GEZE at BAU 2023 – Our Director Field Sales shares his insight
BAU 2023 is a top event in the construction industry. The world’s leading trade fair for architecture, materials, and systems takes place every two years in Munich, and reaches 250,000 professional attendees from 45 countries. Our Director Field Sales, Christian Schulze Dieckhoff, tells us about the unique features of the 500 square metre GEZE stand, along with the company's product and solution highlights and extensive preparations by the exhibition team.
How important is BAU 2023 for GEZE?
Christian Schulze Dieckhoff: BAU in Munich is always a major highlight – for Sales, but also for GEZE as a whole. It gives us a one-of-a-kind opportunity to meet and speak with all of our target audiences in a single place. At the same time, that opportunity is a twofold challenge for us: On the one hand, we need to appeal to these many different target audiences – including specialist planners, architects, building owners, investors, and of course installation companies as well with topics that are relevant to them. On the other hand, we need to present the products and solutions that meet their needs at our stand. That is not exactly simple to do, considering the huge number of products we have in our portfolio, and the many different interfaces we serve in the construction industry. That’s the fine line we have to walk at this exhibition.
With a low canopy and narrow leaf profile for outstanding design. © GEZE GmbH
How do you choose products from the portfolio, in that case?
CSD: It’s always a fascinating question, every time. We do have a giant stand, but the space is still limited. The core question remains: What products and what solutions are relevant and interesting for each target audience at BAU? We will certainly have our newest product there this year – the Revo.PRIME revolving door, with its unique drive that allows for a canopy height of just 75 mm. This, of course, appeals to building owners and architects. However, this solution is not just about design and comfort, but also about a clean separation between the trades that we offer with this product. That, in turn, is interesting for planners and installation companies. In the past, it was necessary to plan a trench for the motor in the shell with the concrete worker when installing and planning a revolving door. Today, with Revo.PRIME we just install our revolving door, and that’s it.
GEZE at BAU 2023GEZE's motto at the exhibition is “Liveable buildings: digital, sustainable, smart” – how are you fulfilling that motto?
CSD: Well, one key topic at our stand is digitisation. We are taking various approaches here as well. In contrast to many of our competitors, the focus of our digitisation solution myGEZE Control is entirely on the benefit and added value we offer to our customers. Specifically, we ask: What advantage does everyone involved in the project life cycle gain from our product? That means that, with our smart solutions, we not only ensure that light, heating, and temperature are controlled digitally, but also focus on windows and doors, which are so important when it comes to building operation and building safety, for example for sustainable indoor climate control or façade monitoring. We don't just digitise to digitise – that means that our building management solution is not limited to GEZE's products; the system is also open to components from other manufacturers.
In contrast to many of our competitors, we digitise with a focus on the added value we can offer our customers: That is why we offer myGEZE Control as solution that works with many different systems.
Christian Schulze Dieckhoff, Director Field Sales Germany & LuxembourgVisit the GEZE stand - you are invited
You can find us in Hall B1, Stand 538-539 from 17 – 22 April. We look forward to meeting you there.
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Responsible, sustainable action is a key focus for GEZE. © chuttersnap / unsplash
What about the issue of sustainability? What is GEZE doing in that regard?
CSD: First of all, sustainability is not really a new issue for us. It is part of our corporate tradition; strictly speaking, sustainability means functional reliability – the long-term usability and functionality of products. Since we are always working with products that are relevant to safety, we always need to think about sustainability – and we always have. This ranges from fire protection doors or rescue routes that save peoples’ lives, or smoke-free staircases that allow the fire department access to the source of the fire. We have also prepared a sustainability report, to broaden the concept of sustainability and back it up with facts, figures, and data.
Close single-leaf doors securely and quietly. © GEZE GmbH
What else can visitors to the GEZE stand expect to see?
CSD: In addition to all of our products and solutions, this year we have added a special feature, a smoke protection pressure system compressed air chamber that simulates the conditions in a staircase. There, we can mimic what happens when a door slams under certain thermal conditions, and show how our TS 5000 SoftClose can get issues of fire protection and accessibility under control. That will certainly be an experience for our specialist planners. There is one other special feature I would like to mention, too: This year, GEZE is turning 160 – the perfect occasion to raise our glasses and propose a toast with all of our new and old friends, customers, and partners at GEZE, either at the exhibition or afterwards.
How do GEZE's customers benefit from the company's long history?
CSD: They benefit from our fresh ideas, paired with 160 years of experience. Visitors to the stand will see that we are always changing. Whether in terms of our external presentation, our product development, or the way we approach our customers – we are always moving forward by listening to our customers, hearing about their needs, and utilising our extensive experience. Our 160-year history proves that we have consistently been able to strike out on new paths and reinvent ourselves – while always remaining the reliable family business GEZE has always been. This is what motivates customers to keep working with us. We know what things are like on the construction site, and what is most important in the building industry. And we know what is expected of us. Of course, 160 years also provides proof of our endurance, stability, reliability, and responsibility. We take this responsibility seriously – for our customers, for our region, for society and for our joint project to create liveable buildings.
160 years stand for our capability to reinvent ourselves – as well as for our endurance, stability, reliability, and responsibility for our customers, our region, and our society.
Christian Schulze Dieckhoff, Director Field Sales Germany & LuxembourgHow are you and the team preparing for the six-day exhibition?
CSD: Yes, six days are like a marathon – and you need to be well-prepared for it. Our colleagues need to be on top of their game, so that they can be present, available, and ready to assist customers and stakeholders. We are investing a lot of time to get our team just right for the exhibition. All of our employees at the stand are GEZE professionals from our daily operations. That means they need to step back and clear their heads in advance, so that they can concentrate entirely on the trade fair. We are holding joint training sessions before the exhibition for this purpose. We want to be able to advise visitors to the stand in a competent, relaxed, and individualised way. To do that, you have to be able to listen, talk, and react confidently in seconds. Those are all things you have to train.
I'd also like to ask one personal question: How do you handle the exhibition, and how do you recover afterwards?
CSD: Good question. I’m taking part in the exhibition for the 14th or 15th time – and my rule is that the first three days are always the toughest. After that you are in exhibition mode, and you are able to radiate relaxation, confidence, and competence despite the constant stress. Of course, part of ensuring that is making sure all of our employees are working together and are truly motivated. That is contagious, and it boosts your mental strength. We are all equal at the exhibition; there are no managers. It’s great to see how everyone works as a team. It’s a uniquely complex situation, a unique atmosphere – even if it is really mentally and physically taxing, I know that on the last day of the exhibition I'm already going to be looking forward to the next BAU in 2025.
