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Stronger presence of German manufactories at international trade fairs
An internal survey among the members of the German Manufactories Initiative – Handmade-in-Germany has shown that their participation in international trade fairs has strongly increased in recent years and continues to gain importance. Purchase decisions are increasingly made on the spot, and trade fairs, being an excellent environment for generating new business and establishing long-term relationships with new customers, provide an important impetus for international business.
Trade fairs are not only perfect platforms for showcasing information and building up new contacts, they also make it easy to gain an initial impression of sales opportunities in the respective countries. “International trade fairs can open doors and give access to new markets”, says Johan Conze, of Deumer Manschettenknöpfe (Cufflinks), about the growing interest in international trade fairs, adding that it is essential to work with local sales partners. This opinion is shared by Ulrich Welter, Managing Director of WELTER Wandunikate (Exclusive Wall-Designs), who is convinced that a strong trade fair presence and follow-up are decisive factors for success.
The members of the German Manufactories Initiative believe that now is the time to take their businesses to the international level, where their products stand out more strongly at trade fairs. Ulrich Welter explains that “at national trade fairs, we are perceived as somewhat exotic, but at international fairs we are seen as specialists. ‘Handmade-in-Germany’ is a hugely important selling point.” The outstanding reputation of German craftsmanship is invaluable for establishing new contacts. Key concepts such as tradition, commitment, sustainability and quality are valued more and more highly on international markets, and they are strongly associated with ‘Handmade-in-Germany’. The exquisite products hand-crafted under this banner are in international demand; they enjoy an excellent reputation and thus a very high degree of trust by international customers.
Trade fairs continue to play an important part in the sales strategy of German manufactories, and this is even more true for international fairs than for national ones. As part of this strategy, manufactories tend to focus on specialist fairs.
Members of the German Manufactories Initiative have exhibited at a wide range of specialist trade fairs, including the following:
• Maison & Objet, Paris (WELTER Wandunikate, FITZ Leuchtenmanufaktur (Lights Manufactory) and Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin (Royal Porcelain Manufactory) Berlin)
• Monumento, Salzburg (Glashütte Lamberts glass manufactory)
• Pitti Uomo, Florence (Deumer Manschettenknöpfe)
• International Sound & Sight Exhibition, Singapore (Burmester Audio Systems)
Specialist trade fairs are an excellent opportunity for companies to strengthen their international presence and build up a global network. Compared to other distribution channels, they provide manufactories with a cost-effective means to access world markets.
Positioning themselves effectively on international trade fairs constitutes an important aspect of the successful export strategy of German manufactories. The German Manufactories Initiative is strongly committed to promoting the Handmade-in-Germany label and boosting the international reputation enjoyed by German craftsmanship even further.
