Dave Audia of Advance Components recently traveled to the Hannover Fastener Fair and, as one Traveling Salesman to another, I asked him to share with us some of his experience and observations. Dave was kind enough to be a guest blogger and submit the following:
As a pure master stocking distributor of specialty fasteners, Advance Components is always looking for new ways to grow our business. We had noticed a small yet intriguing group of customers in Europe who were buying some of our products and having us ship them across the pond. We considered going to individually visit these customers to explore what other opportunities may exist but considered that to be an inefficient option. We researched the many Fastener Fairs that exist around the globe and decided to purchase a “stand” and exhibit at the 2012 Fastener Fair Hannover in Germany.
After a refreshing combination of 2 flights from Cleveland thru Newark totaling 9hrs 47min plus a 2 hour layover, I hit the ground in Zurich Switzerland to meet my boss (who had flown in from Texas) in need of a shower and a nap – of course we got neither as it was already 8am Saturday morning and our hotel would not be ready until later that afternoon. I had never been to Europe and I must say the city of Zurich and its architecture were absolutely stunning – we spent all day Saturday and half a day Sunday exploring the area and just when we had finally figured out their bus system it was time to leave.
The more business you can fit in on a trip like this the better and we (…)
