Alexia Schulz
TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE – TWO MEETING LOUNGE SPONSORS FOR THE ECD 2020
The ECD Meeting Lounge will again be the focus of the most important networking event in the platform business in 2020. This year platforms and brands have even more time for their one-to-one meetings, because the Meeting Lounge opens one day earlier!
True to the motto “double is better”, we not only doubled the time for meetings this year, but also the number of meeting lounge sponsors. Both the process and system experts from S.HE Business and the content specialists from Laudert will be part of the ECD community in 2020 and support us as sponsors in the Meeting Lounge. We spoke to Sandra Herdering, CEO at S.HE Business, and Sven Henckel, CEO at Laudert.
Photo:Sandra Herdering, CEO SHE.Business & Sven Henckel, CEO Laudert
ECD: Dear Sandra, you have teamed up with the content expert Laudert to sponsor the meeting lounge. Can you describe Laudert in 2-3 sentences?
Sandra: Laudert is the ideal partner for us to jointly further deepen our marketplace expertise. We have been working together for a number of years and can look back on successful joint projects – such as the FALKE case .
Laudert combines unbelievable specialist knowledge along the entire process chain with outstanding implementation skills. It is always up to the customer whether he wants to make use of the entire range of offers or just use individual components in a modular manner.
I would also like to highlight the human component of working with Laudert, which I perceive to be very trusting, honest and empathetic. Laudert is a down-to-earth company that always impresses with quality.
Sven, now it’s your turn. What can you tell us about S.HE Business?
Sven: We value Sandra as a visionary power woman who works in an extremely structured way and who knows how to score points with her process and system expertise, especially in the fashion industry. PLM, PIM and content projects for our mutual fashion customers are always successful, even with small time windows – this is where all of their strengths come into play. And with her as a passionate networker, we will certainly be able to implement exciting projects in the future.
Laudert is sponsoring the ECD for the first time. What do you promise yourselves from the ECD 2020?
Sven: Many, many exciting conversations and new contacts that enrich our network – as a source of inspiration, technology partner or future customer. The approaches are diverse due to our broad portfolio. After Sandra’s stories and a first visit last year, the expectations are high and the anticipation great. The event concept fits our idea of an open, partnership-based exchange and is certainly a highlight in our event calendar.
S.HE Business is once again an ECD sponsor. What exactly do you like so much about the ECD?
Sandra: The ECD stands out from the hundreds of trade fairs and events with its captivating atmosphere. The visitors not only bring outstanding competence, they also communicate with one another on a very personal, human level. Even before you even arrive, you look forward to seeing many people again. An optimal exchange among like-minded people and always a great experience.
As Meeting Lounge sponsors, you will give a joint presentation. Can you tell us more about it?
Sandra: With pleasure – even if we are still working on the details. Creating, managing and exporting product content for all channels is a major challenge, especially for medium-sized companies. In our lecture, we will present what a best-case scenario for product data and assets could look like and what significance these have for a company.
Sven: And in order to make the lecture as practical as possible, we give concrete examples for all relevant points that clarify our statements and show that a lot can be realized very efficiently.
You both come from the same corner, that’s a funny coincidence. In the meantime, your area has become a small e-commerce stronghold. How much were you involved in it? What are the advantages and disadvantages of your location?
Sven: In fact, many local media service providers have roots in our region that go back to the “Home of Media”.
Sandra: The region is also sometimes referred to as Silicon Valley in the Münsterland. A lot of competence in one place has many advantages, but of course also carries the risk of intensified competitive situations. The nice thing, however, is that work and family can be wonderfully combined in such an almost idyllic atmosphere. Many former employees are even returning to the region as a result.
Sven: Yes, exactly. Of course, it is not always easy to find good employees, especially in a rural region – which is why we, for example, attach great importance to strong training work. Thanks to the spatial concentration, there are new strategic alliances and healthy competition for the best minds, which leads to even more intensive employee loyalty. And even the broadband connection is at the highest technical level.
Sandra, what does the partnership with Tradebyte mean to you? How has it developed over the past few years?
Sandra: We have been working closely with Tradebyte for five years. The potential for customers to increase sales through Tradebyte is huge – both in a national and in an international context. Tradebyte knows how to continuously develop itself technologically and as a company and thus not only react to technical innovations, but also act at the forefront.
Over time we have built up a close relationship of trust with one another; the appreciation is very high. As a smart, dynamic company that stands on stable feet, Tradebyte with its great and committed employees simply suits us.
Sven, why does Laudert want to become part of the Tradebyte ecosystem? What do you hope for through the partnership?
Sven: We create and optimize product content, implement PIM and MAM systems to manage it, are leaders in print publishing and successfully implement e-commerce projects. Tradebyte completes this offer in many ways. There are a number of Laudert customers who can expand their online success with a marketplace solution and Tradebyte users who need the efficient creation and management of product content. That’s why we’re really looking forward to the partnership and to implementing the marketplace connections for our customers together with Sandra!
