A digital meeting with great success - across two continents
LEVACO had planned to be on the verge of the worldwide largest exhibition in the field of agrochemicals, the "China International Agrochemical & Crop Protection Exhibition" (CAC for short) in Shanghai, to meet LEVACO's partners in the Asian region, exchange with them and develop new products to on the annual "Partner Day". This could not take place because of the pandemic. Since fairs, trips, and meetings in larger groups from different countries will not take place in the foreseeable future, an adequate alternative had to be found.
So, the "Partner Talk" was launched.
AKI - KOMMUNIKATION together with the host Agro Solutions digitalized the meeting without further ado. In the preparation phase, the decision for GoToWebinar first of all created the technical requirements. A platform for video conferencing that is also accessible in Asia and secure communication enabled. After some organizational preparations and technical tests internal with LEVACO and external with the partners, then finally the partner talk could be started on 16. and 17. June 2020 - the adventure began.
At 8 a.m. Central European Time, all 22 partners from 8 countries from different time zones joined in: Shanghai, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Korea. Ingo Notz, Mahmoud Elgammal, Jan Porada and Marius Mühlenberg opened the video conference with a warm welcome and presentations on LEVACO and DEFOTEC.
Afterward, the partners introduced the latest news from their countries with their presentations.
The next day Jan Porada from the Research & Development department presented the partners with the latest findings on LUCRAMUL® AG 104 and LUCROP® ROIL. The laboratory tests confirmed that LUCRAMUL® AG 104 is a very competitive enhancer for the penetration of systemic pesticides into the leaf. LUCROP® ROIL as an excellent spreader increases the bioavailability of systemic pesticides. These results have been proven by conclusive tests and convinced the partners in the long term.
The following lively discussion between the partners and LEVACO showed that the enthusiasm for the products overflowed even over the geographical distance and that direct starting points for marketing in the individual countries were found.
It is also just as remarkable that DEFOTEC met with the partners for the first time and was able to lay the foundation for the expansion of the sales business into the Asian market by exploiting synergies with LEVACO. In the follow-up to the "Partner Talk", further business opportunities will be explored, initiated, and intensified through individual discussions with the individual partners.
Overall, the two days were a very remarkable experience. Long-standing partners, some of them represented by the successors of the next generation, jointly use the technology of the 21st century to do in a different way what they have been doing conventionally for more than 30 years: Communicating, exchanging ideas, and jointly building and expanding promising businesses - at a distance, but in close cooperation.