At the end of November, the time had come for two of us: SMOPYC, Spain’s leading construction machinery trade fair, was coming up, so for us it was time to pack our bags and head off to Zaragoza! After a somewhat turbulent journey via Barcelona, we finally managed to check into our room in Zaragoza in the evening and travel to the trade fair fresh and rested the next morning.
Once there, we first got an overview of the abundance of interesting exhibitors and presentations and then had a more focussed look around. It became clear at first sight that SMOPYC is the most important trade fair of this industry in the country, so we had the opportunity to talk to many experts, discover innovative ideas and, above all, make lots of new, interesting contacts.
However, we were not only interested in potential new partners, but also in maintaining existing contacts. So we took the opportunity to directly visit one of our long-standing partners at their headquarters in northern Spain. We had previously worked together via phone, but a face-to-face meeting is still the best way to deepen relationships and drive joint projects forward. Now we had the chance to see the conditions on site for ourselves and take a look at the huge, impressive halls where thousands and thousands of well-packed glass panes for construction machinery are stored. Finally, we had a productive meeting and were able to further consolidate and expand our cooperation.
But what would a trip like this be without enjoying the (free) time and doing a bit of sightseeing as well? We were lucky enough to stay in Zaragoza, a city steeped in history putting up fascinating buildings. We took advantage of our proximity to Barcelona – and the fact that we had to leave from there anyway – to also explore this impressive city a little bit. For a purpose like this, such a business trip can easily be extended by 1-2 days! The location of our glass pane dealer is also not far from Barcelona, so we were able to reach it by train in no time at all and enjoy a wonderful coastal city with Roman flair.
Altogether, it was a great journey that gave us many new impressions and valuable experiences, not only in business terms but also personally. It was a great opportunity to strengthen and make new professional contacts, but also to grow together and have fun as a team.
