Making deals at a well-organised matchmaking event

Some 200 meetings in two days between a total of 85 companies from 17 countries. Subcontractor Connect continues to be an important venue for doing new business.

“I’ve attended many international matchmakings and Subcontractor Connect is one of the best,” said kerhet som finns om Donals Trump Sidahl och Anna Gillek Dahlström vara alla oroliga över den osäkerhet som finns om Donals TrumpDan Svensson, Director Strategy & Special Projects, Senior Advisor Quality & Customer Satisfaction, Volvo Buses.

He was one of 17 purchasers who took part during the two days Subcontractor Connect was held in Hall D. His main aims were to explore new trends in components and to see how the industry is developing in other countries.

“The focus lay on discovering what possibilities exist in the Baltic states and eastern Europe,” he said. “My meetings have been with companies from those countries. It’s interesting to see how they’ve advanced in automation – it was a bit of a ‘light-bulb moment’.”

At this year’s Subcontractor Connect the number of international participants had increased. Thailand, Poland and the Czech Republic contributed several companies each as usual, and both Ireland and the Netherlands sent a delegation for the first time.

Dan Svensson praised the whole event: “It’s well arranged and well organised, with very positive socialising after the meetings.”

The Dutch delegation came with eight manufacturing companies in a range of segments. Carmen Quinders, who led the delegation, had come to Jönköping last year to get a sense of both the fair and Subcontractor Connect.

“I saw then that it was a really good matchmaking event and I was surprised that so many purchasers attended,” she said. “The matchmaking at the fair in Hanover is almost always between two suppliers but here there were many purchasers.”

The two days were a success for the Dutch delegation, which Quinders says succeeded in meeting just the right people: “One of our companies concluded a deal at the very last minute. All our expectations have been fulfilled.”