There are several reasons why trade visitors should attend the 24th IAW. Apart from the
opportunity to order stock for the coming season from the range of new and reasonably priced merchandise showcased by the 300 international exhibitors, a visit to the IAW Trendforum is highly recommended. On Tuesday, the first day of the trade fair, the IAW Trendseller Product Award will be presented, on Wednesday the zentrada Forum will take place, while the crowd-pulling E-commerce Forum on 29 September, the last day of the IAW, will this time focus on the keynote theme “Private Labels”.
Private labels, otherwise known as own brands or “phantom” brands, are an increasingly popular form of merchandising in many sectors. Private labels allow companies to launch their own product lines on the market, creating and developing an individual brand name and image distinguishable from those of well-known brand name manufacturers. Own brands generally enjoy a high degree of consumer loyalty, which is a desirable result of creating a private label.
Private labels or own brands also allow for greater price flexibility and more independence from better known brands. The creation of an own brand requires a new positioning, which then anchors itself in the memory of the consumer. Whether the product in question is manufactured to the company’s own specifications or simply receives a different packaging treatment is not of any great significance.
In order to help trade fair visitors quickly obtain an overview of the IAW exhibitors that operate with private labels, a new exhibition category has been included in the IAW program dedicated to private labels. Trade visitors can now select this new category in the list of exhibitors: www.iaw-messe.de/list-of-exhibitors.aspx
Anyone who wants to explore the field of manufacturing of private labels or gain more in-depth information should not miss the E-commerce specialist forum organized by restposten.de (GKS Handelssysteme GmbH) in the IAW Trendforum. The company’s CEO, Stefan Grimm, will again be welcoming numerous expert speakers to the event, including Dr. Thomas Engels, a data protection lawyer at the Lexea law company, who will provide legal advice relevant to dealers who become manufacturers with the aim of creating their own brand and using platforms such as eBay or Amazon to grow their business.
Companies interested in the manufacture and marketing of their own brands must observe various criteria. Günter Uhl, director of ProductIP, will relate from his own personal experience, and using his own service as an example, how companies can comply with the statutory guidelines that apply to own brands and products (legislation on packaging, labelling, product safety, etc.).
Online retailing remains a great business platform for companies offering private labels as well as for brand-name manufacturers. This is the keynote theme addressed in the second part of the forum. In a training session entitled “Dealers for dealers”, Michael Atug, the CEO of MAW Werkzeuge, will outline the problems commonly encountered in e-commerce and offer solutions, e.g. how companies can protect themselves against fraudulent product complaints and returns, as well as the problem of fake online product reviews (unscrupulous competitors and/or consumer “blackmail” to obtain discounts, etc.). But above all, he will spell out the undoubted opportunities for successful online trading.
Mark Steier, one of the world’s biggest eBay dealers of 2012, will also be taking to the stage. The CEO of Wortfilter.de GmbH will provide an insight into how to make the best use of the Internet marketplace and how his company manages 30,000 transactions a month on eBay Motors.
At the end of their lectures the speakers will take part in Q+A sessions with their audience.
The E-commerce Forum will be held on 29.9.2016 from 11.00 a.m. to 2.45 p.m. Participation in this interesting program of talks is free to exhibitors and visitors at the International Trade Fair for Retail Promotions and Imports (27-29 September). To obtain the full program of the E-commerce Forum, including information on the speakers, and book complimentary admission tickets for visitors, visit
www.iaw-messe.de.
