20 Years of N&M Trade Fair Services
With the aid of especially developed technologies that make workflows quicker and safer, N&M has succeeded in creating highly efficient processes. N&M's internal “SPX-CON” conference provided the framework for detailed discussion of the business unit's core mission and objectives. Attendees proudly looked back on the early days of the organisation: it is 20 years ago that N&M first came up with a special service offering for an exhibition centre.
It is now exactly 20 years ago that N&M staff began gathering experience at trade fair sites. Since that time, they have constantly developed their range of services, aligning them even more precisely to the specific needs of exhibition centres and exhibitors. The growing number of exhibition centres opting for a service partnership with N&M is testimony to how successful these activities have been in those two decades.
The unique nature of each trade fair location throws up greatly varying stipulations and framework conditions for service providers like N&M. “What distinguishes us as a service partner is the absolute reliability we deliver when implementing our client's needs,” explains Matthias Rupieper, head of N&M's Trade Fair business unit. “This is all down to our specialised, highly motivated trade fair teams, who are known for the delivering safe and reliable services.” Since the service was first rolled out in 2004 for the exhibition centre in Munich, N&M has consistently endeavoured to professionalise its services to the highest degree and constantly optimise the associated processes.
In addition to safety-related services – that is to say everything to do with wire suspension systems, roof load calculations and rigging – N&M also provides exhibitors with its entire portfolio of solutions for attention-grabbing trade fair presences: sophisticated video, lighting and sound concepts as well as media technology and content production for product presentations and brand messaging.
Nowadays, numerous technical applications support process workflows both internally and at the interfaces to clients: they are deployed when planning and producing wire suspension systems themselves and also help to ensure reliable order management. N&M has in-house developments – such as “Loadwatch”, an IoT-based, wireless system that can monitor a large number of suspension points at the same time – that ensure safety, ease of handling and better cost efficiency when transferring loads to supporting structures.
But how are clients' requirements changing? What services need to be developed as a result? And what does all this mean for workflows at N&M? These and many other questions were discussed by staff at the three-day, internal “SPX-CON” conference. N&M’s employees are in constant communication with exhibition centres and clients, and, together with their teams, ensure smooth workflows and the highest levels of safety in a countless number of exhibition halls. Workshops at the conference focused on inspiring examples of best practice as well as further potential for digitalisation – and it goes without saying that the 20th anniversary was celebrated in style following the business-side of the meeting in Bad Boll.