Robe Holds 2011 International Distributor's Conference

Robe lighting held its fourth International Distributor's Conference (IDC) in Frankfurt, Germany at the Kempinski Hotel in Gravenbruch.

This was a massive success, attended by nearly 200 people from over 60 companies representing 80 countries, and a major segment of Robe's International distributor and dealer network.

The timing was chosen to coincide with the 2011 Prolight + Sound Exhibition in Frankfurt, at which Robe launched five new products -- the ROBIN 600 PureWhite, the ROBIN 300 LED Wash, the ROBIN MMX, the DigitalSpot 3500DT, and the CityFlex 48.

The fast-moving format of the 2011 IDC included a full presentation and overview of all the new products, giving the distributors a preview ahead of the exhibition.

Robe's sales director, Harry von den Stemmen, kicked off the conference, updating everyone with developments since the last IDC in 2009. According to the company its business model has been instrumental in robustly weathering the global economic storm. This has also aided in the recovery that started building steadily from the middle of 2010, culminating in March 2011 being Robe's highest ever turnover for that month of the year.

The predictions for this year are all on the upward trajectory, reinforced by the expansion of the ROBIN range, which has been a success story in its own right for the company.

Some of the key events using Robe fixtures were highlighted, along with new and emerging markets, with Asia standing out as a particular area of growth.

Robe's managing director, Josef Valchar, presented a brief company history -- from their first Frankfurt exhibition in 1994 as an OEM manufacturer to today -- where Robe a major moving light and LED technology brand.

Expansion since the last IDC includes serious ongoing investment into Robe's 22,sq. m. of HQ and factory space in Valašské Mezirící; the acquisition of the locally based PCB manufacturers Dioflex; and a new architectural installation for the exterior of the main factory building.

Valchar announced that Robe is to be the host and co-organizer of Showlight 2013, a premium quadrennial event and exhibition organized by and for lighting professionals, which will take place in Cesky Krumlov in the south Czech Republic. Valchar also presented and gave an overview of the new products that were launched at Prolight.

Harry von den Stemmen expanded Robe's "Think of The Future - Consider Nature" green initiative and outlined the company's commitment to producing genuinely energy conscious, innovative technology for the future -- smaller, brighter, lighter and consuming considerably less power than previous generation products.

Marketing manager Jiri Baros elucidated the latest communications and activity from this busy department, in the process, presenting two new corporate videos -- one dedicated exclusively to the making of the ROBIN 600 LEDWash, and the other a fast paced company snapshot.

A whole section of the conference was devoted to a report on the ROBIN 600 LEDWash, which has had 2,000 units delivered in four months, with another 1500 on order!

LEDWash 600 buzz points include its brightness, homogenized light source, ultra smooth color-mixing, versatile 15-60 degree zoom and ability to produce perfect whites in a variety of color temperatures from 2,700- 8,000 degrees.

Ingo Dombrowski, Key account manager for Europe, presented a report about the Robin international road shows that have been taking place worldwide since PLASA 2010, getting the new products right out there in front of people in a calm, relaxed and close-up environment.

The afternoon conference was followed by a dinner and the presentation of 28 distributor awards.

Valchar says, "The vibe was incredible! The market is picking up, and we believe we have the best range of products to date, which are really innovative and well targeted. It was fantastic to see everyone and feel their enthusiasm and energy. At Robe, teamwork and getting the right people onboard has always been vital."

Harry von den Stemmen says, "This was a real motivator and was definitely the best IDC we have staged to date! While some economic aspects of the last two years have been like a roller-coaster, it was very good to be able to announce the latest sales figures at the conference which I'm certain will be inspirational. The dealer network is now extremely stable and we are in a good position to consolidate the upward trend that we are noticing. " He adds that the shorter/sharper format of the event this year really worked, and that it is also very gratifying to see so much synergy and communication between the diverse companies, cultures and personalities.