MIWE Online trade fair a complete success

In order to be able to offer customers and interested parties a space for inspiration and contact even in times when conventional trade fairs could not take place, MIWE was one of the first plant manufacturers in the industry to venture into new territory at the end of July, inviting everyone to take part in a virtual trade fair. This was an important step for a technology manufacturer who places a high value on providing expert advice in a face-to-face context, providing a haptic experience through a range of hands-on exhibits, demonstrating competence and quality through live baking directly at trade fair stands and, last but not least, offering genuine hospitality. The fact that so many accepted the invitation is proof that efforts to offer the best possible experience under the given circumstances were gratefully accepted and that the industry was definitely online-savvy and not closed to new things. 

In order to provide visitors with a varied trade fair experience, the team headed by Project Manager Lena Hoffmeister set themselves the task of developing creative solutions that would transfer the core elements of a trade fair visit to the digital world, thereby offering much more than just a static website. Hoffmeister: “In terms of inspiration and information, we have opted for an exciting combination of media formats.” That means that in addition to providing in-depth information (also for download), the stands will also feature an extensive collection of photos of the products and all their variants. Just as they would do at a real trade fair, colleagues will present the individual systems in short videos produced especially for this event. Additional videos will demonstrate the technology in action, and thanks to the 3D models, visitors will be able to take a closer look at the baking ovens and refrigeration systems from every angle. “But a true trade fair experience obviously also includes direct contact, face-to-face conversations,” Hoffmeister continues. To facilitate direct dialogue, visitors were able to use the chat feature in the lobby and at all individual stands, where a team of experts from our various specialist departments provided information, answered specialised questions and addressed any individual needs. "This was particularly important to us and we are pleased that this opportunity for exchange was so well received by the visitors", Hoffmeister sums up.

The level of active participation of those taking part was also high during the lectures, and the expert questions were a testament to the great interest in the topics covered. These topics ranged from the production steps and process options for certain baked goods (e.g. crispy, rustic baguettes even in convection ovens; easily producing pretzels yourself and baking them in the shop; shifting night work into the day with long-term rye mixed bread) to topics such as energy efficiency in production, digitalisation in branch management, the effects of the F-Gas regulation and the advantages of vacuum conditioning, as well as all-embracing topics such as helpful tips and avoidable mistakes in bakery planning. A whole range of top-class cooperation partners, including the Richemont Competence Centre, the Gehrke Econ consultancy agency, Hübner Energie Consulting and the Grain Research Association (AGF), were also represented at the MIWE online trade fair. Not only did they have their own stands, but they also enhanced the programme with exciting and well-attended specialist presentations. The MIWE online trade fair team would like to thank all visitors and partners for helping make this a highly successful event.