Musikmesse has teamed up with trade body the Society of Music Merchants (SOMM) to put together a programme of seminars and workshops at this year’s show.
Under the heading of the Business Academy, the seminars, lectures, workshops and keynotes are free of charge and advance registration is not necessary.
“The Business Academy programme in Hall 11.1 in the Business Plaza, is aimed specifically at the needs of the musical-instrument sector and thus oriented towards subjects of particular relevance to the sector. In cooperation with SOMM, top speakers, consultants and coaches from the business, legal and scientific worlds will pass on up-to-the-minute expertise in a varied blend of practice-oriented lectures, discussions and workshops”, explained Stephan Kurzawski, senior vice president, Messe Frankfurt.
“The spectrum covered by the Business Academy stretches from power and expert workshops for middle and senior specialists and managers to impulse lectures for retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers, as well as newcomers to the sector”, added Daniel Knöll, managing director of SOMM.
“Trade visitors will have the opportunity to attend a variety of power seminars and workshops on a wide range of subjects of relevance to the sector in the mornings and afternoons from Thursday to Sunday.
“There, experts, marketing gurus, social-media professionals and specialist lawyers will examine core topics of relevance to the musical-instrument and equipment sector and discuss important issues. In this connection, the focus of the organisers’ attention will be on modern professional development in the musical-instrument sector with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness of participants in all market segments. This includes profound knowledge of the opportunities and risks in the market and how external influences affect the situation in the market. Thus, even small changes to a company’s strategy can results in increased sales while good training can lead to greater safety and security in the own company”, concluded Knöll.
The 35-minute workshops and impulses lectures will spotlight subjects such as communication & sales, law, compliance, marketing and facts & figures about the musical-instrument market.
Individual talks will focus on sales communication, sales rhetoric and the best way to handle complaints. In the field of law / compliance, the lectures will revolve around issues such as the best ways to react to written warnings, tips and tricks for dealing with parallel imports and goods seized at the border, as well as observing legal cases relating to internet sales, WEEE updates, and the legal basis for using YouTube, Twitter, Facebook etc.
Additionally, specialists will examine shop window design and presentation, the correct use of social-media tools and the abilities and skills necessary to use them.
There will also be talks on transferring business ownership and business successors, as well as expert recommendations on cultural networks and fund raising, not to mention ideas for perfect events at the POS. Among the subjects covered will be the correct use of web shops and how retailers can creatively counteract their competitors.
Further information about individual workshops and lectures, as well as the speakers, can be seen at www.musikmesse.com/business in the coming weeks.
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