SKAKO A/S : chooses not to participate in the traditional exhibition

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SKAKO Concrete takes the consequences of the recent development - and chooses not to participate in the traditional exhibition in order to go for a more direct and digital customer approach.

For a long time, Sales & Marketing Director in SKAKO Concrete A/S Claus Hansen has considered the conditions in relation to the traditional way of planning and carrying through exhibitions in the light of the development of Covid-19. And now the decision to cancel the first major exhibition is final. At first, it is a deliberate choice not to participate in next year's BAUMA exhibition in Munich. "The decision has been on its way for a long time", says Claus Hansen and continues: " In many ways, Covid-19 has pushed our general view of exhibitions hereunder resources and output. The risk of cancellation by the exhibition providers following the development of the pandemic is one thing.

Another thing is our own need to develop constantly and choose new and more untraditional ways in relation to our customers and cooperation partners. And so, we have now decided to focus even more on the possibilities of digital presentations, webinars and online activities combined with meetings with our customers at their place or at our place where we have set up the frames, themes and time in a more differentiated way and where we focus on what is relevant for especially our customers and our own business", says Claus Hansen and continues:

"Some may think that this decision is a gamble - and that we will miss some branding possibilities. But in our view an
exhibition shall be more than only a "show window", where we shine in competition with the competitor at the neighbouring stand - and also meet with the customers about themes that we might as well - or even better maybe - talk about in a place where discussions may be more thorough and surroundings less noisy. Now we have made this choice - and if we - as to be expected - will not note the big difference, it will probably not be the last exhibition that we will replace with a more direct and focused platform to meet our customers and cooperation partners", continues Claus Hansen.

At the question whether the sales management will be met by protests from the sales managers, Claus Hansen replies:
"Some may have to get used to the idea when we suddenly choose not to participate in a large exhibition on which we have previously used many resources - and now want to replace the exhibition with something else. Having said so, our sales managers have lately reported about exhibitions with only few visitors and a low activity level. So, I am not anxious about the consequences in the long term and has only been confirmed in the decision to uncover more alternatives to the traditional physical exhibitions", concludes Claus Hansen.

According to Group Communications Manager Steen-Flemming Elmarlund it is a wise decision, and he looks very positively at the general development of SKAKO's way to approach the market and customers in its general communication.

"The whole situation has changed - and Covid-19 has apparently been a substantial game changer for good and bad", says Steen-Flemming Elmarlund and continues: "The losers will be the ones who wake up too late to this new fair everyday life - and the winners will be the ones who have changed tactics and seen the opportunities. The entire communicative setup at SKAKO is being changed considerably - or rather is progressing", estimates Steen-Flemming Elmarlund. "And a recent global customer satisfaction survey among major international customers tells us that we are on the right track - and that there is a need for new thinking, a more focused customer dialogue and a different way of selling", continues Steen-Flemming Elmarlund. We do not cancel an exhibition like BAUMA to save money. We want to go for other more targeted initiatives on which we will focus now and in future. E.g. a better use of the possibilities within digital transformation and communication to customers of our solutions and products whether it is presentations, webinars, virtual reality tours, e-learning, selected customer events being some of the features we want to develop further in both the short and long terms. This is a movement… and a tendency we believe will continue", concludes Steen-Flemming Elmarlund.

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