppliers looking to sell their products overseas. Founded in 1973, Food Export–Northeast is a non-profit organization that works collaboratively with its 10 member states’ agricultural promotion agencies from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont, to facilitate trade between suppliers and worldwide importers and to promote the export of food, agricultural and seafood products from those states. Since its founding, the organization has helped Northeast seafood suppliers gain access to a broad range of export markets, supported overseas in-market educational and promotional programs, and offers emerging suppliers access to funds to help grow their export business. The organization is funded through the Market Access Program (MAP), administered by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Learn more about us and what we do for the Northeast seafood industry hereContact us.