We have Global Launches twice a year, one in April for the Spring/Summer season and another in October for the Autumn/Winter season. At these launches, Hi-Tec Subsidiaries and Distributors from around the world are brought together and shown the new product and marketing initiatives for the coming season. As a business, we work a year ahead of ourselves, so when we are in Spring/Summer 2010, we begin launching the products for Spring/Summer 2011. This gives the subsidiaries and distributors a whole year to sell these new products in to the trade before it finally hits the consumer market.
I got involved in my first Global Launch (which was for AW09) after 18 months of working in the Hi-Tec Marketing Department. We held it in Manchester in October 2008 and it was my job to co-ordinate all of our delegates; from organising their hotel accommodation to arranging their airport transfers to ensuring everyone was in the right room during the meetings and had a place at the table for dinner. Since then, I've been involved in organising our SS10 Global Launch in Turkey, and our AW10 Regional Launches (3 Global Launches on a smaller scale) in Southend-on-Sea (Essex), Hong Kong and Las Vegas.
Last week saw the Global Launch of our new SS11 Range out in Cape Town. After months of preparation for what promised to be the BIGGEST and BEST launch to-date, a volcano in Iceland erupted, grounding planes all over Europe, intent on ruining everything we had done. Both the Global Product and Marketing teams, and many of the key managers for our International business, were left stranded in the UK Head Office, unable to fly out to South Africa.
BUT, in true Hi-Tec style, colleagues from around the world who'd made it to South Africa pulled together and the show went on! It was such a relief knowing that all our hard work didn't go to waste and I feel so proud and lucky to be part of such an amazing team. With everyone pitching in and lending a hand, we were able to have the BIGGEST and BEST launch the world of Hi-Tec has ever seen. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until early next year to see what all the fuss was about!
Laura Greenaway
Group Marketing Coordinator
No comments:
Post a Comment