Trainee at fair: “Between mails and sausages”– invitations and catering at the Brau 2014

Daniela and Michael from the HR Team and Lisa and Klara from the Sales Team investigate: who actually draws up the invitations for the BrauBeviale? What points need to be borne in mind when creating the invitations? Tracking down the modalities of trade fair preparations, they identify interfaces between Corporate Communications and Sales. But who precisely does what?

Creating the invitations: this needs teamwork 

Today, we (Daniela and Michael) once again trekked to Corporate Communications. First of all, we investigated the subject of invitations: after all who in fact writes the invitations to the Brau, to whom, and when are they sent out?

During our researches at Corporate Communications, there’s one thing we noticed almost at once: the invitations to the fair are a team project. One colleague from Corporate Communications authors the text for them, another contributes the photo, a third designs them and fine-tunes their layout, while yet another looks after dispatching them. A genuine piece of teamwork, then, as is generally the case in Corporate Communications, since each project requires the input of several people, with each of the specialists for copy, video, photo, design and layout contributing his or her own input.

So what exactly does it say in the invitations? Their content, of course, is designed to arouse interest – but also not to reveal too much in advance. This is why it tends to focus on more generalised issues, new technologies and other innovations.

Dispatching the invitations

And what happens next? That’s what we, Lisa and Klara, found out when talking to our mentor, Johannes Templer, from the international sales organisation. He told us that approximately two months before the fair all of Krones AG’s clients and all recipients of the newsletter are sent the invitations by email in German or English. Basically, of course, the email functions merely as a reminder since normally the clients will already be well aware of when the fair is being held. Nevertheless, it’s right that the clients are officially invited in the name of Krones itself.

The field sales people, too, are busily distributing invitation cards. When clients thereupon get in touch with their contact persons in Sales, they will be sent admission tickets for the Brau 2014. We hope, of course, that many clients will be following up on these invitations, and (just like us) will be there at the Brau in Nuremberg!

The four teams who will be at the BrauBeviale 2014

Other preparations: catering

But there’s plenty more to organise before we get that far, of course. Space for meetings has to be created, and the catering has to be organised. You soon realise why this is needed once you’ve been to your first trade fair – or even if (like us, Daniela and Michael) you’ve just seen a map of one. A fair, you see, extends over a very large area, and the visitors will be on their feet the whole time, caught up in the fair’s hustle and bustle. So a restful zone where clients both present and prospective can sit and chat in peace is naturally enough a much-appreciated haven.

It’s even better when there are some light refreshments as well. This is why our catering is much appreciated at the Brau. Krones serves up Bavarian-style snacks and beer. Because the undisputed favourites are white sausages, meat loaf, pretzels and wheat beer. Our clients simply know something delicious when they see it! We shall be giving the catering our personal attention and then be reporting back! 🙂