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Umicore innovates with virtual trade show

Regional website Belgium

Every year, Umicore participates in more than 60 trade shows where we meet and talk face-to face with our customers and potential customers. Due to COVID-19, almost all trade shows were postponed, cancelled or replaced by virtual events.  

While our commercial teams still favor the live events where a close interaction with the customer is possible, we quickly realized we could not miss the opportunity to join virtual trade shows. Group Communications started to develop a new concept of virtual booths that can be customized for the different business units. Very soon a first project appeared: the e-scrap conference, a high-profile trade show on electronic waste. As a global player in the field of e-scrap recycling, Precious Metals Refining (PMR) was not only one of the exhibitors, but the only one with a virtual booth. Speaking of pioneering!   

Global teamwork

As the decision to convert the e-scrap conference into a virtual event was communicated very late, it was a race against time to get our very first virtual booth ready in time. Werner Appel, Head of Exhibitions and Events : "A team from the United States, Germany, Brazil and Belgium worked very hard to get PMR's first virtual exhibition booth ready just in time. I am also proud that we can provide all our business units this platform to present virtually their activities and interact with their customers".

The only company with virtual mode

During the two-day e-scrap conference a whole team literally worked behind the screen. Lies Geunens, Junior Supply Manager Recyclables at PMR was one of them. "We were the only company with a customized virtual booth fully in line with the look and feel of our booth for physical events. The fact that we were there with a virtual stand shows what an innovative company Umicore really is".