Sourcing City News recently received the following statement of facts from Michael Freter, Head of PSI regarding the Promotional Products Day at the PSI Trade Show.

Statement reads as follows:

In the light of recent events we would like to clarify a number of points regarding the matter of the “Promotional Products Day” at the PSI Trade Show. We very much regret that this has given rise to some irritations which may also have led to some uncertainty on your part. Our communication in this matter may not have been ideal. This must, however, not lead to a situation where individual members intentionally publicise false information and at the end of the day cause damage to all of us by absurd allegations. Let me therefore point out the following facts:

Facts about the “Promotional Products Day” at the PSI Trade Show

1. Fundamental points: PSI aims at developing the Trade Show and the market. The market research organisation that has accompanied our industry for many years informs us that a sales potential of app. 1 billion euros from small and medium-sized companies is not being realised. These are your sales which we would like to activate for you, for distributors, manufacturers and importers.

2. Promotional Products Day: We would like to develop a “Promotional Products Day” for the PSI Trade Show to take place on the Friday. It is to generate new opportunities for promotional products on many levels. On this day, we will take a large variety of measures to publicise promotional products and their impact. One means of doing so is to launch a targeted and very limited trial to demonstrate the world of promotional products to industrial customers. The idea is to allow 50 wholesalers to each bring along one of their top customers with the aim of consolidating this customer relationship and, and at the same time, to demonstrate to this customer the importance competent consulting has in view of this immense variety. These companies are also to permanently monitor this trial. Furthermore, we will enlist the advisory services of a marketing research organisation that has accompanied the industry for a long time in order to ensure representative and objective selection and results.

3. Trial: This trial to open the way to a broader acceptance of promotional products will have an open-outcome design. After PSI 2013, the monitoring companies and the market research organisation will exchange their experiences with PSI. We also invite all associations to join in this monitoring process. If this limited trial does not yield any convincingly positive result for the market participants, and particularly the wholesalers, it will be terminated at this point.

4. Consequences: If this accompanied trial does yield a positive result, PSI will discuss with members and association how to proceed from there. The objective can, at most, be a limited opening up which is attended by distributors. In no way does the PSI aim at a general opening up of the Trade Show; to do so would run counter to all wishes within the industry and to the core idea of the membership system. So why should PSI do such a thing?

5. Tickets: There have been premature and public allegations from individual market participants that PSI is looking for new fields of business and planning to generate more income from admissions by opening up the Trade Show. We assure you that admission is entirely free of charge for the accompanied industrial customers. To believe that the PSI could enrich itself on ticket revenue generated by an opening up of whatever type is to entirely misjudge the situation. This is not the level to conduct a fair and constructive discussion. One look at the pocket calculator should make matters clear.

6. Objective: PSI’s only aim is to develop the PSI Trade Show in a way that responds to the requirements of the present and makes it fit for the future. This is what we want to work on in your interest and on your behalf, to prevent the show from losing its attractiveness and thus becoming redundant. We will not be able to progress into the future without to some extent involving those people who decide on the budgets. Other industries have already paid dearly for making that mistake. This is why we are looking for ways to increasingly convince these industry decision-makers of the value of promotional products. The trial with at a limited opening up to accompanied industrial customers – and anything else would also be inconceivable to the PSI – is to provide us with important insights for the further development of the Trade Show. And I repeat: we invite the associations and members to join in this process, to accompany it in a critical and constructive spirit.

7. Risk: The PSI also feels it is its duty to take the PSI Trade Show into a future that yields the greatest possible benefit for all its members. It is a fact that already at this point many industrial customers are increasingly visiting trade shows abroad for direct information. More than 50 company shows in Germany alone also generate an informal contact between suppliers and industrial customers. There has also been a controlled and successful opening up of road shows. A large number of “Hannover Messe” marketing specialists have had direct and even uncontrolled access to Promotion World. And even at the PSI Trade Show, industrial customers are being repeatedly “smuggled” in. The “Promotional Products Day” is to provide us with clues about how to control and channel these processes. Let’s not forget the Internet. We must find answers to the question of how to involve and win over those people who decide on our budgets. The point is to actively strengthen existing structures instead of weakening them. The latter has usually been achieved by keeping one’s sights on the past. What we need is the positive view ahead.

8. Opportunities: We want to motivate all our members to think in terms of “opportunities” rather than always in terms of “risks”, as some people do. The world does not stand still. And that is why we quite intentionally expose ourselves to this discussion. We saw it coming and yet we tackled the issue, because our objective is nothing less than the development of the industry. We also understand that there are members who take a critical view of this trial. However, what we do not understand is why an open-outcome trial involving 50 accompanied industrial customers should prompt some members to proclaim a “holy war”.

9. Concept: On the “Promotional Products Day”, the industrial customers (50) will be clearly identified by a special name badge. In a separate dialogue, the PSI will point out this fact to the exhibiting companies and issue agreed instructions. A concept for the practical procedures is currently being developed. Familiar schemes are being investigated and again, the associations are invited to participate in this process. Let’s not forget the fact that each industrial customer will be accompanied by a distributor. And obviously distributors will only invite customers they trust. These industrial customers in turn will respond with an increased trust in their distributors.

10. Summing up: The PSI has launched a trial to find out whether granting limited and accompanied access to industrial customers for one day is a measure that generates stronger acceptance, recognition and, as a result, a higher budget for the industry. The PSI will not profit financially from this measure. On the contrary, it will face considerably higher costs caused by the supporting measures. The outcome of this trial is entirely open. We are only doing what any company does these days to optimise decisions and put them on a sound basis. The PSI invites all associations and members to constructively accompany this interesting trial, together with a market research organisation. Wholesalers can apply to participate in the trial and to help shape the process. If more than 50 members apply, the market research organisation will select a suitable sample.

11. Individual perspective: As a wholesaler, I would be happy to participate in this trial. The customer I would invite for a visit to D?sseldorf would either be one who is just discovering promotional products as a great advertising tool. Or one whom I have wanted to give a treat for a long time. I would take him around the Trade Show, take him to meet good and trustworthy suppliers and also demonstrate to him my capabilities in the technical field, i.e. printing. A tour around the halls would convince him more than ever of the huge variety of advertising possibilities our advertising medium offers. I am also certain that this tour of the show would generate fresh motivation in my customer. And I am confident that he will have an even higher opinion of my capabilities than he did already. I would also take him to visit interesting workshops and take advantage of other measures on the “Promotional Products Day”. Then I would take him out for a nice dinner. A great day for him, for us and, in the final analysis, for the industry. Let’s think in terms of opportunities – that’s precisely why we have been discussing this trial so openly.

12. Just a final word: If you would like to express agreement, misgivings or even pronounced criticism regarding this trial please talk to us directly.

We look forward to a detailed, sincere and open dialogue.

As always, I look forward to your feedback.

Yours,
Michael

Published on: June 26th, 2012