The fifth Insights-X, which opened its doors from 9 to 12 October, has once again underlined the success of its unique concept. 5,669 top trade visitors (up 3 percent on the year before) wended their way to the Exhibition Centre in Nuremberg from 85 countries. Their mission: to order products at the right time in autumn and to find inspiration for their stores. 321 exhibitors from 41 countries unveiled their latest trends and innovations from the office supplies, back-to-school and hobby sectors. Staged by participating companies and event organiser Spielwarenmesse eG, the established and extended promotional activities were warmly received by retailers and buyers.
Happy exhibitors
Ernst Kick, CEO Spielwarenmesse eG, commented: “From the outset, our objective for Insights-X has been to create a high-quality event with a unique atmosphere. The solid result and the calibre of the visitors bear witness to the successful positioning of our fair for branded goods.” With 56 percent of exhibitors and 43 percent of visitors travelling to Nuremberg from abroad, the premium expo has clearly made its mark on the international stage. Sachiko Kazashi, for example, from the Japanese company Platinum Pen Co.described Insights-X as “stylish” and “discerning”. Reputed companies and innovative start-ups reflected the diversity of this industry across six product groups: Writing Utensils and Equipment, Paper and Filing, Artistic and Creative, Desktop, Bags and Accessories, and Stationery and Gift Articles. Well-known German companies such as Marabu and Jakob Maul and Swedish manufacturer NPA Nordiskt Papper were among the newcomers to the fair. Market Development Manager Mariangeles Bravo felt that the company’s debut appearance had shown great potential: “The fair has a good concept. We are wanting to expand into the German market, and we will evaluate the fair afterwards. Assuming it is good, we will with high probability attend again in 2020.”
Concept confirmed
The exhibitors at Insights-X value, above all, the perfect timing of the fair. Commenting on this decisive aspect, Gijs Verhaak, Director at Sima Europe, Holland, stated: “It’s the perfect moment for selling back to school. It’s essential to be at Insights-X.” 70 companies alone have been appearing at the fair without interruption since its earliest beginnings and were honoured with an award at the fifth event. Among them was Colibri System, which this year almost doubled the size of its exhibition stand. Managing Director Alexander Brandt noted:“Insights-X is our main event and it’s becoming increasingly important for us internationally.” The majority of exhibitors praised the quality of the visitors. “Insights-X leads us to so many top-class contacts,” said Jürgen Zötzl from the eponymous company Zötzl. Besides forging new business relationships, the opportunity to showcase innovations is an important aspect for many exhibitors. Rolf Schifferens, Member of the Management Board at Faber-Castell, commented: “For us, this platform is perfect for unveiling new products and sales concepts and for giving our trading partners new ideas and inspiration.” Daniel Buchholzer, Chief Operations Officer at French company ExaClair, likewise, came to a positive conclusion: “We’re delighted with our appearance. We like the relaxed atmosphere at Insights-X which allows us to have informal conversations with our customers.” Independent retailer Lilja Gerber, who travelled to Nuremberg all the way from the north of Germany, greatly appreciates the personal consultation: “At Insights-X, exhibitors take notice of me as an individual. They show and explain everything to me – basically, the companies have time for me.” Attractive visitor activities The expo’s supporting programme is, likewise, perfectly tailored to the visitors’ needs. The popular workshops and creative sessions in the InsightsArena attracted as much attention as the new format InsightsTalks. The adjacent PartnerLounge was exclusively available to 20 participating associations and buying groups, joined for the first time this year by TÜKID from Turkey: “All Turkish exhibitors were very pleased. We hope that our partnership will increase with new ideas and projects,” stated Secretary-General İrem Özkal. Likewise appearing at the stationery expo for the first time, German buying groups Prisma and Büroring, were able to take advantage of valuable synergies.
Bild & Text: insights-x.com
