Neuland Newbees: the first conference
You never forget your first conference. So much excitement and so many new impressions – you simply have to experience it for yourself. Our trainee Verena attended for the first time on September 7th and 8th – at the DGHD Annual Conference in Paderborn .
Preparations
A conference like this requires careful planning. To ensure the trainees gain as much knowledge as possible, they are fully involved in the preparations. For example, Verena learned from Dominik how to organize the booth and what other planning steps are necessary beforehand. This also includes specialized product training for the trainees, in this case focusing on Neuland Markers , GraphicWalls , pinboards , and bikablo .
What's it actually like to go to your first in-person event as a newly qualified trainee? Verena gives us a little insight…
At the conference
Wednesday
6:00 a.m .: It feels so strange to be at the office so early when no one else is there yet. It's great that we packed everything into the bus yesterday and can leave right away. Off to Paderborn! I'm so excited about what awaits me.
8:15 a.m .: Hooray, we're here! Now we need to quickly unload everything and set up the booth. We have a tight schedule; the first participants will arrive in less than two hours. I think around 300 people have registered for the DGHD annual conference . That's quite a lot.
11:00 AM : The GraphicWall V3 and the EuroPin MC pinboard are set up. I didn't realize it was so easy, as I hadn't practiced beforehand. Now we just need to adjust the markers a bit, and I'm looking forward to my first client meeting. I wonder how our giveaway and the Your Marker promotion will be received?
5:45 p.m .: It's really interesting to see all the different kinds of people who come to our booth. Everyone is so lovely and open. Some even know more about our products than I do—unbelievable! It's great that Dominik is always around. If someone has a more complicated question, I can ask him. But even during the presentations, when it's not so busy, Dominik explains and shows me a lot. I already feel like a real expert.
I'm a little surprised that some people are hesitant to draw something and then have it printed on our markers . It's a shame, really. But maybe more people will participate tomorrow, and it's possible to do it from home, too. For now, we're going to have some delicious pizza and then wind down the evening at the hotel bar.
Thursday
9:00 AM : Today begins with workshops for the participants. A good opportunity for me to ask Dominik a few more questions about the products I was still a little unsure about yesterday.
1:45 PM : Several people visited our booth again during the lunch break. I'm so glad! I'm often asked how exactly the refilling process works. Of course, I'm always well-prepared for this question and skillfully demonstrate how easily our markers are refilled with ink . And then I go a step further and show how to replace the nibs using our Nibinator .
5:45 PM : Already over? Time really flew by. Now we just have to pack up and then it's back to Eichenzell and off home.
If I had to pick a favorite moment today, it would be our second prize-giving ceremony. Every day we raffle off a display stand in the shape of a Marker Skyline, filled with tons of Neuland Markers. Everyone loves it. But today's winner was especially thrilled. The moment she proudly accepted her prize, beaming from ear to ear, that was my favorite moment.
9:15 p.m .: I'm feeling a bit tired now. The event was fun and exciting, perhaps a little tiring. The product training gave me a good foundation. But I also learned a lot about our products, as the questions were surprisingly specific. Furthermore, I now have a much better understanding of how our customers think and what motivates them. I hope there's another event soon that I can attend!