ECRM - Would like to meet

So many exhibitions, so little time. That’s the complaint of many companies struggling to find room in their budgets and schedules to either attend or exhibit at the many trade events around the world. ECRM believes it has the answer – a form of cosmetics speed dating. ECM saw the start of some beautiful relationships.

When time is money – and when isn’t it? – buyers and manufacturers are looking for a way to streamline their procedures. Although exhibitions remain an important way to see new products and marketing developments, many have expressed frustration with the number and expense of such events, particularly when there is no certainty that they will be able to meet face to face with key decision makers.

That’s where ECRM comes in. The US-based company runs what it calls EPPS (Efficient Program Planning Sessions), designed to bring manufacturers, retailers and distributors together under one roof for a series of highly focussed meetings.

The company started these sessions in the US nearly 12 years ago and has since run over 140 events. Three years ago, ECRM went international. “We were approached by global retailers to help them source products,” explains Lisa Balsera, vice president of category development at ECRM. “We took them to Brazil, India and China and two years ago, we set up our first European EPPS event.”

The sessions essentially run like a speed dating event. For a charge of t15,000, ECRM gives each manufacturer a hotel suite in which to display their products and related materials and brings buyers and distributors to them for a 20 minute planning session. The price also covers travel and accommodation for two people. Smaller companies are charged less and are allocated a booth in a hall, where they hold ten minute meetings.

The buyers receive complimentary travel and accomodation in return for a commitment to visit each manufacturer. Naturally, where the businesses are totally incompatible, a polite greeting and speedy exit are accepted.

“It’s a great concept,” says Steve Oates, sales and marketing director of FDD International, a distribution and marketing services company. “The hardest thing is to get people used to 20 or 10 minutes. It’s really important to get down to business as soon as possible and make notes all the way along. The software for this is awesome.”

This software underpins the whole event. Before the event, all exhibitors and visitors are given access to a customised website, where they can see each other’s detailed company profiles and view product information and images. The website also helps each side to build a schedule of appointments, which can be backed up by ECRM’s Retail Messaging System, through which the parties can set agendas and goals. Manufacturers can also log onto the site to organise their shippings.

Once at the exhibition, all parties are given a Notebook which they can write on with a stylus, making notes on meetings, placing orders or emailing information back to the office. The notes are available on line, protected by a password, and can be viewed at any time in an area called Marketing Activity. In addition, buyers are given a scanner, which works rather like the supermarket version, downloading information on desired products into ECRM’s MarketGate system and creating a personalised brochure in the Marketing Activity section. The retailers can also access their own secure Marketing Calendar site, which they can use to schedule selected products for distribution or promotions. They can also include products not seen at EPPS and can compare their own advertisements with those of their competitors by referencing ECRM’s Ad Comparisons database.

Despite the ease of the operation, Oates says that it’s not a one man operation. “You really need one person to talk and one to make the notes.”

Monte Carlo or bust

The most recent ECRM beauty event brought 72 manufacturers and 66 retailers to Monte Carlo’s Fairmont Hotel from 26 February to 1 March.

While the manufacturers tended for the most part to be SMEs, there were some bigger players such as Markwins, Perlier Kelémata and Bonne Bell.

The same could be said of the retailers, which varied from relatively small scale store and pharmacy chains to huge international supermarket groups such as Carrefour, Wal-Mart and Delhaize and the drugstore chains Walgreen and AS Watson. The Internet was represented by drugstore.com, while Monoprix was the only department store on hand.

At least one retailer was convinced of the value of EPPS. Jean-Marie Malbranke, purchasing director of Anton Schlecker, France, said: “I don’t go to any other shows. They’re a waste of time.”

Walgreen’s category manager beauty division, Lauren B Vondrasek, was also impressed with the event. “We’re here to look at trends, for fact finding and information gathering. The manufacturers have been wonderful in showing us the trends and pointing out opportunities in retail. I would definitely come back,” she continued,“both to meet other retailers and manufacturers and to share information on what consumers want.”

Vondrasek’s thirst for trend information meant that she was particularly impressed by another service provided during the event. “We found the store visits incredibly useful. Consumers are always changing and we have to embrace changes and look for new trends.” ECRM took Vondrasek and other interested retailers on a store visit to Milan before the Monte Carlo event started, showing them stores such as Auchan, Carrefour and Iper, while in Monte Carlo they saw the selective side of retail through Sephora. “We’ve been really impressed by the number and depth of skus on offer.”

The event also attracted many distributors that are looking for something a little different. “We’re here to find new niche products. We’re all looking for new products and innovation,” explained Oates. “We’ve already seen two strong products.” The event also brings another advantage to distributors. “We’ve also seen our existing principals without having to travel to the US.”

Accompanying another distributor, Tryline International, into meetings gave a flavour of the complex relationship between manufacturers and distributors. Whereas, all the power is generally on the side of the retailer, distributors find themselves in a more balanced situation. They have to woo manufacturers to secure representation while the manufacturers seek to impress them in their turn.

Tryline specialises in oral hygiene, skin care and hand and nail items, placing them in pharmacies and supermarkets such as Waitrose. Sales director Ellie Wagstaff described the atmosphere as “electric and extremely motivating”. Wagstaff says Tryline is in the process of placing orders with two companies. “The meetings provided a great choice of trading, which has given us an opportunity to open up new doors as well as new fields of interest.”

Building relationships

Christopher Kulla from bath and beauty manufacturer Paris Presents, had already attended two domestic and one international ECRM events in the US and is now an old hand at the sessions.

According to Kulla, the event is not just about winning new accounts. “It’s a great opportunity to meet existing customers, sit down with them and review business. Because of that, it’s always good to prepare for the meetings ahead of time.” For example, Kulla has a distributor in Croatia, and met him face to face for the first time in Monte Carlo.

Kulla came to Monte Carlo because of the success of the international event in the US, but has found that because it is such a new concept in Europe, there are some teething problems. “Lots of people are here for the first time and it’s frustrating that some people come in and don’t know what products they’re supposed to see. They should really cut out some of their appointments before the show.”

Nevertheless, Kulla was pleased with the Monte Carlo event. However, despite the focussed nature of the meetings, money does not necessarily change hands at EPPS events. “It’s not really an order-writing show,” said Kulla. “It’s all about relationships.”

The social events in the evening were all designed to further these relationships. “The evening events are scheduled to bring both manufacturers and retailers together in a fun, relaxing environment, as well as a networking forum.” In fact, the whole event was made as informal as possible, with a smart casual dress code for meetings rather than the ubiquitous suit.

But with speed and relevance the watchwords of the event, it’s important for companies to send decision-makers. “Retailers in particular need to send quite senior staff here,” stressed Oates.

The next European EPPS event is scheduled for June and aims to bring French manufacturers and retailers together. Meanwhile, the packed schedule of US events rolls on.