Frankfurter SaaSages

One of our hottest markets is the office products industry so my business partner Paul Black and I headed off to Paperworld in Frankfurt last week ....the largest global event in office products....to evangelise about our revolutionary SaaS (Software as a Service) sales acceleration concept.

The Costa Coffee queue at Birmingham airport at 5:00 am included a number of industry characters....protected by the ‘let’s talk later – it’s too early defence shield’ appropriate to the ungodly hour.

We shared a cab from the airport with Aidan McDonough the new MD of Integra, the UK’s largest office products dealer group. The driver was clearly intent on replacing Michael Schumacher as the fastest German on four wheels so we were grateful to exit the vehicle with our lives in tact, even though it was at the wrong hall of the vast Frankfurt Messe Exhibition centre.

We walked for what seemed like 10 miles through Christmas World and a million and one different types of seasonal decorations to reach the office products event. Following the male tradition of never looking at a map for directions we decided to hit the floors of the show without buying the overpriced show guide...a decision that probably caused us to walk many unnecessary miles but we had the satisfied glow of saving 30 euros.

The European Office Products Awards dinner was that evening– and sales-i was sponsoring one of the prizes – “Established Vendor of The Year”. The shortlist included the big names: 3M, Avery, Fellowes.....with the winner being the German pen manufacturer...STABILO. As you can see from the picture the STABILO executives are big lads – next time I’ll stand on a box for the photo opportunity.


We shared a table with Ron Wotherspoon and the team from ECI² the leading accounting system provider to the industry and some Dutch guys from Alpha International – who were over the moon to win an award and celebrated with a round of beers rather than the champagne favoured by the more corporate winners...my informed guess is they were owners of the business rather than managers on an expenses jolly.

Steve Hilleard and the team at Office Products International put on a great show – full details will be in the next issue of OPI magazine and on their new look website. Good to catch up with old friends in the bar...including Peter Birks (ex Acco and Office Depot) who is enjoying life as a shopkeeper...running Staples UK. The main talking point in the bar afterwards was the cabaret – OPI had booked a German comedian (from my ancient memories of schoolboy English lessons I understand this is an oxymoron...like a ‘friendly tax inspector’)...unfortunately he reinforced the stereotype of the German lack of humour....and insisted on completing his 45 minute set without raising a single smile in the audience never mind laughs. Must remember to book him for my funeral...at least I won’t be the only one that died.

Kevin McGirl