At the end of February, we attended the Styl and Kabo trade fair for the second time, where we presented German travel luggage brands Titan and Travelite. We first decided it would be great to promote our brands at a trade fair in the spring of last year. We wanted not only to gain new business partners but above all to show that it is possible to buy a high-quality suitcase without spending your entire paycheck. And so, we first visited the Kabo trade fair with the Titan and Travelite brands back in August 2015.
I was primarily responsible for organizing the trade fair, but of course, other people from the company helped, without whom it wouldn't have been possible. Marian and I presented the suitcases directly at the fair because we both have experience in direct sales and know our assortment. Our goal was also to show that it is possible to get a suitcase that can be repaired if necessary.
Quality control during production is a matter of course to minimize the possibility of damage, but suitcases face quite rough handling, especially at airports. Wheels, for example, are the most susceptible to damage, which is why we usually have enough of them in stock for replacement. It is similar with other spare parts that we keep in stock from the Titan and Travelite brands.
It's good to have someone cover your back when you're at a trade fair for the first time.
The first summer meeting with the trade fair was a truly interesting experience for me. Fortunately, a sales representative from Germany came to help us at both fairs. After all, she had already experienced a few trade fairs, so she showed us how to properly arrange the displayed suitcases and gave us other tips. She always shares news from the world of luggage and production with us. She keeps us up to date with trends that we can then better pass on to our customers. Moreover, she is also open to our feedback, which we can use to influence new production or other processes.
I must admit, however, that the most fun part of the entire summer fair for me was the exhibitor reception, where only my colleague from Germany and I went. We had a nice chat, and she at least tried real Czech beef tartare with beer. Beer is, after all, our shared passion, so we regularly exchange bottles of Czech and Bavarian beer from smaller breweries. There is nothing like friendly business contacts.
When you go to a trade fair for the second time, it's good to have a lot of news.
Marian and I enjoyed the second trade fair much more than the first. Not only did we already have experience from the first fair, which meant much less stress during preparation, but people from the industry stopped by more often and were interested in our offer. Such work is more rewarding. This could have had two reasons: first, we got a better spot for our stand this time, and second, we were at the fair for the second time, so we probably inspired more confidence in potential business partners. In addition to those interested in new cooperation opportunities, existing partners also stopped by. They were mainly interested in the new products, of which we really had plenty this year. I would like to write about a few of them so that you are also in the loop.
Travelite News
The Travelite brand offers a wide selection of soft-shell and hard-shell suitcases. Out of the many novelties, I will focus on what caught my eye – the most expensive and cheapest soft-shell suitcases that we have on offer from this brand.
The hit of this fair was the new line of luxury soft-shell suitcases CrossLITE. The original version, which I personally liked quite a bit for its quality workmanship, subtle design, and nice colors, is now being replaced by a slightly more sophisticated line. I was probably most impressed by the new TSA lock. It contains a special half-meter-long steel cable, with which you can lock the zippers of the front pocket or lock the suitcase to a post, similar to a bicycle. A truly smart solution, for example, for someone who travels by plane a lot and wants to have a snack at airports in small restaurants where they can't fit with a suitcase.
Small CrosLITE cabin suitcases with two or four wheels have a front-opening pocket adapted for a laptop, making them perfect for professional travelers. A novelty in the line is the business suitcase (Business Wheeler) on two wheels, which can fit even the largest laptop and tablet. And even in the board bag, which can be attached to the suitcase handle, there is a laptop pocket. Overall, this line is closer to business suitcases than any other from Travelite. The suitcases are available in two sober colors, anthracite and black, so they can be taken on a business trip without any problems. The first pieces recently arrived in stock, so it is possible to order them.
Probably the most popular low-cost solution is represented by suitcases from the Portofino line. This year, the Portofinos received a new design; the austere single-color variants are being phased out, and instead, the new line has received a fresh design with two colors and a distinctive stripe. These suitcases are intended for those who are looking for the simplest possible suitcase that they don't want to pay too much for. That's also why they are quite in demand.
Once, a gentleman from the British Isles came to our store, who had bought too many souvenirs for his family while staying in the Czech Republic, and so he was looking for cheap luggage. In the end, a small Portofino was the best choice for him. Likewise, medium Portofinos were the best choice for parents who were buying suitcases for their children for the summer holidays – each of the three children received a different color variant so they wouldn't mix up the suitcases, but also wouldn't envy each other. No wonder, these suitcases are really cheap, yet they cannot be compared to cheap suitcases from a market. Ideal for low-cost travel!
Titan News
There weren't that many novelties from Titan this time. New color variants of the top-of-the-line polycarbonate suitcase X2 Flash (Copper, Emerald, Midnight Blue) were on display. These caught the eye of many fashion enthusiasts, who were swarming mainly at the Styl trade fair. However, Marian and I still prefer suitcases from the Xenon line, whether in the classic design or in the Deluxe version with an exclusive surface finish.
And the Xenon Deluxe has a new addition to the family, a business suitcase with a front-opening laptop pocket. Inside, it packs like a normal hard-shell suitcase using a double-sided packing system. Unlike ordinary luggage, however, both sides are closed using a zippered fabric partition, so there is no risk that someone will see your underwear when you open the suitcase during a meeting. Titan simply thinks about the needs of its customers. And now you can finally order it too.
We have several lessons learned for the next trade fair
All in all, Marian and I enjoyed both trade fairs quite a bit. We don't know yet which of us will attend the next one, nor what brands we will offer there, but we are clear on a few things and take them as lessons for next time:
- There must be bowls for salty sticks and grapes on the table.
- We must not forget a knife and a cutting board for citrus for the water pitcher.
- In the exhibition area, a vegetarian must be careful with fried cheese because someone stuffed ham into it.
- You can buy earrings at a great price. And some of them glow under UV light!
- New luggage needs to be priced before we display it.
- Business partners are also just people.
- Fashion shows at Styl are twice a day, but underwear is only once.
- There is no need to clean your shoes at home before the fair, because tireless shoe cleaners regularly attend it, happily offering all-natural shoe wax.
- We will skip radio advertising next time. Even if our order was processed, the ad probably wouldn't be heard anyway.
