Intensive discussions between representatives from industry and trade, over two days, without long distances – that was the E/D/E industry get-together special 2023. New this year: the Cologne venue and the focus on building fittings. As always, however, the focus was on networking.
What are the current trends in the sector? What innovations are on the horizon? Who offers the most attractive conditions? At the industry get-together special on 12. and September 13, 2023 provided answers to these questions. At the new venue in Cologne, the former XPOST parcel center, 345 participants from the building fittings sector met. They used the unique E/D/E platform to hold personal discussions and initiate or intensify business contacts.
The concept of the industry get-together has been tried and tested for over 20 years. The idea: to enable participants to hold intensive discussions in a pleasant atmosphere, compressed into two event days and without long distances. To this end, representatives from the trade await the E/D/E contract suppliers in so-called “discussion booths” – where the two parties can present their services particularly effectively. Undisturbed, concentrated, informal. The conversation partners traditionally change every 30 minutes. “Once again this year, we have fulfilled one of our central tasks as an association with our industry meeting special: to provide our partners from industry and trade with a platform that enables them to focus exclusively on discussions and networking with each other for two days in one compact location,” summarizes Dr. Christoph Grote, Managing Director Supplier and Product Group Management at E/D/E. “In times of many digital meetings, face-to-face discussions are particularly valuable and effective – with the industry get-together, we offer the ideal setting for this.”
The current mood on the market
But what issues are currently affecting the architectural hardware industry? The declining order situation in the manufacturing industry due to the tense economic situation was just one of the issues discussed by the participants. The shortage of skilled workers, the continuing high energy costs and inflation were also on the minds of many trade fair visitors. “With the E/D/E network at our side, the current challenges are not necessarily smaller, but they are easier to manage in many areas. As a member, we not only benefit from the services, but also use the association and thus the industry meeting to gain impetus for our business, but also to share our experiences,” reports Sven Steinrück, Managing Director of Steinrück GmbH & Co. KG.
Michael Hatke, Head of Supplier/Commodity Group Management Construction at E/D/E, knows that the current developments are keeping partners on both the distributor and supplier side very busy. “As E/D/E representatives, we therefore also took the opportunity to provide some impetus, but above all to capture the current mood in the market once again in a condensed form. As the organizer of networks for the E/D/E association, the market view is always crucial in order to be able to meet the requirements together and find solutions,” says Hatke. The exchange between participants and E/D/E employees focused in particular on the topics of sustainability and digitalization. The growing requirements in the area of sustainability, which often go hand in hand with high costs for companies, created a need for discussion.
Factoring as a financing alternative
The ETRIS BANK stand was also constantly frequented by visitors. There, the employees provided information about the services and benefits of the institute, which focuses on medium-sized customers. “Our team used the framework of the event to hold trusting discussions with many existing and potential new customers,” explains Uwe Müller, Chairman of the Managing Director of ETRIS BANK. The focus was particularly on the topic of factoring – an interesting financing alternative for many companies, especially in challenging times like these.
Focus on networking
Good contacts are the basis for a functioning business – which is why networking was once again at the forefront of the industry get-together in 2023. This is also confirmed by Carola Nüßing, Managing Director of Nüßing GmbH: “We are represented at every industry get-together because these events give us the opportunity to maintain or even establish a large number of contacts in a very short space of time. After all, personal discussions with important partners, direct exchanges, getting to know new sales colleagues from our suppliers – all of this is so important for a trusting collaboration.”
