As Covid infections drop, trade shows throughout Europe are beginning to resume business. So is everything "back to normal" then? What about the digital exhibition and event concepts that have been created since the outbreak of the pandemic? Roland Keppler, the CEO of Onlineprinters, believes that many trade show organisers will continue to stick with hybrid solutions. He says: "It appears that the coronavirus will stay with us and the next wave is sure to come. Moreover, the digital exhibition and event formats have proven to work." To follow this trend, the online printer's marketing team has built a virtual exhibition world together with Düsseldorf trade show agency Clip. It is available in five languages for sales and recruiting. "Already in the early stages of the pandemic it was clear that virtual trade show solutions were beneficial and viable for the future," Michael Schneider, Area Sales Manager with Clip, recalls and he adds: "Although physical trade show encounters will continue to be crucial, a digital booth can be much more than a makeshift solution. One of the biggest advantages is the unlimited availability in terms of time and location and the wide range of possible applications. The implementation of the virtual trade show world at Onlineprinters is a prime example of a modern and forward-thinking solution which we sincerely commend."

Production tour provides a look behind the scenes

Onlineprinters sells printed products online to customers in 30 European countries. In addition to the DACH region, core markets include France and Spain. The sales staff in these countries can also use the digital booth for their customer meetings outside of exhibition contexts and reduce their carbon footprint. "As a printer that has adopted a digital business model, we certainly seek to play a role in the digital world, too. Customers appreciate the fact that we own the production machines and equipment. Our production facilities accommodate novelty machines from renowned manufacturers," Roland Keppler says. Therefore, many customers are keen to have a look behind the scenes of our online shop. For this reason, a production tour was established for the virtual exhibition world. The five plants at the main production site in Neustadt were photographed using a 360-degree camera in 8K resolution for this purpose.

Green Corner and work@

In addition to key figures about the company, the digital booth also informs visitors about environmental protection and sustainability. They learn all about the online printer's eco-friendly printing processes. In the "work@" area, recruiters can give applicants remote insights into the company. The digital world is also used for internal communications, including the onboarding of new employees.