SEEK a conversation starter

Since last SEEK, which took place in January, we have listened closely and are (more than) ready to react. As well as long and inspiring conversations with exhibitors and buyers, members of the press and partners, we have conducted a survey to have valuable, measurable and comparable insights. 

We don’t think it makes sense to keep those insights inside and we would like to share them with you. We want to have a conversation with you - as we are all in this together.

SEEK has started showroom-like with 10 brands, moved to the Kühlhaus as its first solo show with 90 brands and did a big move to Arena which meant increasing the portfolio to more than 200 brands. We (basically) did it all. And we are more than proud to have been able to keep up with the personal, individual service and relationship we have with each partner.

As visitors almost commonly agree, they want more brands to show at SEEK. 

Exhibitors on the other hand would prefer a reduced size of the portfolio, but a more curated and clear brand mix. 

We (and you) have basically seen it all in the past - almost - 15 years. From being an order-platform to becoming a marketing and activation spectacle. For a very long time both reasons to show at SEEK have been working side by side and very well. Budgets have been shifted from sales and distribution to marketing and PR (and back).

The top three reasons for visitors to come to SEEK are networking, innovation and inspiration. More number-crunching business aspects of a visit, such as ‘placing orders’ or ‘seeking potential business partners’ didn’t make the winner’s podium. There’s nothing really to add, when we tell you, that the exhibitors top three by far are ‘taking orders’, ‘new sales leads’ and ‘increasing awareness’.

SEEK has always been more than just a platform, with intentions far beyond selling square meters. We appreciate and need the exhibitors’ and buyers’ interaction, feedback and collaboration. In the past years we have invested a lot into our buyers’ management, the services, the information and the invitations - always as a middle man/woman between wholesale and retail. We would love to continue being in the middle and creating this space, together with you. 

We can understand that a high number of exhibitors would love to see more buyers, more visitors, at the show. We could not agree more. Crunching the survey and the numbers, it is not comprehensible that not even a quarter of the visitors have been personally invited by the exhibiting brands.

We cannot mention it enough: SEEK is you. SEEK is the brands. SEEK is the buyers. SEEK is the people. We want to continue meeting and working with the most exciting characters of this most inspiring industry there is. And that’s you! Yes, you! Let us exchange ideas, brainstorm, discuss and create the future in Berlin.