When the heart of the production connection trade beats every 30 minutes, then E/D/E is the industry meeting place. “Finally back” – that was the tenor at the Leipzig trade fair after the pandemic-related break, during which it became clear how valuable face-to-face conversations can be. The decision-makers from the PVH and the manufacturing industry once again had plenty of opportunity to do so over two days in line with the tried-and-tested basic concept of the “Messe verkehrt”. With hybrid communication offerings and a focus on important future topics in the industry such as digitalization, internationality and sustainability, E/D/E offered the approximately 1,400 participants additional new impetus.
Visitors to the industry get-together were delighted to see each other again and experienced some changes compared to previous years: E/D/E used more space in Hall 1 of the trade fair, which resulted in a more spacious impression. The E/D/E member management lounge was located in the middle and served as a central contact point. The directly adjacent areas of ETRIS BANK and EDE International as well as Digital Services were also highly frequented. The discussion islands for the building technology, tools, occupational safety/technical trade and fittings product groups were located near the specialized dealers. For the first time, video meeting rooms were also used to virtually involve specialists from the trading companies who were at home in discussions with the industry. This increased the sustainability effect of the industry meeting, which was already present due to the elimination of many trips.
And something else was different: instead of a large evening event at the trade fair, this time E/D/E invited visitors to decentralized events divided up by sector. This was well received by many participants. This made it easier to continue discussions with colleagues from our own industry. The attractive venues at Lake Kulkwitz on the outskirts of Leipzig (building services), at the zoo (fittings and industrial safety/technical trade at two different locations) and at the Bavarian railroad station (tools) guaranteed a pleasant atmosphere.
Added value through internationality The industry event also attracted more international visitors than ever before. For a large number of members from non-German-speaking countries, including Poland, Romania, Turkey, Hungary and Slovakia, participation this year was a premiere – as it was for the Italian cooperation partner Consorzio Distributori Utensili (CDU). For Aldo Basile from the CDU, it was worth coming: “Our aim is to expand our product portfolio. We had many good discussions with interesting suppliers here.” Annegret Franzen, Managing Director of EDE International, saw the intensive preparations confirmed: “A total of 30 members from other countries were present at the industry meeting and we received consistently positive feedback on our event. And the suppliers also used the physical proximity to the international members to promote their products beyond national borders and open up new sales channels,” said the Managing Director.
Direct, personal and effective Despite all the further development, the basic concept of the industry get-together remains the same, and the participants appreciate this. “It’s good to be able to have direct face-to-face discussions in such a dense environment. This creates a completely different dynamic than on a screen or on the phone,” said Dirk van Elten, Managing Partner of PCH Technischer Handel GmbH, summing up the situation. “That was effective. Changing topics of discussion: processes, sustainability, data Markus Lutz, Managing Director of Eduard Lutz Schrauben-Werkzeuge GmbH (Lutz Group), has already experienced numerous E/D/E industry get-togethers. “We have held 80 meetings here. Even if all suppliers came to us in Gersthofen, the effort would be much higher.” His observation: “The content of the discussions has changed: Today, procedural topics often dominate.” It also became clear in Leipzig that the topic of sustainability has not only reached the center of society, but has long since arrived at PVH. E/D/E supports its members with the new Eco-Consulting consulting module for tenders, inquiries and workshops on the subject of sustainability. How the focus of discussions is changing is reflected on the industry side. Hettich Sales Manager Jan Hübschmann: “The digitalization of sales activities is an important concern for us, and
That’s why many of our discussions revolve around the topics of online stores and data.” There is no question for him that the E/D/E Industry Get-Together is the right place for this: “Our relevant distributors are all here.” Thomas Erdmann, Key Account Manager at 3M, this is the decisive advantage: “I have the opportunity to exchange ideas with all the important partners here. I don’t have that in this form anywhere else.”
Defying the crisis with optimism and smart decisions A central topic of discussion was already obvious before the event: How are both retailers and suppliers dealing with the current and upcoming challenges resulting from the overlapping crises and their side effects? After record sales in large parts of the industry in the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, both members and suppliers are preparing for a challenging year in 2023 with massively rising energy costs and dysfunctional supply chains, while the economy is weakening. Willi Stober GmbH & Co. KG, sees it this way: “Consumption will continue next year. We have to use our concepts to ensure that customers buy from us.”
“It was a turbulent time, and it will continue to be turbulent. That’s why communication among fellow distributors, but also with suppliers and E/D/E, is extremely important. You can look to the future with a little more stability when you know that others are having similar thoughts,” said Jan Gerd Borgmann, owner of the Baupart – Group. Here, too, many participants agreed that what is needed is a mix of optimism and smart economic decisions. The dialog with partners helps.
Indispensable as a communication platform Dr. Christoph Grote, who as E/D/E Managing Director, who is responsible for member management and supplier/product group management for tools, construction and occupational safety/technical trade, among other things, concluded: “The joy of seeing each other again was palpable in many ways, almost tangible. At the same time, our partners from industry and trade worked almost without a break – a truly impressive atmosphere. Topics such as digitalization, data management, sustainability and the challenges of the energy and supply crisis were also central. The industry get-together is an indispensable communication platform, especially in uncertain times.” [daf/blu]
