Trainee at fair: how many people do you need to organise a trade fair?

During the course of their researches, Lisa and Klara from the Sales Team have already got acquainted with quite a bit of the company’s operations. They’ve talked to many of their colleagues, collected information, and, of course, reported their findings in their blog postings. And today, too, they have once again investigated an interesting question: how many people do you need to organise a fair like the BrauBeviale?

We, Lisa and Klara, have found the answer to this question. Which is: numerous different people , of course, are involved in putting our stand at the fair in place – but there’s only one person where all the organisational threads come together. Only one person is fully informed about each and every step, and is the contact point for everyone involved. When it comes to organising our stand at the BrauBeviale, this person is Daniela Giehrl, who works in the Corporate Communications/ Global Communications Department – but most people call her Danny. 🙂

A single interface, a single coordinator

It’s Danny who collects all the information, wishes and requirements from product specialists, sales and LCS staff, colleagues from Corporate Communications, from members of the Executive Board, and from the outside stand constructor, and coordinates them all in a seemingly infinite series of meetings. And this is not in the least easy! Because there are innumerable people who have to be consulted – in other departments and even other companies. The work of all the staff who handle the preparations for the fair and of those who have to actually be there in person has to be seamlessly coordinated to ensure that the final result is harmoniously dovetailed.

For example, as we’ve already reported, some of the people in Corporate Communications are busy writing invitations to the fair, designing banners and labels, and lots, lots more. And our mentor Johannes Templer, too, from the international sales organisation, has plenty of planning to do, like staffing, transportation and accommodation. Danny then makes sure that out of the numerous steps proceeding in parallel the “big picture” finally emerges – a successful fair for Krones. She forwards the plans from our people to the contracted stand constructor, and makes sure they are faithfully executed.

The steps involved in organising a fair

The first step in organising a stand at the fair was taken by Danny back in January, i.e. 10 months before the fair begins: booking the exhibition area required. The actual preparations now commence, in conjunction with the product specialists and the various departments involved, when the exhibits are chosen between June and September.

Then meetings are held with the stand constructor to fine-tune the design. This is not at all simple, since there are innumerable details that have to be finalised: carpets, furniture, lighting, illuminated ads, WLAN access, etc. What’s more, all certificates and approvals have to be submitted to the fair’s organisers in Nuremberg (e.g. fire protection!).

So there’s a huge amount to do in the run-up to the fair … and in our next blog posting we shall be reporting on what precisely happens during the days of the fair, including erection and dismantling! 🙂