2012-02-01
The international market opens up for Ordmärkt
On 5 through 9 February, Inova Incubator company Ordmärkt will put its products on display to 73,000 people from all over the world. Spring Fair International in Birmingham is one of Europe's largest trade fairs in the field of design and style – and Ordmärkt will have its stand there, together with 3,000 other designers and potential co-operation partners.
Ordmärkt is a design company that has evolved in the Inova Incubator for almost two years. Last autumn the company sold its first products on the international market. Managing director Caroline Bissman finds Spring Fair a great opportunity from several perspectives.
"The whole experience can serve as a very valuable market survey: How will we be perceived by international visitors? How will they respond to us as a company? What products and designs will have the most impact?"
The fair is also going to be a natural opportunity to look for trends of what is coming.
"What the Birmingham showcase will display is what you'll be seeing in our stores next spring," says Caroline.
An important meeting spot
The primary reason to participate at the fair is the numerous encounters – and what they may bring in the future. 73,000 international visitors is an amazing number of potential customers, but it is equally important to meet other exhibitors.
"There's a great difference between visiting a trade fair and to be one of the exhibitors yourself," says Caroline, who has experience from both sides, including three exhibitions at the Swedish Formex fair. "As an exhibitor you have the chance to establish deeper contact with others in the business, and you can meet several times during the event. Your credibility increases when you can also show products and propose new concepts in a stand of your own."
For Ordmärkt, this opportunity is particularly important, because their business concept is not only to sell products. Just as important is the co-operation with other designers who buy Ordmärkt's designs and patterns, applying them to their products.
Export is the thing for Ordmärkt
At the Formex fair in August 2011, Ordmärkt got its first international customers. Their products are now available in Australia as well as in Japan. The first Australian order was followed up by an order for the entire Christmas collection, sent to shops in both Perth and Melbourne. In Japan expectations are high for the spring collection.
"Our recent experience has shown that our design works better internationally than in the national marketplace. Swedish home-decoration shops are very homogeneous and few of them dare stand out with unknown brands, even those that are independent. Abroad it's a selling point to be a Swedish designer with Swedish-made products."
On the lookout for external agents
Caroline's top wish for Spring Fair International is to team up with a really good agent.
"Finding a strong agent that could market and sell our products would be a success far greater than three individual small stores. But it would also be fabulous to attract English shopkeepers so that we could stay in the market there. And of course we want to continue growing in Australia and Japan where we're already established!"
For those of you who have the chance to visit Spring Fair International in Birmingham, make sure you drop by the Ordmärkt stand in the Kitchen, Dining & Housewares sector.
"We've been tremendously well received and we have a perfect location, considering our strategies and objectives with this trade fair. We're surrounded by good brands – companies addressing the same target group as we do," Caroline wraps up as she packs the spring collection in her bag, accompanied by colleague Ingela Johansson, and gets ready for Birmingham.
Read more about Ordmärkt here.
Read more about Spring Fair International here.
Photos: The tray and the pot stand are two of Ordmärkt's new products designed for the spring.
Text: Hanna Wirdegård
Photo: Ordmärkt
