Phoenix Contact: Dialogue Days
November 24, 2020
By Owen Hurst
The Phoenix Contact #DialogueDays recently ended, and here we want to take a look at the event and how this trade show made its mark.
Panel Builder & Systems Integrator had the opportunity to gain some insight about the event from Brad Hammer, national Sales Manager, Industrial Components & Electronics.
We asked Brad about the value Phoenix Contact was focusing on for clients through such a direct virtual show.
“As we have managed through the challenges of a difficult global environment over the past year customer expectations have not changed. They are still looking for new innovative solutions to address their engineering needs. The difference is how we showcase and demonstrate these innovative new technologies. Typically, we would rely on two European tradeshows this fall with Electronica and SPS, for us to showcase and release these new solutions. We did not want to miss the opportunity or hold back any of these products, so by providing a new and improved virtual environment this was the best place to allow for a large group of attendees to participate in a safe environment with more access to key engineers and designers of the products and solutions.”
We also asked Brad not just about the value to customers but about what Phoenix hopes each attendee walks away with at the end of the event.
“During this event customer will have the opportunities to participate in key note speeches and live discussions on current trends and challenges: from the significance of the All Electric Society, and new technologies such as 5G and Single Pair Ethernet to industry insights into control cabinet manufacturing and digitalization of the factory. As a trusted partner we have the solutions and technical capabilities to help our customers, no matter what industry or challenges they may be experiencing. With over 60,000 products and approaching 100 years of experience, we are here to help them for the long term.”
The focus for Phoenix Contact has and continue to be very customer centric as evidenced by the goals detailed by Brad and having attended the event, we can confirm the success of this goal. Below we go into some detail about the event itself and various opportunities that were provided to attendees.
The trade show opened with a video from CEO Frank Stuhrenberg welcoming attendees to the show. The show then guided attendees to 5 sections that provided a variety of opportunities from virtual exhibitions to direct expert engagement.
The first section of the fair, the conference section, included keynote speeches and discussions on a wide variety of topics, such as 5G and Single Pair Ethernet. Live Q&A sessions throughout the presentations allowed attendees to interact with experts in real time. These recordings were available shortly after the live sessions ended and will remain available for some time after the trade fair has ended.
The second section, the Virtual Exhibition, mimicked the experience of attending the Phoenix Contact booth at a live trade show, with a 3D model for attendees to explore. Attendees could walk through six modules: Connect; Switch, Measure, and Monitor; Automation; Power Reliability; Mark and Install; and Trend Topics. Within each section, the numbered circles on the ‘floor’ guided attendees to more information hanging on the walls, presented as a mix of videos and written product guides.
The third section took guests off-site to Microsoft Teams, where experts and attendees could participate in live discussions on scheduled topics.
The fourth section, the Digital Factory, included a 360 degree drag and explore view of a plant, with Production Manager Dr. Till Potente as your guide. Attendees could choose FAQ’s that led to direct responses or explore on their own. The tour focused on data security, transportation, collection, and usage. In each section, videos featuring VP Vertical Market Management Factory Automation, Frank Woortman, expanded on the topics.
Finally, for those worried about missing something, you could book a guided tour through the digital exhibition in various languages, letting a guide take you through all the latest solutions, products, trends, and technologies the fair had to offer. The tours offered the option to focus on either ‘Intelligent Automation Technology’, or ‘Innovative Connection Technology’, depending on where your interests lay. During these tours, attendees had yet another opportunity to ask the experts questions.
As advertised by the name, Dialogue Days were heavy on technical discussion, conferences, and Q&A sessions that provided deep and valuable insight for attendees.
